Ouyang Xiu: With Every Inch of Hanging Ash

 

With Every Inch of Hanging Incense Ash: (Fragrant Brocade Pouch)

 

一 寸 相: (锦 香 囊)
一 寸 相 思 无 著 外。
甚 夜 长 难 度。
灯 花 前,几 转 寒 更
桐 叶 上,数 声 秋 雨。
真 个 此 心 终 难 负。
况 少 年 情 绪。
一 交 共,春 茧 缠 绵
终 不 学,钿 筝 移 柱。
Yi Cun Xiang: (Jin Xiang Nang)

Yi cun xiang si wu zhe wai.
Shen ye chang nan du.
Deng hua qian, ji zhuan han geng
Tong ye shang, shu sheng qiu yu.

Zhen ge ci xin zhong nan fu.
Kuang shao nian qing xu
Yi jiao gong, chun jian chan mian
Zhong bu xue, tian zheng yi zhu.

 

With Every Inch of Hanging Incense Ash: (Fragrant Brocade Pouch)

With every inch of hanging incense ash, do not know where to put this longing to be together
Difficult to estimate how long of the evening still remains.
Lantern flares up, all night long the water clock drops are cold
Paulownia leaves above, numerous sounds from the autumn rain.

Could it be really difficult for his heart-mind to forget her so easily
Her youthful emotions and moods.
They have already joined together, springtime cocoons also entwine to make soft silk floss
Eventually they did not learn
Their flower-patterned, golden-foiled guzheng, with it’s tuning bridges left unadjusted.

 

Notes:

Paulownia trees:  Deciduous trees native to China.

Guzheng: Ancient multi-stringed musical instrument.  The tuning bridges support each string near their mid-point.  They can be moved back and forth in order to tune each string.