译文及注释：
Translation:
In a garden there stands a green plum tree swaying in the wind with traces of snow still on its branches. Several green plums have quietly appeared among the green leaves revealing a strong sense of spring. Plum blossoms usually bloom earlier than pear blossoms but these few plum blossoms have bloomed later. Finally they have waited for the opportunity to meet the spring breeze as if they have made an appointment with the pear blossoms to meet in their dreams.
The fragrance of the plum blossoms is like the scent emitted by a beautiful woman's robe while the plum blossoms not yet fallen or withered resemble the delicate body of a thin and weak woman as if unable to bear the weight of even a light silk garment. As the woman gradually ages like the plum tree turning into shade and bearing fruit her appearance will no longer be as beautiful as before. Therefore she is afraid to meet her petite neighbor again.
Annotations:
- Xi Jiang Yue: a famous tune originally a Tang Dynasty court song named after a line from Li Bai's poem Only the Xi Jiang Moon Remains. A Tang Dynasty pipa score was discovered in Dunhuang during the Qing Dynasty but it had no lyrics. The tune can be found in the collection Zun Qian Ji also known as Jiang Yue Ling Bu Xu Ci Hu Tian Xiao Bai Ping Xiang Yu Lu San Jian Xue. It consists of 50 characters with four lines of two flat tones each and the final line with a different tone. Shen Yifu's Le Fu Zhi Mi states: The beginning of 'Xi Jiang Yue' has a flat tone rhyme the second and fourth lines have flat tones and the rhyme is oblique. For example if the flat tone is 'dong' the oblique tone should be 'dong' or 'dong'. In this poem the two parts do not have the same rhyme the first part has the first rhyme group dong and the second part has the eighth rhyme group xiao which is a change in rhyme.
- Yao Pu: refers to the private garden of Zhao Si Rong the King of Si Rong located in Yuezhou (now Shaoxing Zhejiang). It is a detailed description in the book Gui Xin Za Shi.
- Wan Hua: refers to the plums that have already borne fruit while there are still remaining flowers on the branches hence called wan hua.
- Niao: swaying.
- Yi Hen Xue: refers to the few late-blooming pure white plum blossoms resembling traces of lingering snow. Hen means traces.
- Ji Dou: refers to the plums.
- Yu Nu: refers to Pan Fei the concubine of Emperor Dong Hun Hou of the Southern Qi Dynasty whose nickname was Yu Nu. When Emperor Dong Hun Hou was defeated in battle Yu Nu died with him. In ancient times Yu Nu was often used to refer to women and in this context it refers to the green plums.
- Xun: incense burner.
- Shou Ji: refers to the thin and delicate petals.
- Bing Xiao: refers to pure white silk products.
- Qing Zi: refers to green plums.
- Dong Lin: a phrase from Song Yu's Deng Tu Zi Hao Se Fu: Among all the beauties in the world none can compare to those in the Chu State. Among the beauties in the Chu State none can compare to the daughter of my neighbor. ...