端午日赐衣

杜甫

 

宫衣亦有名，端午被恩荣。

细葛含风软，香罗叠雪轻。

自天题处湿，当暑著来清。

意内称长短，终身荷圣情。

 

A Presentation of Clothes on the Duanwu Festival*

Du Fu

 

For palace robes even my name was there,

on Duanwu I received the glory of his grace.

Fine threaded linen, so soft that the breeze gets in,

fragrant gossamer, light as layered snow.

Coming from the emperor, still wet where the writing is,

wearing these in hot weather one is cool.

He took consideration to measure the length,

all my life I will be obligated to His Majesty’s feelings.

 

*The fifth day of the fifth month, the Dragon Boat festival. It was customary that the emperor distributed summer clothes to his court officials on this day.