The subtle erotic

Han Wo finds pleasure in a bedroom

The Cool Moment
Han Wo

First, a jade-green balustrade;
Then the hand-stitched entrance hanging;
A ruby-red modesty screen
Painted with plucked flowers;
Inside, on a mattress of dragon's whisker lie luxurious linens—
In that moment when the heat has gone
But the cold not yet set in.


韩偓  已凉
碧阑干外绣帘垂，猩血屏风画折枝。
八尺龙须方锦褥，已凉天气未寒时。

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In this poem, Han Wo (c.842-923) imagines entering a richly-furnished bedroom. He builds motion and tension by mentioning the outer balustrade, then the door drape, then the inner screen, and finally the bed. We never see the woman on the bed, but the reference to heat opens up a world of possibilities…