s North City, Loved you for the way you did me honour, Sharing your wealth,
thinking
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284
? ? The River-Captaini? s Wife n? A Letter
I with my hair in its first fringe
Romped outside breaking flower-heads. You galloped by on bamboo horses.
We juggled green plums round the well. Living in Chang-kan village,
Two small people without guile.
At fourteen I married you sir,
So bashful I could only hide,
My frowning face turned to the wall. Called after - never looking back.
Fifteen before I learnt to smile. Yearned to be one with you forever. You to be the Ever-Faithful.
I to not sit lonely, waiting.
At sixteen you sir went away,
Through White Kingi? s Gorge, by Yen Rocki? s
285
? ? rapids,
When the Yangtzei? s at its highest, Where the gibbons cried above you.
Here by the door your last footprints, Slowly growing green mosses,
So deep I cannot sweep them,
Leaves so thick from winds of autumn.
Septemberi? s yellow butterflies Twine together in our west garden. What I feel n? it hurts the heart. Sadness makes my beauty vanish.
When you come down from far places, Please will you write me a letter?
As far as the farthest reaches,
Ii? ll come out to welcome you.
286
? The Exilei? s Letter (To Y ? an)
Remember how Tung built us a place to drink in
At Lo-yang south of the Ti? ien-ching bridge?
White jade and gold bought songs and laughter. We drank forgetting Court and princes.
Those amongst us, wisest and bravest
On all this side of rivers and oceans,
Hearts high as clouds, and you and I together, Cared nothing at crossing lakes and mountains Only to share our thoughts and feelings.
Then I went out south-east to cut the laurel,
You north of Lo River still lost in dreams.
No joy in being parted. Soon back again in mountains, Tracking the thirty-six twists and turns of valley,
By the streams bright with a thousand flowers,
By endless waters,
Hearing pine-trees sighing,
Till we met the Hang-tung Governor
287
? ? ? On a gold and silver saddle,
And Hu the True-Taoist drew us with his pipe playing, Making unearthly music out of the high tower, Strange sounds of the mating phoenix.
The Governori? s sleeves kept time to the music,
So that he rose, drunk, and danced a little,
Brought his brocade coat, covered my body.
I fell asleep, head resting in his lap.
By day our hearts rose to the nine heavens.
At evening we scattered like blown stars or rain,
I to my far mountain over hills and waters,
You to your own house by the bridge of Wei.
That winter I made your fatheri?
s North City, Loved you for the way you did me honour, Sharing your wealth, thinking nothing of it. Wine there - in cups of amber,
Food there - on plates of jade.
I ate and drank, no thoughts of returning.
We went out to the west. The river parts there, Round the ancient shrine of a Prince of Chou. Boats on the waters to drums and piping.
Waves made of dragon scales. Jade-green rushes.
288
? We drank and drank, lived the passing moments, Forgetting how they go like blossoms or snowfall. Flushed with wine, warm in glow of sunset,
The hundred-foot deep pool mirroring bright faces, Dancing-girls delicate as willows in the moonlight, Notes lost in the silken sleevesi? fluttering.
A white breeze blew their song to the sky,
Winding through the air, twisting in the cloud-lanes. Never again. Never again such joy.
I went west but got no promotion. White-headed back to eastern hills.
Met once more south of Weii? s bridge.
Parted again north of Tsoi? s terrace.
And if you ask my feelings at parting,
They were inside me like Spring flowers falling. No way to say whati? s in the heart. Never.
I call in the boy. Have him kneel here, tie this, To send my feelings through a thousand miles.
289
? Jade Stairs Grievance.
On jade stairs the white of dewfall. Deeply soaked the silken slippers.
She lets fall the crystal blind.
Sees, through gauze, a Moon of Autumn.
? 490? ? $? 0? ? 8? ,? . 43. :-? 30? ? 3? 9? 0? ? 2507? ,? ? ! ,? ,. 0? 94? ? ? ? . ? ? 9? 0? ? ,/0? 89,? 78? ? 0,/? ? -:9? 9? 0? ? ? ? 90? /0? /7458? 43? ? ,/0? ,70? ,? 84? 9? 0? 90,78? 43? ? 07? 1,. 0? ? 9? 0? ,-8039? ? /0? ? ? 41? 80? :,? ? :3? 43? ? ,3/? 9? 0? ? ,? 1 ? 2439? ? ? ? ? 90? ? 0? ? ? 3? 9? 0? ,:9:23? ? :3,7? . ,? 03/,7? ? %? 0? 84,? 0/? 8? ? 55078? ? 3/? . ,90? 8? 0? ? ,8? -003? 9? 070? 147? ? 4:78? ? 30? ? 0. 90/? ,3/? 80? 1 ? 30? ? 0. 9? 3? ? ? %? 0? . 7? 89,? ? -? ? 3/? ? 8? ,? ? 0? 0? ? 0/? . :79,? 3? ? -:9? ,? 84? 0? 0? ,8? 08?
