琵琶行(四之三) 白居易

琵琶行(四之三)　   白居易(772-846)

沉吟放撥插弦中，整頓衣裳起斂容。
自言本是京城女，家在蝦蟆陵下住。
十三學得琵琶成，名屬教坊第一部。
曲罷曾教善才服，妝成每被秋娘妒。
五陵年少爭纏頭，一曲紅綃不知數。
鈿頭銀篦擊節碎，血色羅裙翻酒污。
今年歡笑復明年，秋月春風等閒度。
弟走從軍阿姨死，暮去朝來顏色故。
門前冷落鞍馬稀，老大嫁作商人婦。
商人重利輕別離，前月浮梁買茶去。
去來江口守空船，繞船月明江水寒。
夜深忽夢少年事，夢啼妝淚紅闌干。(待續)

Ballad of the Pipa (pt 3 of 4)          Bai Juyi (772-846)

She put the pick back behind the strings after brooding for a while,
Tending her dress, she stood up in a solemn style,
She said she came from the Capital,
In the famous Xia Ma Ling she first dwelled,
She mastered the pipa when she was only thirteen years old,
Belonged to the First Class of the Music Academy Imperial,
Whenever she finished playing a melody, she won even the masters’ approval,
After dressing up she was the envy of all pretty girls,
Rich suitors of the Capital all vied in praising her with money in piles,
Every song played brought in silk and brocade in countless rolls,
She even broke her precious hair jewellery while in a singing and dancing spree with abandon she revelled,
Her red skirt was thoroughly wine soiled,
A life of gaiety and luxury to her was only normal and usual,
Until her brother into the army was haled
And her aunt left this world,
Days passed with her beauty fading pale,
The number of her patrons dwindled,
She had no choice but to marry down to a merchant as a couple,
But profits are what all merchants look for after all,
Last month her husband has gone to Fuliang for tea procural,
Leaving her alone in this empty boat to idle,
With her was only the desolate moon and the river chills,
Deep in the night as she awoke from dreams of her days of old,
Running tears soured her face to a messy pale;
 (To be continued)