Inscribed on a Small Mound in the Outskirts, Miserable Wei

Around 832, Wēi was a Middle Minister. After there was a death, Wéi Qixiu, the deputy militia commander west of the Zhe, frequently saw spirits strange. One day, alas, his servant said, “A miserable third-rank official has come.” This third-rank official was indeed Wēi, who had just died that very day. Wēi was suddenly heard to sigh and say, “I arranged several days ago to descend to a small tomb in the outskirts (with) a single randomly inscribed poem,” whereupon this newly made ghost recited the poem. Qixiu replied, “Sir, this poem concealed what was surely a prophecy.”

A new-set cover of rushes, east of a country stream—
Pine and catalpa shadows mix in a mournful manner.
In the world of man, the months and years are flowing water:
What thing travels over and over this middle road?

题少陵别墅
作者：萧微
〈微，太和中职方郎中。浙西团练副使韦齐休死后，屡见灵异。一日，呼其家人曰：“萧三郎来。”三郎者，即微也。是日，微正死。俄闻微叹曰：“仆数日前至少陵别墅，偶题诗一首。”乃是生作鬼诗，因吟之。齐休曰：“足下此诗，盖是自谶。”〉
新构茅斋野涧东，
松楸交影足悲风。
人间岁月如流水，
何事频行此路中。

Miserable Wēi and militia officer Wéi have different surnames, 微 and 韦 respectively. The Zhe River is the eponym of Zhejiang. A “cover of rushes” would ordinarily be understood as a thatched roof, but given a prophecy, I left it literal to allow reading it as what’s growing on the burial mound. FWIW, the prose of the headnote has a more elaborated style than most of these—pretty clearly a different writer.

---L.