284
? ? The River-Captaini? s Wife n? A Letter
I with my hair in its first fringe
Romped outside breaking flower-heads. You galloped by on bamboo horses.
We juggled green plums round the well. Living in Chang-kan village,
Two small people without guile.
At fourteen I married you sir,
So bashful I could only hide,
My frowning face turned to the wall. Called after - never looking back.
Fifteen before I learnt to smile. Yearned to be one with you forever. You to be the Ever-Faithful.
I to not sit lonely, waiting.
At sixteen you sir went away,
Through White Kingi? s Gorge, by Yen Rocki? s
285
? ? rapids,
When the Yangtzei? s at its highest, Where the gibbons cried above you.
Here by the door your last footprints, Slowly growing green mosses,
So deep I cannot sweep them,
Leaves so thick from winds of autumn.
Septemberi? s yellow butterflies Twine together in our west garden. What I feel n? it hurts the heart. Sadness makes my beauty vanish.
When you come down from far places, Please will you write me a letter?
As far as the farthest reaches,
Ii? ll come out to welcome you.
286
? The Exilei? s Letter (To Y ? an)
Remember how Tung built us a place to drink in
At Lo-yang south of the Ti? ien-ching bridge?
White jade and gold bought songs and laughter. We drank forgetting Court and princes.
Those amongst us, wisest and bravest
On all this side of rivers and oceans,
Hearts high as clouds, and you and I together, Cared nothing at crossing lakes and mountains Only to share our thoughts and feelings.
Then I went out south-east to cut the laurel,
You north of Lo River still lost in dreams.
No joy in being parted. Soon back again in mountains, Tracking the thirty-six twists and turns of valley,
By the streams bright with a thousand flowers,
By endless waters,
Hearing pine-trees sighing,
Till we met the Hang-tung Governor
287
? ? ? On a gold and silver saddle,
And Hu the True-Taoist drew us with his pipe playing, Making unearthly music out of the high tower, Strange sounds of the mating phoenix.
The Governori? s sleeves kept time to the music,
So that he rose, drunk, and danced a little,
Brought his brocade coat, covered my body.
I fell asleep, head resting in his lap.
By day our hearts rose to the nine heavens.
At evening we scattered like blown stars or rain,
I to my far mountain over hills and waters,
You to your own house by the bridge of Wei.
That winter I made your fatheri?
s North City, Loved you for the way you did me honour, Sharing your wealth, thinking nothing of it. Wine there - in cups of amber,
Food there - on plates of jade.
I ate and drank, no thoughts of returning.
We went out to the west. The river parts there, Round the ancient shrine of a Prince of Chou. Boats on the waters to drums and piping.
Waves made of dragon scales. Jade-green rushes.
288
? We drank and drank, lived the passing moments, Forgetting how they go like blossoms or snowfall. Flushed with wine, warm in glow of sunset,
The hundred-foot deep pool mirroring bright faces, Dancing-girls delicate as willows in the moonlight, Notes lost in the silken sleevesi? fluttering.
A white breeze blew their song to the sky,
Winding through the air, twisting in the cloud-lanes. Never again. Never again such joy.
I went west but got no promotion. White-headed back to eastern hills.
Met once more south of Weii? s bridge.
Parted again north of Tsoi? s terrace.
And if you ask my feelings at parting,
They were inside me like Spring flowers falling. No way to say whati? s in the heart. Never.
I call in the boy. Have him kneel here, tie this, To send my feelings through a thousand miles.
289
? Jade Stairs Grievance.
On jade stairs the white of dewfall. Deeply soaked the silken slippers.
She lets fall the crystal blind.
Sees, through gauze, a Moon of Autumn.
? 490? ? $? 0? ? 8? ,? . 43. :-? 30? ? 3? 9? 0? ? 2507? ,? ? ! ,? ,. 0? 94? ? ? ? . ? ? 9? 0? ? ,/0? 89,? 78? ? 0,/? ? -:9? 9? 0? ? ? ? 90? /0? /7458? 43? ? ,/0? ,70? ,? 84? 9? 0? 90,78? 43? ? 07? 1,. 0? ? 9? 0? ,-8039? ? /0? ? ? 41? 80? :,? ? :3? 43? ? ,3/? 9? 0? ? ,? 1 ? 2439? ? ? ? ? 90? ? 0? ? ? 3? 9? 0? ,:9:23? ? :3,7? . ,? 03/,7? ? %? 0? 84,? 0/? 8? ? 55078? ? 3/? . ,90? 8? 0? ? ,8? -003? 9? 070? 147? ? 4:78? ? 30? ? 0. 90/? ,3/? 80? 1 ? 30? ? 0. 9? 3? ? ? %? 0? . 7? 89,? ? -? ? 3/? ? 8? ,? ? 0? 0? ? 0/? . :79,? 3? ? -:9? ,? 84? 0? 0? ,8? 08?
