The Water Clock Poem by East Sea Fairy Xing Yi

By WEN Tingyun Translated by East-sea Fairy

Forth a curling smoke of sweet smell
the jade incense-burner sends.
To finish in a red-tear well
the burning candle tends,
whose flickering hazy light lends,
lends, and lends dreariness to her luxuriously decorated room.
To be thin her eyebrow black ends,
and messy her hair. In the long sleepless night full of gloom,
her pillow and quilt feel as cold as tomb.

Outside her window,
about midnight
the parasol tree, which cares little about her sorrow
is enjoying a cold rain with delight,
Heartbroken quite
she is feeling, whom
the grief and pain of the parting pitilessly smite and bite,
while at the leaves and the empty stone stairs the bitter raindrops of a loud volume
are beating till daylight shines into her bedroom.