TO THE TUNE “CHOU NÜ ER: UGLY DOLL”

I wake up lucid and dreamless, leaning

on the balcony. Autumn rain

falls on hibiscus. The night is weeping.

Since you left, I have grown thin.

The moon moves past twelve

red chambers without human noticing.

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秦观 Qin Guan (1049–1100) was a politician and poet during the Northern Song dynasty. He studied under Su Shi. In 1083, his rhymed-prose fu earned him the position of chief of learning in the National Academy. Renowned for his contributions to Ci poetry, he was admired for ornate diction, allusive expression, and a sophisticated musical sense. His famous line about clouds above a mountain led to his moniker, The Scholar of Mountain Dappled by Thin Clouds. 

方商羊 Shangyang Fang grew up in Chengdu, China. He is the author of Burying the Mountain.