A woman of exceptional beauty lives in seclusion in an empty mountain valley. She says she was born into a respectable family, but its fortunes declined, leaving her adrift among the wild plants. When war struck Guanzhong, her brothers were cruelly killed; what use was it that her family had held high office, when they could not even recover their loved ones' remains?

The world turns away from a family in decline; everything changes like a candle flame turning in the wind. Her husband, too, is fickle and has fallen for a new woman as beautiful as jade. Even the silk tree knows when to open and close, and mandarin ducks do not roost alone; yet he sees only his new love’s laughter—how could he hear his former love’s tears?

Spring water in the mountains is naturally clear, yet may grow muddy after leaving them. Her maid returns from selling her jewels, while she draws vines over to mend the thatched cottage. She picks flowers but does not put them in her hair; gathering cypress sprigs, she fills both hands. The weather is cold, and her emerald sleeves are thin; at dusk, she leans alone against tall, slender bamboo.

绝代: unmatched in one’s age. 良家子: a daughter of a respectable family. 零落: reduced circumstances and wandering. 骨肉: here referring both to relatives and to their remains.

转烛: Shifting candlelight, a metaphor for instability and change. 合昏: The silk tree, whose leaves open by day and close at night. 新人、旧人: The new beloved and the abandoned first wife.

The two lines beginning “在山泉水清” (“In the mountains, spring water is clear”): the clarity and muddiness of spring water convey circumstances and integrity. They may be understood as the beautiful woman’s declaration of steadfastness; geographical location should not be mechanically equated with a person’s morality.

萝: climbing plants. 盈掬 (jū): filling one's cupped hands. 修竹: tall, slender bamboo.

Reading guide: Through a woman who has suffered warfare and then abandonment by her husband, Du Fu writes of individual suffering and steadfastness amid social upheaval. There is no need to establish whether the character had a single real-life model; what matters is how the narrative reveals her experiences and inner state.

The first half lets the beauty speak for herself, layering her family’s ruin with her husband’s betrayal. Silk trees and mandarin ducks are natural creatures, yet seem more constant than the faithless man, creating a striking contrast.

The latter half stops dwelling repeatedly on suffering and instead describes actions such as selling pearls, repairing the house, and gathering cypress. At the end, “天寒,” “cold weather,” and “日暮,” “dusk,” intensify the surroundings' chill, while green sleeves and tall bamboo together preserve the woman's refined grace. Her dignity emerges through her posture, leaving more resonance than direct praise.