The Beauty Xi Shi (Wang Wei: The Beauty Xi Shi)

Vivid beauty is prized by all under heaven; how could Xi Shi remain lowly for long? At dawn she was a washing girl by the Yue stream; by dusk she became a consort in the Wu palace. In poverty, was she any different from the common lot? Only in nobility does one see how rare she truly is. Others apply fragrant powder for her; she never has to don silk robes herself. The lord’s favor made her ever more charming; the lord’s pity kept her free from right and wrong. The companions who once washed silk with her—none could ride home in the same carriage with her. I tell the girl next door: vainly knitting your brows in imitation—how could you ever win such grace?