Iranian Whirling Girls
When the Heavenly Jewel reign period was about to end and the Iranian wished to rebel,
Iranians presented to the emperor a girl who could do the Iranian Whirl.
She whirled so well that, before he knew what was happening, the illustrious monarch was captivated by her,
And, before long, the bewitching Iranian had moved in with him in the Palace of Long Life.
The world does not know the meaning of the Iranian Whirl,
But I can tell you what the appearance of the Iranian Whirl is like:
A tumbleweed nipped from its root by the frost and blown wildly by a twister,
A red platter balanced at the top of a pole and dazzling as a wheel of fire.
Black-dragon pearl earrings fly out like shooting stars,
Rainbow halo of a light scarf fast as a flash of lightning.
A submerged whale inhales in the dark, causing the ocean waves to dip inward,
A wildly dancing whirlwind, sleet in space.
After ten thousand passes, who can distinguish beginning from end?
Among those seated around her in the audience, who can discern back from front?
The lower-ranked concubines who look on say to one another:
“The way to win our lord's favor is through circular transformations.”
Right and wrong, good and bad—they all depend on what the lord says,
North, south, east, west follow upon the lord's glance.
Supplely do her sashes cling to her body,
Flying to and fro, they wrap around her like so many bracelets.
Hearing of this, deceitful officials turn over schemes in their hearts,
They confuse the mind of the lord with smooth talk while the lord's eyes are bedazzled.
If the lord's words seem to bend, then she crouches like a hook,
If the lord's words favor the straight, she releases as an arrow.
Nimbly she pursues the shadows of the moonlight everywhere they wend,
Skillfully she mimics the manifold warblings of the oriole in springtime.
Using the lord's power, they overthrow heaven and subvert earth,
Fearful the lord might discover them, they are busily concerned with covering up.
The imperial banners travel south to Ten Thousand Mile Bridge,
Finally Emperor Hsüan Tsung realizes that things have gone awry.
This holds a message for those who whirl the eye and whirl the heart:
Everyone in the nation ought to join in rebuking them!
Iranians presented to the emperor a girl who could do the Iranian Whirl.
She whirled so well that, before he knew what was happening, the illustrious monarch was captivated by her,
And, before long, the bewitching Iranian had moved in with him in the Palace of Long Life.
The world does not know the meaning of the Iranian Whirl,
But I can tell you what the appearance of the Iranian Whirl is like:
A tumbleweed nipped from its root by the frost and blown wildly by a twister,
A red platter balanced at the top of a pole and dazzling as a wheel of fire.
Black-dragon pearl earrings fly out like shooting stars,
Rainbow halo of a light scarf fast as a flash of lightning.
A submerged whale inhales in the dark, causing the ocean waves to dip inward,
A wildly dancing whirlwind, sleet in space.
After ten thousand passes, who can distinguish beginning from end?
Among those seated around her in the audience, who can discern back from front?
The lower-ranked concubines who look on say to one another:
“The way to win our lord's favor is through circular transformations.”
Right and wrong, good and bad—they all depend on what the lord says,
North, south, east, west follow upon the lord's glance.
Supplely do her sashes cling to her body,
Flying to and fro, they wrap around her like so many bracelets.
Hearing of this, deceitful officials turn over schemes in their hearts,
They confuse the mind of the lord with smooth talk while the lord's eyes are bedazzled.
If the lord's words seem to bend, then she crouches like a hook,
If the lord's words favor the straight, she releases as an arrow.
Nimbly she pursues the shadows of the moonlight everywhere they wend,
Skillfully she mimics the manifold warblings of the oriole in springtime.
Using the lord's power, they overthrow heaven and subvert earth,
Fearful the lord might discover them, they are busily concerned with covering up.
The imperial banners travel south to Ten Thousand Mile Bridge,
Finally Emperor Hsüan Tsung realizes that things have gone awry.
This holds a message for those who whirl the eye and whirl the heart:
Everyone in the nation ought to join in rebuking them!
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