[Poem] SONG OF EVERLASTING REGRET - An Exiled Emperor and His Beloved: A Tang Masterpiece

Original Text & Translation

汉皇重色思倾国
Craving unmatched beauty, the Han Emperor yearned beyond measure

御宇多年求不得
Though he ruled for many years, his longing stayed unfulfilled

杨家有女初长成
In the Yang family, a daughter had just come of age

养在深闺人未识
Sheltered in the inner chamber, as yet unknown to the world

天生丽质难自弃
Born with rare beauty she could not hide

一朝选在君王侧
In a single day, chosen to stand by the royal side

回眸一笑百媚生
A single glance, a smile—countless charms unfurled

六宫粉黛无颜色
And the palace ladies all lost their luster by comparison

春寒赐浴华清池
In the early spring chill, a bath was granted at Huaqing Pool

温泉水滑洗凝脂
Where the warm spring waters caressed skin like congealed cream

侍儿扶起娇无力
Maidservants helped her rise, so delicate in form

始是新承恩泽时
From that moment on, her favor grew ever more profound

云鬓花颜金步摇
Cloud-like tresses, a flower-like face, golden hairpins gently swaying

芙蓉帐暖度春宵
Through warm lotus-embroidered nights, springtime hours slipped away

春宵苦短日高起
Those spring evenings felt far too brief; day rose while they still slept

从此君王不早朝
From then on, the Emperor no longer rose early for court

承欢侍宴无闲暇
Basking in her presence, he had no idle hour

春从春游夜专夜
Spring days for roaming, spring nights only hers to share

后宫佳丽三千人
Though three thousand beauties adorned the royal harem

三千宠爱在一身
All his favors fell upon her alone

金屋妆成娇侍夜
Adorned in a golden chamber, she attended him through the night

玉楼宴罢醉和春
In the jade pavilion, they feasted—springtime intoxication deepening

姊妹弟兄皆列土
Sisters and brothers all granted estates and titles

可怜光彩生门户
Such splendor crowned her family’s doors

遂令天下父母心
All parents under heaven envied their fortune

不重生男重生女
Hoping not for sons, but for daughters of her grace

骊宫高处入青云
Atop the palace’s highest towers, piercing the azure clouds

仙乐风飘处处闻
Celestial music drifted, heard in every corner

缓歌慢舞凝丝竹
Slow songs and languid dances entranced the strings and pipes

尽日君王看不足
All day, the Emperor watched, yet never felt satiated

渔阳鼙鼓动地来
But the war drums from Yuyang shook the earth

惊破霓裳羽衣曲
Shattering the Rainbow Skirt and Feathered Dress melody

九重城阙烟尘生
From the imperial city’s nine-tiered gates, smoke and dust arose

千乘万骑西南行
A thousand chariots and myriad cavalry fled southwest

翠华摇摇行复止
Jade-adorned standards quivered; their flight paused again and again

西出都门百余里
They escaped the capital’s gate, a hundred li or more

六军不发无奈何
Yet the armies refused to march, no will to go on

宛转蛾眉马前死
And so, before their steeds, she of lovely brows was put to death

花钿委地无人收
Her jeweled hairpiece fell to the ground, left unclaimed

翠翘金雀玉搔头
Jade pins and golden sparrows lay scattered, their sparkle lost

君王掩面救不得
The Emperor covered his face; he could not save her

回看血泪相和流
Turning back, he beheld tears mixing with her blood

黄埃散漫风萧索
Yellow dust swirled in the bleak wind’s moan

云栈萦纡登剑阁
On twisting cloud trails, they climbed to Jian’ge Pass

峨嵋山下少人行
Beneath Mt. Emei, few travelers passed

旌旗无光日色薄
Banners dulled in the pale sunlight

蜀江水碧蜀山青
Shu’s rivers ran jade-green, Shu’s mountains were lush

圣主朝朝暮暮情
Yet morning and evening, the sovereign’s grief endured

行宫见月伤心色
In makeshift palaces under moonlight, he saw a heartbreaking glow

夜雨闻铃肠断声
Night rains brought the sound of bells that cut to his very core

天旋地转回龙驭
When heaven and earth revolved, the imperial retinue returned

到此踌躇不能去
Yet at the place of her death, he hesitated, unwilling to depart

马嵬坡下泥土中
Amid the mud of Mawei Slope, her remains were left behind

不见玉颜空死处
He could see no trace of that jade-like face—only an empty place of death

君臣相顾尽沾衣
Monarch and ministers gazed at each other, robes soaked with tears

东望都门信马归
They turned eastward to the city gates, letting their horses wander home

归来池苑皆依旧
Once back, the pools and gardens looked the same as ever

太液芙蓉未央柳
Lotus flowers adorned Taiye Pond, willows lined Weiyang Palace

芙蓉如面柳如眉
Lotus blossoms recalled her face, willows her brows

对此如何不泪垂
How could one behold these sights without weeping?

