Unfit to mend the azure sky above,
I spent long years in the red dust for naught.
This is a tale of things before my life and after—
Who will record it as a wondrous tale?
English titles, text, and notes are AI-assisted for reading only; for scholarship cite the Chinese and authoritative editions.
Annotation
The opening verse of Chapter 1. The leftover stone from Nuwa's sky-mending project laments its uselessness and is brought into the mortal world by two immortals. This verse establishes the novel's origin story—the 'stone' is Baoyu's former incarnation (the Spiritual Stone/Divine Attendant). 'Who will record it?' introduces the entire narrative of Dream of the Red Chamber.
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