Palace Lament

I had an image of a lotus pond in summer but could not think of a theme to go with it. It was not until today that after watching a Youtube Video on some other classical poetry and a background of a windless lotus pond that I was finally able to complete it.

1 池塘碧綠靜無風 Green is the lotus pond and all is quiet without the wind,
2 花影豈能暗香送 How can fading fragrance of the withering blooms be conveyed?
3 百金萬堆伴寂寥 Ten thousand piles of hundred gold pieces are companions to Loneliness,
4 長門買賦更何用 Of what use is the Gate of Eternity buying a poetic essay?

3 The amounts are not literal, just poetic exaggeration.

4 The Gate of Eternity is the name of the place where the now deposed Empress Chen Ah Chiao’s was imprisoned. It was reputed that she paid a hundred pieces of gold for a poem to be written to win back the emperor’s love.  Sima Hsiang Ru got rewarded by the emperor for his talent but she remained alone.

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

Monday, April 17, 2023