The Heavenly Emperor’s palace is deeply enclosed within nine gates;
The Great Shaman does not descend to inquire about your wrongs.
Since we parted at Huang-ling, spring waves have kept us apart;
Now a letter comes from the bank of the P’en as the autumn rain falls.
Only Au-jen could have written a fit funeral ovation;
Who says Sung Yü knew how to summon the soul?
A lifelong teacher and friend—this you were to me:
I dare not mourn you outside the door of the inner chamber.

translated by James J.Y. Liu