Tears Of The Rouge - 胭脂淚

While doodling with paper and pencil while listening to “Summer Kisses and Winter Tears” repeatedly, I was waiting for a game battle to complete, these words came floating into my mind as it wandered off absently…

1 為何胭脂淚未散 Why are rouge tears not dried yet?
2 東風早別醉已殘 Long had the East Wind bid goodbye and inebriation is waning,
3 舊日紅玫今時菊 The red red rose in the past and chrysanthemum of the present,
4 深夜曇花明朝蘭 Queen of the Night for tonight but orchid in the morning.

5 凡塵世代無不如 Generations in the mortal world is like this,
6 嵗月流光看快慢 Time passes quickly or slowly depends on one’s view.
7 喜樂悲哀難分解 Joy and sorrow are hard to separate and to be understood,
8 春宵年華夢中還 Spring nights of youth can only be returned in dreams.

1 Nowadays, both sexes can use rouge to look better.

2 The warm spring wind, a signal for rebirth, hence youth. “inebriation” can also be used figuratively like living a carefree life of the youthful.

3 Chrysanthemum blooms best during autumn, the time of approaching one’s twilight years. The author is lamenting that fading beauty is being replaced by younger generations.

4 Similar comparison in the previous line. The night flower only blooms for a few hours in the night and by morning, the bloom is spent.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epiphyllum_oxypetalum

5 “this” refers to one’s heydays are gone and the old guard being replaced by newcomers.

6 “Year moon” refers to lunar phases and “flowing light” refers to passing of time. 光 as in 光陰 (light and darkness)

7 解 also means “to solve”, “to untie”, “to understand” etc.

8春宵年華 is a euphemism for nightly activities of the youthful nature.

Sunday, January 23, 2022