闺怨

Regret from Boudoir

作者: 唐代 王昌龄

Translated by Edison Lai

闺中少妇不知愁

春日凝妆上翠楼

忽见陌头杨柳色

悔教夫婿觅封侯

Staying in her boudoir worriless,

The young bride ascended the tower dressed up gracefully.

All of a sudden, over the road she spotted the green willows unconsciously.

She felt rather regretful, for asking her husband to seek fame by far away battling.

注: “柳” 与 “留” 的读音相近, 古人在诗词中往往用 “柳” 来表达依依惜别之情.

Note: The pronunciations of “willow” and “miss” are very similar in Chinese and in ancient China, people tended to draw on “willow” in their poems to express their miss towards their friends, beloved or families.