The independent press. (Abbeville C.H., S.C.) 1853-1860, 1858-09-24
From the Chinese.
An E!egy on the Death of Wife

Aa iie2y on the Death OF 4 Wife.
in tie iith watch of The first Gay Of the
year, when winter ,rgns in all his severity
NY tender wife ,ii,,i. l. there Oh earth \
hnA :nrre unhappy ,iun /! Oh j: ,!,nu
We: st,ti a!.:". wnn,i :i,..h. - r.:: role
t'r IT,. n.'w vr.r: b.; ;.i.,s, ;l,ou il.,,. de-
s,'"."!"'l t., ia. G'"pny k;,g.!.'., w;,,..e.i hv
! IT," Ir!'n" Fnrr:::.i:. Com" in ~. il. the
'n!'fl' ri iii" J.; e.. :'ia' !'.>i,..,:d sni wife
'iirv s"'' ON" :.r.,' a.,.':l GONE t" ~. in
/ "a" 'h!,f watch J.! ,le rv.l.w the i!n.:",.s
! ,.:l'it pas.
! L. ~" *""o',l noon. ut the ':r'E d IT,"
I S|tntr. '!'r ga shines inn-"r in Tie s!,r.
ail'i r..h I:t:n!v :.,.-h.., lis robes AMI inrn
: III l'ir" wafer. IIu,l.t;tis vino have still:
! t'r.r wiv'~. '''l" - alr:, :iI"ln with new
"'r'n""S; ri: I, who .ave I.,.t n.;r". M: Il
, ,':"T :" q -, v: ;:.Ht wn,'vs ny !:Gr awa".--
. ir.". r.'u','".. f:tfn nv .;;,i; n" !i:.,,.
shoes '.':, cit'.'.,>' her p.~:;y ;ee:. Some.
:i':"s h,vc c;i"I::,t in. anr,' ;,or corn.
i:a;.;o:': hl' wier- s.."' / I G,,l anollcr
+ 50 ''"nu'ic', :" witty. and so kind
il t. :"r.; rn""n. 1t. rla epoch cal"l
''n-'H:;::r. the peach tree or,.n, i,s rose.
(. r":"'ri blossoms, an! the willow ler;,s to
display IL green trrSScs. Husbands WHO
l';vc still their wives, 60 viii, then, TO vis;,
the graves Of :;i.ir relations. Bat I, who
, !':.'" "st mine" 20 alone 20 visit her grave.
! hen | ST" the spot where her ashes rcposc
! Turning fears stream down my checks. I
/: i'rrsen' tn her funeral offerings; | burn for
t''r images Of y;i,ir"l paper "T.uticr vii, ~
. "Nci,'m. with Il t"rrs,l voice. "wh.rc ar,
! ;h"u! Trr'd"r wife. where art thou But,
, a';'S, she Is deaf To nv cries! see solitary
. tomb. hnt cannot see nv wife Y II
In I'll" SIKH moon, at the epoch called
Sani". 1t is ';:llcul. to support the burning
heat ,i Ill" day. The rich and poor then
spread their clothes to air. I will expose a
siIkcn robe 10 the suns hot rays. Look
here is the robc which she wore on festive
days here are the elegant shoes that en-
closed her pretty feet! But where is nv
wife Z Oh, where is the mother of nv chill.
iren' feel as if a cold steel blade were
dividing my heart.
The fifteenth day Of the eighth moon,
when her disc shines with its greatest splen.
dor, men and women offer to the gods mel
ons and cakes, which have rounded form
like that Of the orb of night Husbands
aud wives 60 two and two to walk in the
country anI enjoy the sweet moonlight
but the round disc Of the moon can only
remind me Of the wife have lost. At
times, to relieve my wo. pour for myself
cup Of generous wine; at times take my
guitar, but scarce y can my trembling hand
draw forth asound. My relations and friends
come, turn by turn, to invite me: but nv
heart, full Of bitterness, refuses 10 share their
pleasures.
In the ninth moon, at the epoch called
Ichongyang, the crysanthemums open their
golden cups. and every garden exhales a
ba!my o'ior. would gather bunch
of newly blown flowers, II had still wifi.
whose hair they could adorn. Ny eyes are
wet with tears, my hands arc contracted bv
grief. and beat my tlesllcss breast. Ien:er
into the elegant cha,nher that was onre nv
wife ; my two children follow me. and come
sadly to embrace my knees. Each one
takes me 10y the hand. and calls me with
choking voIre. BY their tears. their sobs.
their gestures, they ask me for their moth
or.
The first day &C the tenth moon. boil,
rl;:h AMI poor present Winter clothes to
'''''' "'''~. i'i' l. WHO nave 10 VILE, 10
"!.'m sh:.'. oii,.r Winter cloi!cs When
| ti.InH "t her llo s!larr,! nv bed, who res
ted IN III" same pillow, turn for her nl-
ages "i "!,,,l paper, a:"l my tears tinw fast.
| >"ni tbs" offerings 10 !rr who now dwe!-
('r-iics The Yellow F"urtain. know no:
wh"ll."r i..>r funeral gi!:S ill b. Of use TO
ne >'';;'l" "t her who j., no more, but at least
her ln>la'l will have paid i:er tribute OF
love and r..grv,.
In ii" eleventh moon, when have san,
led Winter cali my beautiful wife. IL
my r''!i l'r'i, double up ny body. dare
hot stretch "nt my !r.s, .u, hail OF the silk.
"n cnn''rraa" covers an empty place.
>'g!, and nv"kn icavca; pray Tor pity
on - husband who passes solitary hgh,s.--
At the ,lIiri watch, rise w;;hoa. havin.
slept, and weep until The dawn.
In the twelfth moon, in the midst Of
Winters c"l!, | called my tender wife,
"Whcrc art th"u?' | sail. Il think of
thee aI day, Yet cannot see thy face.
The last night Of the year she appeared to
me in dream; she pressed my hand it,
| hers; she smiled on mo with fearful eyes :;
! she cncircled me with her caressing
arms, and filed my soul with happi-
ness. IL pray thee" she said to ME,
''to weep no more when thou reme,nherest
me henceforh, will come thus each night
10 visit thee in thy Dreams"
*The full moon presides over happy