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The Songs 153 Song 81 Do Not Be Afraid of Ungenerous Fate202 Do not be afraid that your fate is against you; you must be steadfast. If you are steadfast, there will be no need to grieve that 'the old man in the moon'203 does not pity you. To say that fate is against you and that the time is out of joint is to take a short-sighted view. In half your life-time, you have never had one day of real enjoyment, and I fear that even after death you will feel you have been wronged. If you say the 'eight characters' [i.e. indicating one's horoscope] were already determined at your birth, what need is there to think about the future?204 We do not know if what has been predetermined will 'come true' or not. There probably was never an immortal who could tell us about our future. In a word, you must do what is humanly possible; and perhaps your luck will change. Stop blaming yourself! Do not say good things are as hard to come by as we expect. Be steadfast and patient, and the broken mirror will be made round once again [i.e. lovers will be re-united].205 Song 82 Lamenting the Shortness of Life I lament the shortness of life and that I can only have one life; Men drive me to death, but tell me how can I bear to throw my life away. Had I one life to give to each man, I would not care. 202 See Song 6. 203 See Song 14, line 11, note. 204 The 'eight characters' ( J\* , baat ji), in four pairs, indicating the year, month, day and hour of a person's birth, were formerly used in fortune-telling. Mayers (Part 2) # 257. 205 See Song 33, line 9, note. The Songs Song 81 Do Not Be Afraid of Ungenerous Fate202 153 Do not be afraid that your fate is against you; you must be steadfast. If you are steadfast, there will be no need to grieve that 'the old man in the moon'203 does not pity you. To say that fate is against you and that the time is out of joint is to take a short-sighted view. In half your life-time, you have never had one day of real enjoyment, and I fear that even after death you will feel you have been wronged. If you say the 'eight characters' [i.e. indicating one's horoscope] were already determined at your birth, what need is there to think about the future?204 We do not know if what has been predetermined will 'come true' or not. There probably was never an immortal who could tell us about our future. In a word, you must do what is humanly possible; and perhaps your luck will change. Stop blaming yourself! Do not say good things are as hard to come by as we expect. Be steadfast and patient, and the broken mirror will be made round once again [i.e. lovers will be re-united].205 Song 82 Lamenting the Shortness of Life I lament the shortness of life and that I can only have one life; Men drive me to death, but tell me how can I bear to throw my life away. Had I one life to give to each man, I would not care. 202 See Song 6. 203 See Song 14, line 11, note. 204 The 'eight characters' ( J\* ,baat ji), in four pairs, indicating the year, month, day and hour of a person's birth, were formerly used in fortune-telling. Mayers (Part 2) # 257. 205 See Song 33, line 9, note. 154 Cantonese Love Songs There is no alternative to this broken life; only with the greatest pains have I kept the remnants of my life till this day. I can never requite the passionate lovers who gave their life for me; They died with a peaceful heart, and I consider it was my fate that led them to this. I believe it is a mark of youth to lose one's life because of a lust for flowers; In reality, only love that lasts to the very end can rival the red-beet that age makes more beautiful.206 See how the Cowherd every year meets the Spinning Girl, and they are not young;207 Their hearts truly mirror one another. On the Seventh day of the Seventh moon, they...

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