春风桃李花开日
When peach and plum blossoms opened to spring’s gentle breeze

秋雨梧桐叶落时
And autumn rains cast down parasol-tree leaves

西宫南内多秋草
Weeds grew thick in the western and southern palaces

落叶满阶红不扫
Crimson leaves littered the steps, untended and unswept

梨园弟子白发新
The musicians of Pear Garden had turned gray-haired by now

椒房阿监青娥老
Even the palace maids of the spiced chambers had aged beyond recognition

夕殿萤飞思悄然
Fireflies glimmered at night in silent halls filled with thought

孤灯挑尽未成眠
The lonely lamp guttered; still, sleep did not come

迟迟钟鼓初长夜
Late chiming of bells and drums stretched the night

耿耿星河欲曙天
While the starry Milky Way hinted at coming dawn

鸳鸯瓦冷霜华重
Mandarin-duck roof tiles glimmered with heavy frost

翡翠衾寒谁与共
Who now would share the chill beneath emerald covers?

悠悠生死别经年
Long had they been parted by life and death

魂魄不曾来入梦
Yet no vision of her spirit came to him in dreams

临邛道士鸿都客
A Taoist from Linqiong, a traveler of Hongdu

能以精诚致魂魄
Claimed he could summon souls by utmost devotion

为感君王辗转思
Moved by the Emperor’s restless sorrow

遂教方士殷勤觅
He set forth eagerly to search for her spirit

排空驭气奔如电
Traversing the skies, riding the ether, swift as lightning

升天入地求之遍
He roamed heaven and earth in his quest

上穷碧落下黄泉
From the azure heights down to the yellow springs

两处茫茫皆不见
In those boundless realms, he found no trace of her

忽闻海上有仙山
Suddenly, word came of an immortal isle beyond the sea

山在虚无缥渺间
A mountain floating in airy nothingness

楼阁玲珑五云起
With tiered pavilions of exquisite design rising upon five cloudbanks

其中绰约多仙子
Where countless fairies in graceful beauty dwelled

中有一人字太真
Among them was one called Taizhen

雪肤花貌参差是
With snowy skin and a blossom-like face, yet slightly changed

金阙西厢叩玉扃
In the western chambers of the golden palace, he knocked upon jade doors

转教小玉报双成
And bade the maid Xiaoyu summon Shuangcheng

闻道汉家天子使
Hearing that a messenger had come from the Han Emperor

九华帐里梦魂惊
Her soul shook awake beneath the canopy of ninefold splendor

揽衣推枕起徘徊
Gathering her robes, she pushed aside her pillow and rose to pace

珠箔银屏逦迤开
Beaded curtains and silver screens parted before her, trailing wide

云鬓半偏新睡觉
Her cloud-like hair half undone from slumber

花冠不整下堂来
She descended the hall with her floral coronet askew

风吹仙袂飘飖举
A breeze stirred her immortal sleeves, lifting them in ethereal grace

犹似霓裳羽衣舞
As though she danced again the Rainbow Skirt and Feathered Dress

玉容寂寞泪阑干
Her jade-like countenance was lonely, tears glistening at the edges

梨花一枝春带雨
A single pear blossom in springtime rain

含情凝睇谢君王
Full of emotion, she gazed in thanks to the Emperor

一别音容两渺茫
Since their parting, their voices and faces had become two distant illusions

昭阳殿里恩爱绝
In Zhaoyang Palace, their deep love was abruptly cut short

蓬莱宫中日月长
While days and months stretched on in the Palace of Penglai (the immortals)

回头下望人寰处
She turned her head to look below, toward the mortal world

不见长安见尘雾
No Chang’an was in sight—only swirling dust and fog

唯将旧物表深情
She entrusted only a keepsake to convey her profound emotion

钿合金钗寄将去
Sending a golden hairpin and inlaid box to him

钗留一股合一扇
Half the hairpin and one panel of the box were kept

钗擘黄金合分钿
The hairpin was split, the box parted, both shining with gold and jade

但教心似金钿坚
She urged that their hearts remain steadfast as these jewels

天上人间会相见
And so they would meet again, whether in heaven or on earth

临别殷勤重寄词
With tender devotion, she sent one last parting message

词中有誓两心知
Within those words was a vow that only two hearts could truly comprehend

七月七日长生殿
On the seventh night of the seventh month, in the Hall of Long Life

夜半无人私语时
At midnight, when no one else was near, they had whispered softly

在天愿作比翼鸟
In heaven, may we be two birds flying with shared wings

在地愿为连理枝
On earth, may we be two branches that grow as one

天长地久有时尽
Heaven and earth, though vast, must eventually meet their end

此恨绵绵无绝期
But our regret abides forever, without pause