Poems of an Afterlife Encounter, together with Xiao Kuang, Empress Zhen

During the Great Harmony Era, the scholar Xiao Kuang, who was good at playing the qin, traveled the east, arriving at the Luo River. Upon this appeared a beautiful woman who called herself the Luo Riverbank Goddess, formerly Empress Zhen. She was by nature excellent at striking the qin and desired to hear m’lord play, and Kuang plucked “Departing Cranes” and “Sorrowful Wind.” The empress thereupon summoned the Dragon King’s silk-weaving woman, then passed around a goblet, requesting that they all compose poems and depart.

Presented by Empress Zhen upon Leaving Xiao Kuang
Jade-chopstick tears on my cheek, recalling the Palace of Wei—
One touch on vermilion strings, I’m cleansed by a cooling breeze.
Your instrument admired at dawn, I silently worry—
Mist fades upon the sandbank: a kingfisher feather, deserted.

The Silk-Weaver’s Poem
While weaving silk beneath the Springs, there’s few amusements.
I urge young Xiao to finish off the jug of wine.
Anxious to meet your jade qin play “Departing Cranes”
Again, a short time since my clear tears dripped like pearls.

Xiao Kuang’s Poem in Reply
Red orchids blossom forth between the fresh peach trees.
I like to seek fine scenes, and several have I met:
Pearl Pendant and Crane Bridge, from now on I’ll abstain—
The distant heavens regret in vain high clouds in the blue.

与萧旷冥会诗
作者：甄后
〈太和处士萧旷，善琴，东游至洛水，之上见一美人，自称洛浦神女，即甄后也。性好鼓琴，愿一听君操。旷为弹《别鹤》及《悲风》，后又召龙王织绡女，传觞叙语，各为诗而别。〉

玉箸凝腮忆魏宫，
朱弦一弄洗清风。
明晨追赏应愁寂，
沙渚烟销翠羽空。〈甄后留别萧旷〉

织绡泉底少欢娱，
更劝萧郎尽酒壶。
愁见玉琴弹《别鹤》，
又将清泪滴真珠。〈织绡女诗〉

红兰吐艳间夭桃，
自喜寻芳数已遭。
珠佩鹊桥从此断，
遥天空恨碧云高。〈萧旷答诗〉


Apparently a mortal ascended to god(dess)hood after death counts as a ghost, rather than an immortal or deity. Empress Zhen was the wife of Cao Pi, king of Cao Wei and posthumously declared the first emperor of the Wei Dynasty, even though her posthumous regnal name was Empress Wenzhao and during her life she was usually known as Lady Zhen.

Again, we get two people of rank and one commoner—though the silk-weaver to a draconic water god hardly counts as “low” compared to a mere mortal. Maybe this doesn’t count as that trope. My genre sense, see it flounder about.

Same ambiguity of which Great Harmony Era this is. Again, there are multiple Luo Rivers, but given the Wei capital was Luoyang, the Luo that city is on and named after seems probable. “(Like) jade chopsticks” is a conventional epithet/comparison for tears—yeah, IDK. Kingfisher feathers are used to decorate the banners of the emperor—the Empress’s last line decodes as a lament for being separated from her husband. The silk-weaver is less elegant than the others but honestly feels more heartfelt, especially compared to Xiao’s courtier flattery.

—L.