Vainly hanging, thread after slender thread;
Idly dangling, strand after trailing strand.
Impossible to tie up, impossible to bind—
Let them scatter east, west, south, and north.
When they fall, do not mourn;
When they fly, I know their way.
Warblers grieve, butterflies tire in late-blooming days;
Even if we meet next spring, a year's gap still remains.
English titles, text, and notes are AI-assisted for reading only; for scholarship cite the Chinese and authoritative editions.
Annotation
Baoyu's willow catkin lyric from Chapter 70. He projects his sorrow about the scattering of the garden's girls onto the drifting catkins. 'Impossible to tie, impossible to bind' expresses helpless resignation. The melancholy tone contrasts sharply with Baochai's triumphant composition.
Keep exploring
Jump from this poem to the relationship graph, story timeline, or its chapter.
Found an error or have research suggestions? We welcome feedback →Go to research contact