Embroidered Shoes Poetry Tongli

The Time of Embroidered Shoes in Tongli Release Date: October 8, 2010

"The Time of Tongli"

By Pan Wei

Time on the moss,

Time framed by wooden window lattices,

Time tiptoeing in embroidered shoes,

Time of lotus roots and white fish,

Time that has grown old, descending from a sedan chair.

In this kind of time,

Water is bland, combs are shiny,

Narrow alleys have been tuned by the melody of plum blossoms,

Quiet, yet familiar to eaves and bluestone slabs alike.

Under the magnolia tree, there's the fragrance of bright moon and clear wind.

This kind of time, with lowered eyes and brows,

Is as frugal as the owner of a pastry shop,

And seems to twist and turn among pavilions and terraces.

Lanterns are lit,

As people walk over the three bridges of Changqing, Jili, and Taiping,

When the paddle sounds gather clouds and winds at the Wenchang Temple,

It’s the Grand Canal bearing fruit.

Time on white walls, mottled by geckos,

Time when love affairs happen in the Military Office,

In this kind of time,

Sleep is more abundant than silkworm cocoons,

And the elegant young ladies can overthrow the years more effectively

Than the progressive Xinhai Revolution.