One Thought, a Mortal Life · Stubborn and Foolish by Nature · 28 / 102
· Drifting Clouds
Autumn deepens, unbidden; the cold wind sweeps through and leaves the world bare. All at once the press of affairs comes surging. One thread of longing I will not let go; even the long night is glad with it. This parting wounds an old wish; the red sash streams in the driving rain.
Who could ever cancel it out? I sigh: of all distances, waiting is the farthest. Beyond the town the shiver, and the dusk still glows bright. Strung and knotted, this bond of feeling; soul folded over soul—and after, nothing is left but a hollow ache. I hold the road home dear, and will not go on and on.
Glosses—
Kǒng zǒng: affairs thronging and pressing;
Xiāo xiāo: describes wind and rain driving hard;
Reed flower (dí huā): a perennial herbaceous plant, shaped like the reed;
Strung and knotted: threaded on a cord and tied fast. It describes something held firmly in mind;
Láo láo: the look of one disconsolate, as though at a loss.
*This work is original. If you repost it, please credit the original author Shixi Lin; any infringement, once discovered, will be pursued to the full extent of the law. In addition, the accompanying image comes from the internet and belongs to the original artist Yichui Wuyue.