LI FU-JEN

by: Wu-ti (157-87 B.C.)

      HE sound of her silk skirt has stopped.
      On the marble pavement dust grows.
      Her empty room is cold and still.
      Fallen leaves are piled against the doors.
      Longing for that lovely lady
      How can I bring my aching heart to rest?

'Li Fu-jen' was written by Wu-ti, sixth emperor of the Han dynasty, when his mistress, Li Fu-jen died. Unable to bear his grief, he sent for wizards from all parts of China, hoping that they would be able to put him into communication with her spirit. This English translation by Arthur Waley is reprinted from One Hundred and Seventy Chinese Poems. Trans. Arthur Waley. London: Constable and Co. Ltd, 1918.

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