Flirtation

Flirtation
by Li Ch'ing-Chao (1084?-1151?)

After kicking on the swing,
Lasciviously, I get up and rouge my palms.
Thick dew on a frail flower,
Perspiration soaks my thin dress.
A new guest enters.
My stockings come down
And my hairpins fall out.
Embarrassed, I run away,
And lean flirtatiously against the door,
Tasting a green plum.

• Translated from the Chinese
by Kenneth Rexroth and Ling Chung

• Illustration: Woman On A Swing by Unknown Artist