Tang poem · seven-character regulated verse唐诗 · 七言律诗

gōng宫cí词

xuē薛féng逢Xue Feng · Tang唐

Palace Song

shí十èr二lóu楼zhōng中jìn尽xiǎo晓zhuāng妆

wàng望xiān仙lóu楼shàng上wàng望jūn君wáng王

suǒ锁xián衔jīn金shòu兽lián连huán环lěng冷

shuǐ水dī滴tóng铜lóng龙zhòu昼lòu漏cháng长

yún云jì髻bà罢shū梳hái还duì对jìng镜

luó罗yī衣yù欲huàn换gèng更tiān添xiāng香

yáo遥kuī窥zhèng正diàn殿lián帘kāi开chù处

páo袍kù袴gōng宫rén人sǎo扫yù御chuáng床

Underlined words have notes: tap one. The Pinyin button below shows or hides all pinyin. 一 and 不 are marked with the tone you actually say.字下有虚线的，点开有注释。下方的“拼音”按钮可以显示或隐藏全部拼音。“一”“不”标的是实际读出来的变调。

Line by line逐句翻译

十二楼中尽晓妆In all twelve towers of the palace, the ladies finish their morning makeup,宫中十二座楼里，宫女们一早就都梳妆打扮好了，
望仙楼上望君王then climb the Wangxian Tower to watch for the emperor.登上望仙楼，盼望君王到来。
锁衔金兽连环冷Locks hang from the bronze beast-heads, the linked rings cold.铜兽门环上挂着锁，环环相扣，冷冰冰的；
水滴铜龙昼漏长Water drips from the bronze dragon clock, and the day drags on.铜龙漏壶一滴一滴地滴水，白天过得太慢。
云髻罢梳还对镜Her cloud of hair is done, yet she looks in the mirror again and again.云一样的发髻梳好了，还对着镜子照了又照；
罗衣欲换更添香She wants to change her silk robe, and adds more incense to it.想换一件丝绸衣服，又再熏上一些香。
遥窥正殿帘开处Peeking far off at the main hall, where the curtain is drawn back,远远偷看正殿，帘子掀开的地方，
袍袴宫人扫御床she sees only the maids in robes and trousers sweeping the emperor's bed.只见穿着袍裤的宫女在打扫皇帝的床。

Words字词注释

十二楼shí èr lóu: shí èr lóu: legend says immortals lived in twelve towers; here it means the many halls of the palace.十二楼：传说仙人住在五城十二楼，这里指宫中很多的楼阁。
尽jìn: jìn: all.尽：全、都。
晓妆xiǎo zhuāng: xiǎo zhuāng: doing one's makeup in the morning.晓妆：早上梳妆打扮。
望仙楼wàng xiān lóu: wàng xiān lóu: the name of a tower in the palace.望仙楼：宫中的楼名。
锁衔金兽suǒ xián jīn shòu: suǒ xián jīn shòu: the lock hangs from a bronze beast-head on the door. Jīn shòu is a door ornament shaped like a beast's head.锁衔金兽：门上的锁扣在铜兽头的门环上。金兽，铜做的兽头形门饰。
连环lián huán: lián huán: linked rings on the door.连环：一个套一个的门环。
铜龙tóng lóng: tóng lóng: the bronze dragon-head spout of a water clock. In old times people told time by dripping water.铜龙：铜做的龙头形计时器的出水口。古代用漏壶滴水来计时。
昼漏长zhòu lòu cháng: zhòu lòu cháng: the daytime feels very long. Lòu is the water clock.昼漏长：白天的时间显得特别漫长。漏，漏壶，计时的器具。
云髻yún jì: yún jì: hair piled high like a cloud.云髻：像云一样高高盘起的发髻。
罢梳bà shū: bà shū: finished combing.罢梳：梳好了。
还对镜hái duì jìng: hái duì jìng: still looking in the mirror again.还对镜：还要再对着镜子照。
罗衣luó yī: luó yī: a light silk robe.罗衣：用丝绸做的轻软的衣服。
更添香gèng tiān xiāng: gèng tiān xiāng: adding more incense. People of old used incense smoke to make clothes smell sweet.更添香：又添上熏香。古人用香料熏衣服，让衣服有香味。
遥窥yáo kuī: yáo kuī: to peek from far away.遥窥：远远地偷看。
正殿zhèng diàn: zhèng diàn: the main hall where the emperor stays.正殿：皇帝住的主殿。
袍袴宫人páo kù gōng rén: páo kù gōng rén: palace maids in robes and trousers, who did the chores.袍袴宫人：穿着长袍和裤子的宫女，是做杂事的宫女。
御床yù chuáng: yù chuáng: the emperor's bed.御床：皇帝的床。

How to read it读音

尽jìn: Meaning all, read jìn.“全、都”的意思，读 jìn。
还hái: Meaning still, again, read hái. Some take it as going back to, read huán.“还要、仍然”的意思，读 hái；也有人理解为“又回到”，读 huán。

Background创作背景

"Palace songs" are a kind of poem about life in the palace, especially the feelings of palace ladies. The Tang palace held thousands of women. Most of them saw the emperor only a few times in their lives, if ever. They could only wait in the deep palace and grow old. In this poem, Xue Feng shows one day of palace ladies hoping from morning to night that the emperor will come, and never seeing him. When it was written is not known.

“宫词”是一类诗，专写宫中的生活，特别是宫女的心事。唐代宫里有成千上万的宫女，大多数一辈子也见不到皇帝几次，只能在深宫里空等，慢慢老去。薛逢这首诗就写宫女们从早到晚盼望皇帝、却始终盼不到的一天。写作的具体时间不详。

The poet作者

Xue Feng, also called Taochen, was a poet of the late Tang from Hedong in Puzhou, today's Yongji in Shanxi. He passed the imperial exam in the Huichang years of Emperor Wuzong. He was gifted but proud and outspoken, and he offended people in power, so his official career never went smoothly. His dates of birth and death are unknown.

薛逢，字陶臣，晚唐诗人，蒲州河东（今山西永济）人，唐武宗会昌年间考中进士。他很有才气，但性格高傲，说话不留情面，得罪了当权的人，所以做官一直不太顺利。生卒年不详。

The mood意境

This poem never says "grief", yet grief is everywhere. The ladies are dressed early and climb the tower to watch for the emperor: that is hope. The locks are cold, the water clock drips, the day is so long: that is waiting. Her hair is done but she checks the mirror again; she changes her robe and adds more incense. She fears she is not pretty enough, and she also has nothing else to do, so she dresses up over and over. At last she peeks at the main hall. The curtain opens and her heart jumps, but all she sees is a maid sweeping the emperor's bed. He has still not come. The ending says nothing more, yet we feel her deep disappointment.

这首诗一个“怨”字也没有，却处处是怨。宫女们一大早就打扮好，登楼望君王，这是盼。门上的锁冷冰冰，漏壶一滴一滴，白天怎么这么长，这是等。头发梳好了还要照镜子，衣服换了还要熏香，这是怕自己不够美，也是没事可做，只好一遍遍打扮。最后她偷偷看向正殿，帘子开了，她心里一跳，可看到的只是宫女在扫皇帝的床。皇帝还是没来。结尾什么也不说，却让人感到她深深的失望。