English中文
Washing Creek Sand: Idly Plucking the Zheng, Too Lazy to Tie My Skirt
闲弄筝弦懒系裙。
铅华消尽见天真。
眼波低处事还新。
She idly touches the zither strings, too listless to tie her skirt; with the powder gone, her natural beauty shows. Beneath her lowered gaze, her thoughts are still fresh.
怅恨不逢如意酒。
寻思难值有情人。
可怜虚度琐窗春。
She grieves that no wine answers to her wish, and thinks how hard it is to meet someone with a loving heart. Pitiful: the spring of youth wasted behind the fretted window.
Reading notes
铅华 means face powder, while 天真 describes natural beauty here. 系 in 系裙 is read jì; 还 in 事还新 is read hái.