Classic and Contemporary Poetry
FOR THE COURTESAN CH'ING LIN, by WU TSAO First Line: On your slender body Last Line: And carry you away. Alternate Author Name(s): P'in-hsiang; Wu Zao Subject(s): Gays & Lesbians; Memory; Past; Women | ||||||||
On your slender body Your jade and coral girdle ornaments chime Like those of a celestial companion Come from the Green Jade City of Heaven. One smile from you when we meet, And I become speechless and forget every word. For too long you have gathered flowers, And leaned against the bamboos, Your green sleeves growing cold, In your deserted valley: I can visualize you all alone, A girl harboring her cryptic thoughts. You glow like a perfumed lamp In the gathering shadows. We play wine games And recite each other's poems. Then you sing 'Remembering South of the River' With its heart breaking verses. Then We paint each other's beautiful eyebrows. I want to possess you completely ñ Your jade body And your promised heart. It is Spring. Vast mists cover the Five Lakes. My dear, let me buy a red painted boat And carry you away. | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...ARISTOTLE TO PHYLLIS by JOHN HOLLANDER A WOMAN'S DELUSION by SUSAN HOWE JULIA TUTWILER STATE PRISON FOR WOMEN by ANDREW HUDGINS THE WOMEN ON CYTHAERON by ROBINSON JEFFERS TOMORROW by ANNA LETITIA BARBAULD LADIES FOR DINNER, SAIPAN by KENNETH KOCH GOODBYE TO TOLERANCE by DENISE LEVERTOV OLNEY HYMNS: 1. WALKING WITH GOD by WILLIAM COWPER |
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