Bai Juyi: Sent As a Gift From Me, Your Husband

Sent As a Gift From Me, Your Husband

赠 内 子

白 发 方 兴 叹
青 娥 亦 伴 愁。
寒 衣 补 灯 下
小 女 戏 床 头。

暗 澹 屏 帷 故
凄 凉 枕 席 秋。
贫 中 有 等 级
犹 胜 嫁 黔 娄。

Zeng Nei Zi

Bai fa fang xing tan
Qing e yi ban chou.
Han yi bu deng xia
Xiao nu xi chuang tou.

An dan bing wei gu
Qi liang zhen xi qiu.
Pin zhong you deng ji
You sheng jia qian lou.

Sent As a Gift From Me, Your Husband

Our white hair, begin to recite new poems
Pretty ladies also accompanied with melancholy.
Under my lantern, have to patch up the winter clothes
Small, young girls play around the head of your bed.

Old and hidden are the layers of curtains
Cold and dreary the autumn pillows and bed mats.
Our rank and social status somewhere between poor and the middle
Our success to be better off than Qian Lou.