Poems of Hồ Xuân Hương : 叙情 - Confession (II)
| 叙情 | Confession (II) | 𡖵𣌉咏咏𤿰更拵 猪丐紅顔買渃𡽫 𥗜𨢇香迻醝更醒 暈𦝄䏾熾鈌諸𧷺 扦昂𩈘坦𧄈曾坫 𧞤蹎𩄲𥒥𱥯𡉕 喭餒春𠫾春吏吏 𤗖情删𢩿孙𡥵𡥵 | Before dawn, the watch drum rumbles. Lonely pink face among mountains and streams Addled but alert with a cup of fragrant wine As the moon sets, just a sliver not yet full. Moss seems to creep across the earth’s face. Stony peaks pierce the belly of the clouds. Sick with sadness, spring passes, spring returns. A bit of love shared, just the littlest bit. |
| Tự tình | Đêm khuya văng vẳng trống canh dồn, Trơ cái hồng nhan với nước non. Chén rượu hương đưa, say lại tỉnh, Vầng trăng bóng xế, khuyết chưa tròn. Xuyên ngang mặt đất, rêu từng đám, Đâm toạc chân mây, đá mấy hòn. Ngán nỗi xuân đi xuân lại lại, Mảnh tình san sẻ tí con con. |
| Notes | |
| In the original, a drumbeat is sounded through the required end rhymes (dòn, non, tròn, hòn, con con) as well as some internal echoes (hồng, bóng, xuân, xan or san). In line four she is playing on her family, or clan, name, Hồ, 胡, a Nôm character in two parts made from the Chinese words “old” (cổ: 古) and “moon” (nguyệt: 月). In the next-to-last line, xuân (“spring”) is of course part of Hồ Xuân Hương’s given name: Spring Essence. In one of Chiêu-Hổ’s poetic replies to Hồ Xuân Hương, he plays on her names. Người cổ lại mang thêm thói nguyệt 月 Phòng xuân 春 còn để lại mùi hương 香… A traditional woman, yet still flirting. Springtime still lingering fragrance. | |