醉花阴

李清照

薄雾浓云愁永昼，

瑞脑销金兽。

佳节又重阳，

玉枕纱橱，

半夜凉初透。

 

东篱把酒黄昏后，

有暗香盈袖。

莫道不消魂，

帘卷西风，

人比黄花瘦!

 

To the Tune of Intoxicated Under the Shadow of Flowers

Li Qingzhao

The Double Ninth Festival

Light mists and heavy clouds,

melancholy the long dreary day.

In the golden censer

the burning incense is dying away.

It is again time

for the lovely Double-Ninth Festival;

The coolness of midnight

penetrates my screen of sheer silk

and chills my pillow of jade.

 

After drinking wine at twilight

under the chrysanthemum hedge,

My sleeves are perfumed

by the fragrance of the plants.

Oh, I cannot say it is not endearing,

Only, when the west wind stir the curtain,

I see that I am more gracile

than the yellow flowers.

 

translated by Lucy Chow Ho