Social Commentaries
Advice to Girls
Translated by Herbert A. Giles (1898) · From Chinese Poetry in English Verse (1898)
Social Commentaries
Trust not spring clouds, trust not to flowers:
The butterfly is caught;
Oh snatch no passing joy in hours
Of pleasure wrongly sought!
A mien severe and eyes that freeze
Become the future bride;
No whispering underneath the trees
Ere yet the knot be tied.
'Tis heaven on earth when woman wed
Leans on her husband's arm;
Beauty, like flowers, is quickly shed:
Oh envy not its charm!
Cite this poem
MLA
Wen-t’ao, Chang. “Advice to Girls.” Translated by Herbert A. Giles. Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/poem/chang-wen-tao/0/.
Chicago
Wen-t’ao, Chang. “Advice to Girls.” Translated by Herbert A. Giles. Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/poem/chang-wen-tao/0/.