Chères oubliées

Whang Zenyi était une femme aux multiples talents, car elle était non seulement poétesse mais aussi mathématicienne et astronome. Elle était spécialiste de la trigonométrie, des équinoxes et des éclipses. Vous avez dit touche à tout?

Je n’ai pas trouvé de traduction de ses textes en français, donc si quelqu’un veut se lancer… J’ai choisi trois de ses poèmes, mais vous en trouverez d’autres ici.

Divination: Summer Evening

After the rain, the evening brings coolness,

My robe lightly sways with the breeze.

I pluck a jasmine flower from the courtyard,

Its fragile tendrils thread through the stems.

With a round fan made of banana leaves,

I sit leisurely by the lotus pond.

Peeling a wet lotus seed from its husk,

I see the new life it holds within.

念奴娇 祀灶

清代· 王贞仪

行厨烟散，刚入夜、炊馀寒彻。爆竹邻家初竞响，正是交年节。

床脚烧灯，灰堆击帚，五祀辰方接。底需祈报，但教香水无缺。

不学致富阴家，刲羊供酒，叩祷纷烦热。饼豆一年惭一饯，言事凭君朝阙。

再拜尊前，非缘求媚，文字嗟薪积。封尘莫笑，爨火每自清洁。

Sorrowful Reflections

The day grows long, casting shadows in the secluded courtyard.

The evening sun lingers on the fragrant grass, burdening my heart with sorrow.

I have just changed into a light red apricot blossom silk garment,

Yet the fleeting spring awaits. Illness has made me thin and frail.

Reluctant to close my weary eyes,

I gaze into the mirror with a furrowed brow.

诉衷情 秋望

清代· 王贞仪

偶然乘兴一登楼。江色俯晴流。试看千山枫老，无奈又残秋。

云影碧，晚峰浮。雁声悠。栏杆倚遍，地上天边，何处消愁。

Expressive Flower: Ode to the Plum Blossoms

In a sudden fragrance, cold and elegant,

Graceful and unmatched in its abundance.

Exquisitely captivating, so enchanting,

Blushing and conversing with the peach and plum blossoms.

Fragrance carries the clarity of melted snow,

Its beauty incomparable and alluring.

Just behold its empty form, like delicate makeup,

In the shadows of the twilight.

Longing for the misty lake and rosy clouds,

Listening to the chirping of emerald feathers,

A pure dream begins to awaken,

A woman of unparalleled charm.

Her graceful sleeves outshine crimson and green,

This affection is beyond expression.

Let us accompany each other on the clouds and stairs,

In the realm of moonlit beauty.

Facing her celestial grace, her jade-like purity,

She becomes my intimate confidante within the inner chambers.

减字木兰花 感作

清代· 王贞仪

构思下笔。汉魏齐梁求并立。底事心忙。才学韩苏又柳王。

拘牵潦草，面目何曾收拾好。纵效西颦。没奈生成嫫母形。