Various

“ OVER AND OVER YOU SAID: “WE WILL GROW OLD TOGETHER. TOGETHER, THE SAME TIME, YOUR HAIR AND MY HAIR WILL TURN WHITE LIKE SNOW, WHITE LIKE A MIDSUMMER MOON.” TODAY, MY LORD, I HAVE HEARD THAT YOU LOVE ANOTHER WOMAN.... ”

“ THE WISE MAN DESIRES TO BE FORGOTTEN, BUT HE IS REMEMBERED. HE DESIRES TO BE FREE OF LIFE, BUT HE RETAINS IT. HE DESIRES NOTHING FOR HIMSELF, BUT HE FINDS EVERYTHING HE WANTS. [The Way of Virtue]
THE WAY OF THE WAY
IF YOU FOLLOW THE WAY, YOU MAY TRAVEL ALL OVER THE EMPIRE WITHOUT HARM. YOU WILL FIND PEACE AND YOU WILL FIND QUIETNESS.
PERHAPS YOU WILL PAUSE FOR MUSIC AND STRANGE FOODS ... ”

“ WHEN THE SUN RISES, WE GET UP TO WORK. WHEN THE SUN SETS, WE LIE DOWN TO SLEEP. FOR OUR WATER WE DIG OUR WELLS, FOR OUR FOOD WE HOE OUR FIELDS. O THE EMPEROR MAY BE GREAT AND POWERFUL, BUT WHAT IS THAT TO US? ”

“ SURELY IT IS SHE WHO HAS NO HUSBAND LEFT TO HER, NO FATHER LEFT, NO CHILD. HER SONG FOLLOWS THE WIND; IT RISES AND FALLS. WITH THE SINGING, SOBBING ... GRIEF IS VICTOR OVER HER STRONG WILL.
SHE DOES NOT SORROW THAT HER LIFE IS SAD, BUT THAT SO FEW CAN UNDERSTAND THE SORROW IN HER SONG. O, TO FLY LIKE THOSE TWO WILD GEESE, RISING WITH BEATING WINGS! ”

“ TO HAVE BEING IS GOOD. BUT ALSO IT IS NECESSARY TO HAVE NON-BEING ... NOTHINGNESS. [The Way of Virtue]
39 ETERNITY
THE HEAVEN ENDURES FOREVER AND THE EARTH IS ETERNAL. WHY ARE HEAVEN AND EARTH ENDURING AND ETERNAL? BECAUSE THEY DO NOT LIVE FOR THEMSELVES ... ”

“ THEN WHY ARE STONE HORSES, CARVED IN OLDEN DAYS, STANDING YET?
SADNESS SITS ON THE GRASS. I SING THE STORY, BUT I AM HEAVY WITH SORROW ... AMONG ALL THESE PATHS THAT WE MAY WALK ALONG INTO THE DISTANCE, WHICH ONE WILL EVER CARRY US TO LIFE FOREVER? ”

“ THE FRAGRANCE IS BLOWN FROM THE LOTUS-FLOWERS. THE EMERALD LEAVES ARE WITHERED NOW AND BROWN. THE WEST WIND IS PUFFING SORROWS INTO GREEN RIPPLES ON THE RIVER. EVERYTHING IS DYING, MY YEARS ARE DYING ... ”

“ ONCE MORE THE TARTAR HORDES ARE GATHERING ON THE KOBI BORDER. ONCE MORE WE SEE THE AMBASSADOR FROM HAN COME HOME, RIDING THROUGH THE IMPERIAL GATE. BUT WILL WE EVER SEE COME HOME ALL THE MEN THAT WAR HAS SUMMONED? ”

“ TO KNOW IT BEST YOU MUST FIRST BE POOR AND HAPPY TOGETHER.
HERE I SIT ALONE, HERE I SIGH FOR BOTH OF US. HOW MANY BEADS MUST I STILL COUNT UPON MY STRING OF TIME? BETTER MEN THAN I HAVE GROWN OLD WITHOUT A SON ... ”

“ IT IS NEVER ENDING. [The Way of Virtue]
40 AWAY WITH PHILOSOPHERS
AWAY WITH PHILOSOPHERS, AWAY WITH SAGES. PEOPLE WILL BE A HUNDREDFOLD WISER.... AWAY WITH CHARITY, AWAY WITH VIRTUE. PEOPLE WILL RETURN TO GOODNESS AND KINDNESS.... ”

“ THE HOURS PASS.... THE PHOENIX FLIES AND FLIES FROM HOME. STARLINGS AND SPARROWS BUILD THEIR NESTS IN THE ALTAR OF OUR ANCESTRAL HALL. MAGNOLIAS REACH OUT THEIR TENDRILS.... THE JUNGLE SEIZES THEM, THEY PERISH ENTANGLED. RANCID SMELLS DRIVE OUT SWEET FRAGRANCES. EVERYWHERE THE EVIL PRINCIPLE HAS DISPOSSESSED THE GOOD.
THIS IS THE TIME OF BADNESS.... ”

“ ALONE IN HER ROOM A GIRL EMBROIDERS SILKEN FLOWERS. SHE HEARS A FLUTE AFAR. SHE SHIVERS ... DREAMING A YOUNG MAN IS SINGING TO HER OF HIS LOVE.
FROM THE SUNLIGHT SLANTING THROUGH THE PAPER WINDOW, THE SHADOW OF AN ORANGE-LEAF FALLS ON HER BREAST. SHE CLOSES HER EYES ... ”