Her temperament lovely as orchids, her talent rich as an immortal's.
By nature so solitary that all think her strange.
You say she finds meat rank and loathsome,
Silks and satins vulgar and hateful.
But she knows not: the loftier one is, the more envy one draws;
The purer one is, the more the world dislikes.
Pity her—growing old by blue lamp in ancient halls,
She wastes her rosy youth while spring fades in vermilion towers.
In the end, she falls into the filth against her will,
Like flawless white jade trapped in mud.
Why should princes and nobles sigh they had no chance with her?
English titles, text, and notes are AI-assisted for reading only; for scholarship cite the Chinese and authoritative editions.
Annotation
This song concerns Miaoyu. Her extraordinary refinement and talent, combined with her eccentric aloofness, set her apart. Though she dwells in a Buddhist temple, her heart has not left the mundane world. 'The loftier one is, the more envy; the purer, the more dislike' captures the theme. 'Flawless jade trapped in mud' foreshadows her abduction and defilement.
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