薛逢： 宫词/ Xue Feng： A PALACE POEM

薛逢: 宫词/ xue feng: a palace poem
宫词
薛逢
十二楼中尽晓妆， 望仙楼上望君王。
锁衔金兽连环冷， 水滴铜龙昼漏长。
云髻罢梳还对镜， 罗衣欲换更添香。
遥窥正殿帘开处， 袍裤宫人扫御床。
a palace poem
xue feng
in twelve chambers the ladies, decked for the day,
peer afar for their lord from their fairy-view lodge;
the golden toad guards the lock on the door-chain,
and the bronze-dragon water-clock drips through the morning
till one of them, tilting a mirror, combs her cloud of hair
and chooses new scent and a change of silk raiment;
for she sees, between screen-panels, deep in the palace,
eunuchs in court-dress preparing a bed.