Gathering Lotus Blossoms Across the River

I cross the river to gather lotus flowers; the marsh is thick with fragrant orchids.

When we first met, green willows swayed in the mist, and sweet wine and tea were served. She was a beauty straight out of a painting, graceful and lovely.

I gather them, but who can I give them to? The one I long for is far away.

When we meet again, she wears a swaying jade hairpin and splendid robes; she is plum blossoms in the wind and snow on a bitterly cold night.

I turn to gaze toward my old home, but the road stretches on without end.

Only memories remain. It was fate that bound us together, yet all I can offer is a lonely moon in the sky, a dream of flowers reflected in a mirror.

Though we share one heart, we live apart, grieving until the end of our days.

I once laid down my worn-out brush. I once watched the orchid incense burn to ash. I once gave up love and hate alike, only for those words to come true in the end.