節婦吟 張籍

節婦吟  寄東平李司空師道   (766─830)

君知妾有夫，贈妾雙明珠。
感君纏綿意，繫在紅羅襦。
妾家高樓連苑起，良人執戟明光裏。
知君用心如日月，事夫誓擬同生死。
還君明珠雙淚垂，恨不相逢未嫁時！

A Woman of Chastity  To Vice-Chancellor and Governor Li Shidao
in Dongping                                     Zhang Jie(766─830)

Sir, you know I’m in bonds of spousal,

But you still give me a couple of bright pearls,
By your sweet affections I’m deeply ruffled,
On my red dress I have them dangled,
I live in a tall tower rising from a gracious garden of quite a spectacle,
At the Bright Light Palace my husband serves as a guarding patrol,
Sir, as decent as the sun and moon I know you are highly respectable,
But I’ve pledged to live and die with my husband as a devoted couple,
With tears from my eyes pouring I return your couple of pearls,
I am deeply chagrined why we had not met before my espousals.