Page:The works of Li Po - Obata.djvu/131

 70. THE SILK SPINNER

Up the river by the White King City,

The water swells and the wind is high.

It is May. Through the Chu-tang gorge

Who dares to sail down to me now —

Down to Ching-chow, where the barley is ripe

And the silk worms have made their cocoons —

Where I sit and spin, with my thoughts of you

Endless as the silken strands?

The cuckoo calls high up in the air. Ah, me!

�� ��The White King City is in Ssuchuan. The Chu-tang gorge, situated near Wushan in the same province, is one of the most dangerous spots in the Yangtze kiang. Further down the river and in Hupeh, Ching-chow is located, where the silk spinner awaits her lover. [105]

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