Classic Poem

Autumn winds blow along the river,
blow upon a man in hunger;
he has a wife lovely as a flower,
but no means to put food on her plate!
Toward sunset with great clamor
a grain barge moors in the harbor.
The officer in charge sits at the prow;
gazing about, he sees the lovely face.
He sends a man with an urgent message:
" I have plenty of clothes and food.
You are going to starve to death —
why not join me, and we'll work together.
Work with me for one year,
and I'll send you home for a fee.
Work with me for three years,
and I'll send you home for free! "
The husband pleads with his wife:
" I urge you to do what he asks.
If you don't, we will starve to death,
and then we'll be parted forever. "
He lifts his wife — lifelong companion — to her feet;
her tears fall like drops of rain.
One day a wife in her bedchamber,
the next, a boatman's mistress!
When the man's cronies hear he may have a son,
they prepare a feast, the fatted calf and wine.
They come in boats from south of the river;
they come in boats from north of the river.
The boatman is delighted in his heart;
with his own hand he pours out goblets of wine.
He tells himself that lovely piece of goods
is like a bird, caught within his nets.
But the netted sparrow has a mate,
the woman has a husband.
How could they know this woman's will
could never be bent or broken?
Her husband, weeping, clings to her:
" Follow what he says, lower your eyes!
Work for him for three years' time,
and he'll let you return for free. "
The woman remains silent, not a word;
as people sleep, the moon sinks at the window.
Quickly she leaves the boatman's place,
determined to seek ghostly companions.
Clutching a rock, she jumps into the Grand Canal:
the waves stop flowing for her.
Passersby wipe their tears and stare
at her body floating in the water.