Song of the Palace

Song of the Palace
Bai Juyi
宮詞

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淚盡羅巾夢不成
夜深前殿按歌聲
紅顏未老恩先斷
斜倚薰籠坐到明 gōng cí

lèi jǐn luó jīn mèng bù chéng
yè shēn qián diàn àn gē shēng
hóng yán wèi lǎo ēn xiān duàn
xié yǐ xūn lóng zuò dào míng Tears utmost gauze cloth dream not succeed
Night deep before palace press song sound
Red cheek not old favour first cut
Slant lean on smoke cover sit arrive brightness Her handkerchief all soaked in tears, she cannot dream,
In deepest night before the palace voices sing.
Her rosy cheeks aren't old, but first love has been cut,
Leaning, wreathed in smoke, she sits until the dawn.

Note: there are textual variants for the title (後宮詞 - hòu gōng cí), and in the first line 淚溼 (lèi shī - tears wet).