Before the Hall of White Jade, spring teaches them to dance;
The east wind rolls them evenly along.
Bees gather, butterflies swarm in wild confusion.
When have they ever followed the flowing stream?
Why must they settle in the fragrant dust?
Ten thousand threads and thousand strands—they never change;
Let them gather and scatter as they will.
Youth—do not laugh at having no roots!
With a fine wind to lend its strength,
Send me up to the azure clouds!
English titles, text, and notes are AI-assisted for reading only; for scholarship cite the Chinese and authoritative editions.
Annotation
From the willow catkin poetry contest in Chapter 70. While everyone else wrote melancholy verses about catkins, Baochai reversed the mood with 'With a fine wind to lend its strength, send me up to the azure clouds!'—showing her positive, ambitious outlook. This famous line also hints at Baochai's skill in seizing opportunities and leveraging circumstances.
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