金陵十二钗正册
1）
黛玉宝钗——可叹停机德,堪怜咏絮才. 玉带林中挂, 金簪雪里埋.
Alas for her wifely virtue, Her wit to sing of willow-down, poor maid!
Buried in snow the broken golden hairpin, and hanging in the wood the belt of jade.
2）
元春——二十年来辨是非,榴花开处照宫闱. 三春争及初春景,虎兕相逢
大梦归.
For twenty years she arbitrates, where pomegranates blaze by palace gates;
How can the late spring equal the spring’s start?
When Hare and Tiger meet, from this great dream of life she must depart.
3）
探春——才自精明志自高,生于末世运偏消. 清明涕送江边望,千里东风一梦遥.
So talented and high-minded, she is born too late for luck to come her way;
Through tears she watched the stream on theTomb-sweeping Day;
A thousand li the east wind blows, but her home in her dreams is far away.
4）
湘云——富贵又何为,襁褓之间父母违. 展眼吊斜晖, 湘江水逝楚云飞.
Nought avail her rank and riches, while yet in swaddling clothes an orphan lone;
In a flash she morns the setting sun, the River Xiang runs dry, the clouds over Chu have flown.
5）
妙玉——欲洁何曾洁,云空未必空. 可怜金玉质,终陷淖泥中.
Chastity is her wish, seclusion her desire;
Alas, though fine as gold or jade, she sinks at last in the mire.
6）迎春——子系
中山狼,得志便猖狂. 金闺花柳质,一载赴黄粱.
For husband she will have a mountain wolf, his object gained he ruthlessly berates her;
Fair bloom, sweet willow in a golden bower, too soon a rude awakening awaits her!
7）惜春——勘破三春景不长,缁衣顿改昔年妆. 可怜绣户侯门女,独卧青灯古佛旁.
She sees through the transience of spring, Dark Buddhist’s robes replace her garments fine;
Pity this child of a wealthy noble house, who now sleeps alone by the dimly lit old shrine.
8）熙凤——凡鸟偏从末世来,都知爱慕此生才. 一从二令三人木, 哭向金陵事更哀.
This bird appears when the world falls on evil times, none but admires her talents and her skill;
First she complies, then commands, then is dismissed; departing in tears to Jinling more retched still.
9）
巧姐——势败休云贵,家亡莫论亲. 偶因济刘氏,巧得遇恩人.
When fortune frowns, nobility means nothing; when a house is ruined, kinsmen turn unkind;
Because of help given by chance to Granny Liu,
in time of need she is lucky a friend to find.
10）
李纨——桃李春风结子完,到头谁似一盆兰. 如冰水好空相妒,枉与他人作笑谈.
Peach and plum in spring winds finish seeding, who can bloom like the orchid at last?
Pure as ice and water she arouse envy, vain the groundless taunts that are cast.
11）可卿——情天情海幻情身,情既相逢必主淫. 漫言不肖皆荣出,造衅开端实在宁.
Love boundless as sea and sky is but illusion, when lovers meet, lust must be king;
Say not all the evil comes from the Rong Mansion, truly, disaster originates from the Ning.