曹植之《美女篇》 Cao Zhi's "A Belle"

美女篇 美女妖且闲，采桑歧路间。 柔条纷冉冉，落叶何翩翩。    攘袖见素手，皓腕约金环。 头上金爵钗，腰佩翠琅玕。 明珠交玉体，珊瑚间木难。 罗衣何飘摇，轻裾随风还。 顾盼遗光彩，长啸气若兰。 行徒用息驾，休者以忘餐。 借问女安居，乃在城南端。 青楼临大路，高门结重关。 容华耀朝日，谁不希令顏？ 媒氏何所營，玉帛不时安。 佳人慕高义，求贤良独难。 众人徒嗷嗷，安知彼所观？ 盛年處房室，中夜起長嘆 曹植

A BELLE A belle pretty and peaceful, picking mulbery leaves between forking paths Willow strings waving softly, falling leaves floating gracefully Pure hands seen over her sleeves, golden bracelets over her bright wrist A goldbird hairpin upon her head, a jade belt in green upon her waist Shining pearls upon her body, like coral flowers upon a wooden fence How flowing her dress, her light gauze bending to the breeze Her looking around leaving behind colors, her long whistling light as lilies Travelers stopped in their paths, resting, forgetting their meals May I ask where you’re staying? It’s at the south end of the town The house of pleasure facing the main street, its high gates double-bolted Her looks dazzling the morning sun, who'd not desire her looks What’s her go-between doing? Why aren’t the clothes and jade on time? The belle admires only noble justice, it’s specially hard find a good one, The masses murmur in vain, how’d they know what’s she’s looking for! The prime of life in a room , a long sigh arising in the middle of the night      Cao Zhi  (tr. El Zorro)

Cao Chi (192-232) was the third son of Cao Cho, a very talented poet who is reputed to have completed a poem within the time of walking seven paces but has never occupied any official posting in his father's kingdom at first until late in the life of his father but once his brother 曹丕 got into power, he tried many times to have him killed out of jealousy for his talents but was stopped by his mother. So he spent his time drinking and died at the young age of 41. According to the famous Tsing dynastic critic and poet 王士禎, there are only three poets whom he admired since the Han Dynasty, viz. Cao Zhi (曹植), Li Bai (李白) and Su Shi ( 蘇.軾).