A Beautiful Girl Combs Her Hair by Li Ho

Tags:: Beautiful Girls Combs Hair Hartistry Young David Hart Poems Controversial Titles

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By: hartistry
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Updated: 24-Oct-09
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Added: 28-Mar-08

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