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 as they will.
When they fall, do not mourn;
When they fly back, I will know.
Warblers grieve, butterflies tire in late-blooming days;
Even if we meet again next spring, a year will have passed.
English titles, text, and notes are AI-assisted for reading only; for scholarship cite the Chinese and authoritative editions.
Annotation
Written by Tanchun in Chapter 70. 'Let them scatter east, west, south, and north' hints at the pain of separation after her distant marriage. 'Even if we meet next spring, a year will have passed' foreshadows the difficulty of reunion after family separation.
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