Note 53.
I feel as the "Shining One" felt when she passed the Jade Frontier,
As the exile of Ch'u in the Maple Forest.
Two allusions which suggest homesickness. The "Shining One" is Chao Chün. (See Note 79.) The exile of Ch'u is Ch'ü Yüan, the famous statesman. (See Note 62.)
[TWO POEMS WRITTEN TO TS'UI (THE OFFICIAL)]
Note 54.
In both these poems, Ts'ui is compared to T'ao Yüan-ming, author of "Once More Fields and Gardens," published in this volume. T'ao is the ideal of the educated scholar, who prefers a life in the fields to any official post. Many stories are told of him. He planted five willows in front of his house, and is therefore often spoken of as the "Teacher of the Five Willows." He was so fond of music that he declared he could imagine the sweet sounds of the ch'in, and often carried about a stringless instrument over which he moved his hands. The ch'in, or table-lute, is fully described in Note 114.
[WIND-BOUND AT THE NEW FOREST REACH]
Note 55.
To-day, at dawn, see the willows beyond the White Gate.
The White Gate is the Western Gate. The points of the compass are governed by colours, elements, mythological beasts, and seasons, thus: