A Verse

Chinese Leather Silhouette Art

After Madame Li died, the emperor could not stop thinking of her. There was a magician of Tsi, who claimed that he could conjure the souls of the departed. A room was therefore prepared with bed curtains, and candles were burned during the night and wines and meats were laid out on the table. The emperor was made to sit in another room in the distance. He saw a beautiful woman resembling Madame Li come in and sit on the bed and walk about. But he was not permitted to get closer. He was greatly touched and wrote a verse:

Is it you?
But is it you indeed?
You came.
But when you came,
your movements were so stately and slow.

The court musicians were ordered to set this to music.

~by Pan Ku~