Eyes brimming store up tears that fall in vain;
Shed in secret, scattered idly—for whom?
This length of mermaid silk, a gift with care bestowed—
How can it not stir one to grief?
English titles, text, and notes are AI-assisted for reading only; for scholarship cite the Chinese and authoritative editions.
Annotation
In Chapter 34, after Baoyu was beaten, he sent Qingwen to deliver two old handkerchiefs to Daiyu as a token of his feelings. Daiyu understood the deep meaning and wrote three quatrains on them. 'Mermaid silk' refers to silk woven by merfolk, a metaphor for the handkerchief. This first verse expresses emotion at Baoyu's gift.
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