Too lazy for white plum, I sing of the red instead;
Flaunting her beauty, she greets the tipsy eye with open blooms.
The frozen face bears marks—all are blood;
The sour heart harbors no hate, yet turns to ash.
By mistake she swallowed the elixir and changed her very bones;
Stealing down from the Jasper Pool, she shed her former self.
North and south of the river, spring shines brilliant—
A word to bees and butterflies: stop your idle guessing.
English titles, text, and notes are AI-assisted for reading only; for scholarship cite the Chinese and authoritative editions.
Annotation
Li Wen's red plum poem. Li Wen was Li Wan's cousin, a talented young woman. 'Frozen face bears marks—all are blood' describes the red plum blooming in bitter cold like drops of blood—depicting both flower and person. 'By mistake she swallowed the elixir' alludes to the Chang'e legend.
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