and he regained his study, she her room.
The stone and gold had touched—and from that time,
their love grew deeper, more distraught their minds.
The Hsiang, the stream of longing tears, ran low: 365
he waited at the spring, she at the mouth.
The wall rose like a snow capped mountain range,
and words of love could not go back and forth.
As windswept days and moonlit nights wheeled round,
red dimmed, green deepened—spring was past and gone. 370
A birthday feast fell due in Mother's clan:
with their two younger children, both old folks
in gay attire left home to journey forth
presenting their best wishes and a gift.
A hushed, deserted house—she stayed alone: 375
a chance to see him on this day, she thought.
She set out fare in season, treats galore,
then toward the wall she bent her nimble steps.
She sent a soft voiced call across the flowers:
he was already there awaiting her. 380
He said: "Your heart cares not for what I feel¬—
so long you've let love's fire burn to cold ash.
Sorrow and yearning I have felt by turns,
and half my head of hair frost's tinged with gray."
She said: "Wind's held me up, rain's kept me back— 385
I've hurt your feelings much against my wish.
I'm home alone today—I've come out here
to make amends repaying love for love."
She slid around the rock garden and reached
a fresh barred passage at the wall's far end. 390
She rolled up sleeves, unlocked the fairy cave,
and cleared through clouds the path to
Face gazed at face to glow with purest joy.
Fond greetings they exchanged. Then, side by side,
they walked together toward his study room 395
while mingling words of love and vows of troth.
Brush rack and tube for poems on his desk¬—
above, there hung a sketch of pale green pines.
Frost bitten and wind battered, they looked real:
the more she gazed, the more they sprang to life. 400
"It's something I dashed off just now," he said.
"Please write your comments, lending it some worth."
Her nymphic hand moved like a lashing storm
and penned some quatrains right atop the pines.
"Your magic conjures gems and pearls!" he cried. 405
"Could Pan and Hsieh have measured up to this?*
If I did not earn merit in past lives,
could I be blessed with you, my treasure, now?"
She said: "I've dared to peek and read your face:
you shall wear jade or cross the Golden Gate.* 410
But I deem my own lot a mayfly's wing
will Heaven square things out and round things off?*
Back in my childish years, I still recall,
a seer observed my features—he foretold:
`All charms and splendors from within burst forth: 415
she'll live an artist's life, a life of woe.'
I look at you, then on myself look back:
how could good luck, ill luck conjoin and thrive?"
He said: "That we have met means fate binds us.
Man's will has often vanquished Heaven's whim. 420
But should the knot which ties us fall apart,
I'll keep my troth and sacrifice my life."
They bared and shared all secrets of their souls¬—
spring feelings quivered hearts, spring wine turned heads.
A happy day is shorter than a span: 425
the western hills had swallowed up the sun.
With none at home, she could no longer stay:
she left him, rushing back to her own room.
News of her folks she learned when she reached home:
her feasting parents would not soon be back. 430
She dropped silk curtains at the entrance door,
then crossed the garden in dark night, alone.
The moon through branches cast shapes bright or dark—¬
through curtains glimmered flickers of a lamp.
The student at his desk had nodded off, 435
reclining half awake and half asleep.
The girl's soft footsteps woke him from his drowse:
the moon was setting as she hovered near.
He wondered—was this Wu hsia the fairy hill,*
where he was dreaming now a spring night's dream? 440
"Along a lonesome, darkened path," she said,
"for love of you I found my way to you.
Now we stand face to face—but who can tell
we shan't wake up and learn it was a dream?"
He bowed and welcomed her, then he replaced 445
the candle and refilled the incense urn.
Both wrote a pledge of troth, and with a knife
they cut in two a lock of her long hair.
The stark bright moon was gazing from the skies
as with one voice both mouths pronounced the oath. 450
Their hearts' recesses they explored and probed,
etching their vow of union in their bones.
