The Four Immortals: Xuan Zi | Beating the Railing All Around

A thousand miles of Chu skies, clear with autumn; the waters flow toward the horizon, where autumn stretches without end. I gaze into the distant hills, which offer only sorrow and resentment, their peaks like jade hairpins and coiled buns. On the tower at sunset, amid the cry of a lone goose, I am a wanderer from Jiangnan. I have examined my Wu blade and beaten every railing, yet no one understands the purpose that brings me here.

Don't talk of how delicious perch can be, when the west wind is blowing. Has Jiying returned home yet? Seeking land and houses, I fear I would be ashamed to face Liu Lang's spirit. What a pity that the years slip away, that wind and rain bring sorrow, and that even the trees have grown old! Who can I ask to summon a lady in red and green sleeves to wipe away this hero's tears?

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