Chapter I: Sit on the Stone Fortress Wall ... There, Winds Bring Scent of Almond

BLOSSOMS FROM TREES BEYOND MY SIGHT.
[_Tu Fu_]

BE CAREFUL

TAKE CARE, BE FEARFUL, NIGHT AND DAY LOOK SHARP ... WE DO NOT STUMBLE ON MOUNTAINS, BUT ON CLODS, AND FALL. [_Anonymous_]

AUTUMN OF ALL GOOD THINGS

OUT ON THE MOUNTAIN-SIDES, WHIRLING DEAD LEAVES ARE ABROAD. COME WITH ME, UP HERE ON THIS WATCH-TOWER.... HERE, AT THE SEA’S EDGE, WE CAN WATCH GRAY CLOUDS TORN BY WINDS, AND BE SAD TOGETHER NOW AUTUMN HAS RETURNED.

ONCE MORE THE TARTAR HORDES ARE GATHERING ON THE KOBI BORDER. ONCE MORE WE SEE THE AMBASSADOR FROM HAN COME HOME, RIDING THROUGH THE IMPERIAL GATE. BUT WILL WE EVER SEE COME HOME ALL THE MEN THAT WAR HAS SUMMONED? [_Li Po_]

THE FORMER WIFE SPEAKS

BED-CURTAIN, LONG FLAPPING IN THE BREEZE AT NIGHT, LONG HANGING THERE TO SCREEN US IN THE DAY! WHEN I LEFT MY FATHER’S HOUSE I BROUGHT YOU WITH ME AND UNFOLDED YOU WITH DELIGHT. NOW I AM TAKING YOU BACK AGAIN. I FOLD YOU AND LAY YOU FLAT IN THIS WOODEN BOX. BED-CURTAIN, WILL I EVER UNFOLD YOU AND HANG YOU UP AGAIN? [_Wife of Lieu Hsun_]

FADING IN THE SPRINGTIME

THE CAREFUL KNOT OF HAIR LIES LOW UPON HER NECK; HER LONG AND NARROW EYEBROWS ARE PAINTED SKILLFULLY.

ALAS! FOLLOWING YOU, HER THOUGHTS ARE WANDERING AFAR; IN THIS SEASON OF A HUNDRED FLOWERS, SHE GROWS THIN AND PALE. [_Weng T’ing-chun_]

THE GIRL AT HOME

EARTH HAS SWALLOWED THE SNOW. AGAIN WE SEE PLUM-TREES IN BLOSSOM. NEW WILLOW-LEAVES ARE GOLD. COLD WATERS OF THE LAKE ARE SILVER.... BUTTERFLIES POWDERED WITH GOLD LAY VELVET HEADS TO THE HEARTS OF FLOWERS.

IN HIS UNMOVING BOAT THE YOUNG FISHERMAN PULLS UP HIS DRIPPING NET, MAKING RIPPLES ON THE STILL WATER.

HE THINKS OF A GIRL AT HOME, LIKE A DARK SWALLOW IN ITS NEST. HE THINKS OF A GIRL AT HOME, WAITING LIKE A DARK SWALLOW FOR HER MATE. [_Li Po_]

THE DRAGONFLY

DRAGONFLY WINGS ... SHINING SILKEN GARMENTS. NOW MY HEART IS ACHING. WHO WILL GIVE IT REST?

YOUNG DRAGONFLY WINGS ... RICH EMBROIDERED GARMENTS. NOW MY HEART IS ACHING. WHO WILL GIVE IT PEACE?

DRAGONFLY BURSTING ITS COCOON ... PLAIN WHITE LINEN GARMENTS. NOW MY HEART IS ACHING. WHO WILL GIVE IT LOVE? [_The Book of Songs_]

WE WILL GROW OLD TOGETHER

OVER AND OVER YOU SAID: “WE WILL GROW OLD TOGETHER. TOGETHER, THE SAME TIME, YOUR HAIR AND MY HAIR WILL TURN WHITE LIKE SNOW, WHITE LIKE A MIDSUMMER MOON.” TODAY, MY LORD, I HAVE HEARD THAT YOU LOVE ANOTHER WOMAN.... WITH MY HEART BROKEN I COME TO SAY GOODBYE.

ONE LAST TIME LET US POUR THE OLD WINE INTO OUR TWO CUPS. ONE LAST TIME LET YOU SING ME THE SAD SONG OF THE DEAD BIRD UNDER THE SNOW.... THEN I WILL TAKE BOAT AND SAIL DOWN THE RIVER YU CHEU, WHOSE WATERS DIVIDE TO FLOW HALF EAST, HALF WEST.

WHY DO YOU CRY, YOUNG GIRLS ABOUT TO MARRY? WHY DO YOU CRY? PERHAPS YOU WILL MARRY A LOYAL MAN WITH A FAITHFUL HEART, WHO WILL SAY TO YOU SOLEMNLY OVER AND OVER: “WE WILL GROW OLD TOGETHER.” [_Li Po_]

AT HSIEN-YU TEMPLE

THE TALL CRANE WALKED OUT OF THE POOL AND STOOD ON THE FLIGHT OF STEPS. THE MOON DANCED OUT OF THE POOL AND ENTERED THE OPEN DOOR.

I WAS ENTRANCED BY THIS PLACE ... I COULD NOT LEAVE FOR TWO NIGHTS.

FORTUNATE TO FIND A PLACE SO PEACEFUL.... HAPPY NO COMPANION WAS THERE TO DRAG ME HOME!

NOW I HAVE FOUND THIS PEACEFUL LONELINESS, I HAVE RESOLVED TO COME HERE ONLY WITH MYSELF. [_Po Chu-i_]

THE AUTUMN WIND

THE WIND BLOWS, THE WHITE CLOUDS RUN, THE GRASS PALES, THE TREES FALL BARE, THE GEESE FLY SOUTH. BUT THE ORCHIDS BLOOM, CHRYSANTHEMUMS GIVE THEIR SCENT. I THINK OF MY LOVELY GIRL. I MUST LEAVE HER, BUT I CAN NOT FORGET.

I AM ROWED ACROSS THE RIVER ON MY PLEASURE BARGE, ACROSS THE RIVER WITH WHITE WAVES RISING. FLUTE AND DRUM AND ROWERS’ SONG GO WITH ME. NOW THE FEASTING, NOW THE DANCING ... BUT STILL MY HEART IS SAD AND WILL NOT DANCE.

HOW FEW OUR YEARS OF GOLDEN YOUTH! HOW CERTAIN OUR GRAY YEARS OF AGE!
[_Emperor Wu-ti_]

THE END OF ALL

CLEAN THE OCTOBER WIND. CLEAR THE OCTOBER MOON. HEAPED BROWN LEAVES ARE BLOWING ... A BLACK RAVEN FLIES FROM ITS ICY ROOST.