A Mortal Life, Born of One Thought · Stubborn and Foolish by Nature · 54 / 102
Cheng Tou Yue · No Way
Swiftly the swaying green boughs whip up the dust; all at once I remember a tune beaten on red sandalwood. Wandering alone under the moon, a goldfish leaps in, teasing the rippled light into warmth.
From now on the resolve in these jade bones lives on; in silence there was once a meeting of minds. The silver worm of the lampwick curls on itself, the pine gate has long been shut, and the axe handle, rotted through, props up the mood of parting.
Glosses—
Swaying green: flowering branches in motion;
Red sandalwood: the name of an instrument, clappers made of sandalwood;
迤逗 [yǐ dòu]: to tease, to entice;
Curls on itself: of a thing, to wind around itself;
Silver worm: the snuff-flower of a lamp;
The rotted axe handle: the handle of the axe has decayed — a figure for a great span of time.
*This piece is an original work. If you repost it, please credit the original author Guang Zhi Shiyi; any infringement, once discovered, will be pursued for legal liability. In addition, the accompanying illustration comes from the internet and belongs to its original artist, Hehewu.