A Beautiful Girl Combs Her Hair Awake at dawn she's dreaming by cool silk...(More)

A Beautiful Girl Combs Her Hair Awake at dawn she's dreaming by cool silk curtains fragrance of spilling hair half sandalwood, half aloes windlass creaking at the well singing jade the lotus blossom wakes, refreshed her mirror two phoenixes a pool of autumn light standing on the ivory bed loosening her hair watching the mirror one long coil, aromatic silk a cloud down to the floor drop the jade comb -- no sound delicate fingers pushing the coils into place color of raven feathers shining blue-black stuff the jewelled comb will hardly hold it spring wind makes me restless her slovenly beauty upsets me eighteen and her hair's so think she wears herself out fixing it! she's finished now the whole arrangement in place in a cloud-patterned skirt she walks with even steps a wild goose on the sand turns away without a word where is she off to? down the steps to break a spray of cherry blossoms (Li Ho, turn of 9th C., translated by David Young) read by David Hart(Less)