In the Crimson Cloud Studio, all clamor is stilled;
Moonlight flows through crimson gauze.
Moss seals the stone patterns—a sleeping crane rests;
The well drifts paulownia leaves—roosting crows depart.
A maid brings quilts, spreading the golden phoenix;
Her pillow tilts, hairpins slip, scattering jade flowers.
One window of rain urges one to dream;
How many nights of sleep together at my lady's home?
English titles, text, and notes are AI-assisted for reading only; for scholarship cite the Chinese and authoritative editions.
Annotation
One of four impromptu poems by Baoyu in the Grand View Garden in Chapter 23. The 'Crimson Cloud Studio' is Baoyu's study name. It depicts the leisurely autumn night in the Happy Red Court, painting the feminine world in ornate strokes.
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