After the morning audience, who carries smoke in both sleeves?
Beside the zither, within the quilt—always without companion.
The dawn watch needs no cock-man to announce it;
Through the five night-watches, no need to trouble the maid.
Burning the head, morning and evening;
Searing the heart, day after day, year after year.
Time passes swiftly—one should cherish it;
Let wind and rain, dark and fair, shift as they will.
English titles, text, and notes are AI-assisted for reading only; for scholarship cite the Chinese and authoritative editions.
Annotation
Baochai's riddle in Chapter 22. The answer is 'incense-clock' (incense used for timekeeping). 'Beside the zither, within the quilt—always without companion' hints that despite marriage to Baoyu, Baochai would be essentially alone. 'Burning the head' and 'searing the heart' allude to her lifelong inner torment. Jia Zheng found this deeply inauspicious.
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