One Phrase
Bing Xin

That day the lake was a vast spread of light haze
That muffled the romping fish in the water as
The east wind silently stroked my shoulders,
"Wait! Don't blurt out the phrase!"

That night beneath the sky swarming with stars,
A pair of young birds hid high atop the tree as
The south wind playfully rubbed against my check,
"It's done! You've uttered the phrase!"

That night there was a sad moon on the lake
Where autumn fireflies flitted and glowed as
The west wind tenderly touched my lips,
"Why do you still brood over that phrase?"

Today the windswept stands whistle in the sky,
The startled crow mourns its lost mate in the winds, and
The north wind solemnly wipes my eyes,
"It's too late to retrieve that phrase now, isn't it?"