'李清照 醉花陰 translation: (Lyrics for the Tune of) Drunk in Blossom Shade, by Li Qingzhao'
This is a very rough translation and annotation of the poem 醉花陰 (Zuì Huā Yīn), ‘Drunk in Blossom Shade’, by the Song Dynasty Chinese poet 李清照 (Lǐ Qīngzhào). Note that the words of the poem are Li Qingzhao’s lyrics for a folk melody called ‘Drunk in Blossom Shade’.
As always, if you have any suggestions or criticisms, please share them in the comments at the end of the page.
醉花陰 Zuì Huā Yīn [drunk] [flower] [shade] Drunk in Blossom Shade
薄霧濃雲愁永晝， Bó wù nóng yún chóu yǒng zhòu, [meagre] [mist] [dense] [cloud] [worry] [eternal] [daytime] Thin mist and thick clouds shroud the long day in melancholy;
瑞腦消金獸。 ruìnǎo xiāo jīn shòu. [perfume][] [vanish] [gold] [beast] perfume scatters from a golden beast-shaped censer. ([瑞腦](http://www.zdic.net/c/e/7a/128840.htm "瑞脑（瑞腦）") refers to a [chemical](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Borneol "Borneol - Wikipedia") from a [plant](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dipterocarpaceae "Dipterocarpaceae - Wikipedia") used as perfume. A [金獸](http://www.zdic.net/c/1/fa/262148.htm "金兽（金獸）") is a metal, animal-shaped incense holder.)
佳節又重陽， Jiājié yòu Chóngyáng, [beautiful] [festival] [again] [Double Ninth Festival][] A holiday once again, it is Double Ninth;
玉枕紗幮， yù zhěn shā chú, [jade] [pillow] [gauze] [veil] through embroidered pillows and gauze veils,
半夜涼初透。 bànyè liáng chū tòu. [half] [night] [cool] [begin] [pass through] in the middle of the night, coolness begins to come through.
東籬把酒黃昏後， Dōnglí bǎjiǔ huánghūn hòu, [east] [fence] [raise] [wine] [yellow] [dusk] [after] At the eastern fence, one raises one's cup after dusk;
有暗香盈袖。 yǒu àn xiāng yíng xiù. [have] [plum blossom][] [fill] [sleeve] the fragrance of plum blossom fills one's robes. ([暗香](http://www.zdic.net/c/7/3/5382.htm) is a binome for plum blossom.)
莫道不消魂？ Mò dào bù xiāohún? [none] [say] [not] [eliminate] [spirit] Who would not say that this is overwhelming?
簾捲西風， Lián juǎn xīfēng, [curtain] [roll] [west] [wind] In the westerly wind that lifts the curtains
人比黃花瘦。 rén bǐ huánghuā shòu. [person] [compare] [yellow] [flower] [thin] , one is thinner than the yellow flowers.
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