Beloved

Untying the Knot, by Zhou Bangyan (Song Dynasty)

My sorrow has nowhere to go. Alas, my beloved has cut off all ties, and her letters are few and far between. Though a master hand might untangle the knotted cords, it would be like wind scattering and rain receding, mist thinning and clouds fading. Swallow Tower stands empty, dark dust covers a bed of strings. I think of transplanting roots and changing leaves, but they are all old peonies I once planted with my own hands.

Sweet flags slowly sprout along the islets. I imagine the boat turning toward the bend in the shore, while she is at the edge of the sky. I remember the letters we exchanged back then, those idle words and small talk I meant to burn all at once. Spring returns to the waterside post station. I gaze out, hoping you will send me plum blossoms from Jiangnan. I’ll spend this life, facing flowers and wine, shedding tears for her.