1 撲蝶逍遙暗悲傷 Catching butterflies with carefreeness but hidden sorrows lie within,
2 飛燕守陵寂寞常 Flying Swallow keeps watch in loneliness over the imperial tombs.
3 長門餘日何區別 What’s the difference to a remaining lifetime in the Eternal Gates,
4 春曉桃花陳年相 Peach blossoms and spring morns are nothing more but a face of yesteryears.
1 Catching butterflies with a silk fan is a pastime with ladies in a rich household.
2 Chao Fei Yan’s literal name. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zhao_Feiyan
3 The “cold palace” where Chen Ah Chiao, the first wife of emperor Han Wu Ti was banished to. It was the home of her mother, the Princess Royal and aunt to the emperor, that was given to the emperor as a bribe to overlook her indiscretions. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chen_Jiao
4 “dream” can be used as a verb and the line can be translated as “dreaming of a spring morn’s peach blossoms” i.e. to dream of Chao Fei Yan’s youthful past.
Saturday, March 18, 2023
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