登徒子好色賦: Rhapsody on Dengtuzi's Lechery

Rhapsody on Dengtuzi's Lechery	登徒子好色賦
By: Song Yu	宋玉
​	​
Sir Dengtuzi is an attendant of the King of Chu.	大夫登徒子侍於楚王
One day he badmouthed Song Yu to the King,	短宋玉曰
"Song Yu has extremely good looks,	玉為人 體貌閑麗
he is extremely manipulative, and he is extremely lecherous.	口多微辭 又性好色
This kind of man is not something your majesty should allow into your palaces where your women reside."	願王勿與出入後宮
​	​
The King demanded a rebuttal from Song Yu.	王以登徒子之言問宋玉
​	​
Song Yu said,	玉曰
"Looks is a gift from heaven,	體貌閑麗 所受於天也
speechcraft is a gift from my teachers.	口多微辭 所學於師也
As for lechery, that is not my quality."	至於好色 臣無有也
​	​
The King said,	王曰
"Defend your claim about lechery,	子不好色 亦有說乎？
If you can, then you can stay. If you can't, then you must leave."	有說則止 無說則退
​	​
Song Yu then said,	玉曰
"The truly matchless women in China are all in our state of Chu.	天下之佳人莫若楚國
The truly matchless women in Chu are all from my hometown.	楚國之麗者莫若臣里
the truly matchless beauties of my hometown are all no match for the daughter of my east neighbor.	臣里之美者莫若臣東家之子
How perfect is she? If you add a bit of height she'd be too tall.	東家之子 增之一分則太長
If you take away a bit of height she'd be too short.	減之一分則太短
If you powder her skin she'd be too pale, if you put rouge on her she'd be too red.	著粉則太白 施朱則太赤
Her eyebrows are as lovely as the feathers of a bird, her skin is as white as the snow.	眉如翠羽 肌如白雪
Her form is lithe as though it has been wrapped in silk, her teeth are as perfect as seashells.	腰如束素 齒如含貝
With one smile she would daze all of Yangcheng and charm all of Xiacai.	嫣然一笑 惑陽城 迷下蔡
However, such a perfect beauty has been eying me from her walls for three years,	然此女登牆闚臣三年
but I have yet to agree to her entreaty.	至今未許也
Dentuzi, on the other hand, has a wife as ugly as sin itself.	登徒子則不然
Her hair is like a crow's nest and dirt covers her face. Her ears are shriveled, her lips flip outwards, and she has jagged teeth.	其妻蓬頭攣耳 齞脣歷齒
Her back is crooked and her waist is deformed. She walks with a limp and she's infested with warts and hemorrhoids.	旁行踽僂 又疥且痔
Even though she's this bad, Dengtuzi would still hit it and had five children with her.	登徒子悅之 使有五子
Your majesty, who, then, is more lecherous?"	王孰察之 誰為好色者矣
​	​
At that time, Sir Zhanghua of Qin was visiting Chu.	是時 秦章華大夫在側
Zhanghua immediately said to the King,	因進而稱曰
"Here we have Song Yu lavishing praises on his neighbor, and says that she is of utmost beauty, that's just utterly misguided.	今夫宋玉盛稱鄰之女 以為美色 愚亂之邪
Even though for following the ancient customs and conscience, I feel that I am not as adequate as he is,	臣自以為守德 謂不如彼矣
still I feel that of the random women in remote places of Chu like the neighbor's daughter,	且夫南楚窮巷之妾
it is not worthy of mention in the King's presence.	焉足為大王言乎
If, however, I indeed have no taste, then I will not speak anymore."	若臣之陋 目所曾睹者 未敢雲也
​	​
The King said,	王曰
"Try then."	試為寡人說之
​	​
Zhanghua said,	大夫曰
"Yes, my liege. "	唯唯
​	​
"When I was young I loved to travel.	臣少曾遠遊
I went through all nine prefectures and passed every city of worth.	周覽九土 足歷五都
After I left Xianyang, I went to Handan.	出咸陽 熙邯鄲
I stayed at the banks of the Zhen and the Wei rivers, between the states of Zheng and Wei.	從容鄭衛溱洧之間
At that time it was near the end of spring, with the bright sun of summer looming by.	是時向春之末 迎夏之陽
The birds all chirped, and the beauties all picked mulberries in the field.	鶬鶊喈喈 群女出桑
They were rare beauties, and their radiance shone all over	此郊之姝 華色含光
Their beauty is self-evident, not needing any further decoration. "	體美容冶 不待飾裝
​	​
"The way I saw them was just as the Classic of Poetry says,	臣觀其麗者 因稱詩曰
'Walk that wide path, holding my beloved's hand.'	遵大路兮攬子袪
It would be best to dedicate this to them.	贈以芳華辭甚妙
However, while they seemed to wish to come, they didn't,	於是處子怳若有望而不來
Even if they seemed like they had came, I couldn't see them.	忽若有來而不見
Spiritually close yet physically far away, everything about her was different.	意密體疏 俯仰異觀
With loning hidden in smiles, we stole glances at each other.	含喜微笑 竊視流眄
​	​
"She invoked the Classic of Poetry as well,	復稱詩曰
'Everything revived under the spring breeze, and its lushness covered the earth	寤春風兮發鮮榮
With a solemnness I received your graceful dedication,	絜齋俟兮惠音聲
but a gift like this is worse than death.'"	贈我如此兮不如無生
​	​
"She did not accept, and withdrew with her grace.	因遷延而辭避
It is probably because I never found the correct line, but instead relied on my spirit for victory.	蓋徒以微辭相感動 精神相依憑
With desire in my eyes, but propriety in my heart in the manners of the ancients,	目欲其顏 心顧其義
Reciting the wisdom of the ancient odes to remember the rites, the key of not overstepping its bounds	揚詩守禮 終不過差
makes this worth speaking of."	故足稱也
​	​
The King approved of his words.	於是楚王稱善
And thus, Song Yu did not need to leave the court.	宋玉遂不退