If I were crystal water
In little golden channels,
So you could wash your white neck,
My five-times beautiful gardenia.
So you could wash your face,
Your golden-blond hair,
You would make the sun grow dim
With all your beauty.
If only you would let me
Caress your golden hair,
If only I could enchant you
As your beauty enchants me.
To be grafted like a young shoot
Deep within your heart,
So I too could be
A small piece of your beauty.
And when the south wind blows,
To hold you tightly,
You would lean down and kiss me,
And I would admire you.
Small notes on meaning (important for this poem)
- “Five-times beautiful” literally means five-times beautiful — a traditional village way of saying “very, very beautiful”.
- “To be grafted like a plant shoot” = to be grafted like a plant shoot — this is a very village (rural) metaphor, meaning to become part of your heart/life.
- “South wind” = the south wind, often symbolizing warmth, passion, longing.
From the collection's own note: the images with these poems are AI-created artistic renderings by the source, not historical photographs.