Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1858-08-14
kOUAN-FOU-YOU-AN.
An Elcgy OIL the Death of a Wife,
From the Chinese


In the fifth watch Of the first dav Of the veor
Wien winter reigns in all his severity, nv ten
der vile died. Is there on earth a man moro
unhappy than l? Oh if thou vert still alive
would give thee new robe for the new wear,
but alas, thou hast descended 10 the gloomy
klngdom Watered by the Yellow Fountain
Come TO me IN the middle of the night, that
husband and wife may see one another again
come 10 me In the third watch let me renew
the illusions of the past
In the second moon, at the birth Of the
spring, the sun shines longer in the sky. and
each family washes its robes and linen in pure
water Husbands who have still their wives
love to adorn them with new clothes; but
who have lost mine, am a prey to a priet that
wastes my life away. have removed from my
sight the little shoes that enclosed her n,atty
leet' Sometimes L have thought of taking an
Other companion; but where should find an
other 80 beautiful So witty, and so kind
IN the thlrd NEON, at the epoch called Using.
ming the peach tree opens its rose-colored
blossoms ana the willow begins to display its
green treSses. Husbands who have still their
wives, 90 with them to visit the graves of their
relations But |, who have lost mine, | 90
aione TO VISIT her grave. When | see the srot
where her ashes repoSe, burning tears stream
down my cheeks 1 present 10 her funeral
offerings; bum for her images of gilded
paper Tender wife y, | exclaim, with n
where art thou '' But, alas, she is deaf to
my cries see solitary tomb, hut cannot
see my wife.
In the sixth moon, at the epoch called San 60.
II is dI1hcuit to support the burning heat of the
day. The rich and poor then spread their
clothes to air. l will expose a silken robe 10
The sun hot rays. Look, here is the robe
which she wore on festive days here are the
elegant shoes that enclosed her pretty feet,
But where is my wife Oh, where is the mother
0f my children | feel a. if a cold steel blade
were dividing my heart.
The fifteenth day of the eighth moon, when
her disc shines with it's greatest splendor, men
and women offer to the gods melons and cakes.
which have rounded form like that of the orb
oil night Husbands and wives go two and two
U Walk In the country and enjoy the sweet
moonlight but the round disc of the moon can
only remind me of the wife ! have lost At
tunes, to relieve my wO, pour for myself a Gun
OF generous wine; at times | take my guitar
but scarcely can my trembling hand draw forth
sound. Ny relations and friends come, turn
oy turn, to invite me; but my heart full of Bit
terness, refuses to share their pleasures
in the ninth moon, ut the epoch called
Ichongyang, tic crysanthemums open their
golden cups, and every garden exhales a
balmy OdOr. would gather q bunch of new
ly-blOwn flowers, if L had still a wife whose
hair they cOuld'adorn. My eyes are wet with
tears, my hands are contracted by grief and
beat my feshless breast. L enter into the ele-
CANT chamber that was once my wife's my two
children follow me, and come sadly to embrace
my knees. Each one takes me by the hand,
and calls me with n choking voice By their
tears, their sobs, their gestures, they ask me
Tor their mother.
The first day Of the tenth moon. both rich
and poor present Winter clothes to their wives.
But L, who have no wife, to whom shall | offer
Winter clOthesf When l think Of her who
shared my bed, who rested on the same pillow,
burn for her images Of gilded paper, and my
tears how last. | send these offerings to her
who now dwclls beside the Yellow fountain,
Know not whether these funeral gifts will be
OF use to the shade Of hcr who is no more but
at least her husband will have paid her trlb-
ute of love and regret .....
In the eleventh moon, when have saluted
Winter, call my beautiful wife, In nv cold
bed, L double up my body, dare not stretch
out my legs, and half of the silken counterpape
covers an emPy place. sigh and invoke
heaven / pray for pity on n husband who
passes solitary nights. At the third watch, [
rise without having slept, and weep until the
dawn
In the twelfth moon, in the midst Of Win
ter's cold. called my tender wife. Where
art thou ''' 1 said. = L think of thee all day,
yet | cannot see thy face The last night of
the year she appeared to me in u dream she
pressed my hand in hers; she smiled ON me
with fearful eyes she encircled me with her
caressing arms, and filed my soul with happi
ness Il pray thee, " she said to me, Ito weep
no more when thou remembered me hence
iorth, will come thus each night to visit thee
in thy dreams"
&inr iuil moon Presides over happy marriages.