Poems of Hồ Xuân Hương : 題幀素女 - On a Portrait of Two Beauties
| 題幀素女 | On a Portrait of Two Beauties | 𠳨包饒𢆫咳姑𨉟 姉拱𦎡𦓡㛪拱𦎡 𤾓𨤔如印詞絏𤽸 𠦳𢆥群買丐春撑 標梅之監塘𦝄𩙋 蒲柳催停分𤘁萌 群趣𢝙箕𫳵拯𦘧 責𠊚𠏲意窖無情 | How old are these two, anyway? Big and little sister, equally lovely. In 100 years, smooth as two sheets of paper. In 1,000, they still will glow like springtime. Will the plum tree ever know the wind and moon? Will reed and willow accept their dull fates? Why not portray the other pleasures? Blame the artist, gifted, but a bit dim about love. |
| Đề tranh tố nữ | Hỏi bao nhiêu tuổi hỡ cô mình Chị cũng xinh mà em cũng xinh. Trăm vẻ như in tờ giấy trắng Nghìn năm còn mãi cái xuân xanh. Phiếu mai chi dám đường trăng gió Bồ liễu thôi đành phận mỏng manh. Còn thú vui kia sao chẳng vẽ Trách người thợ ấy khéo vô tình. |
| Notes | |
| Durand notes that line five alludes to the “”Phiếu Mai,” a poem in the Book of Songs about a woman afraid of becoming an old maid. Reed and willow are common metaphors for women. | |