No respite in the dark

The loneliness only gets worse

Jade Pavilion Songs (8)
Quan Deyu

This empty room,
    The candle out,
        The curtain pulled,
            Alone at night.
My tears drained,
    My innards twist, 
        He’s in my heart.
            But not in sight.

权德舆  玉台体十二首·其八
空闺灭烛后，罗幌独眠时。
泪尽肠欲断，心知人不知。

---

In this installment, our heroine retreats from all the reminders of her love into the darkness of her bedroom, but there’s still no respite. She is left with only the internal reactions of her body, and she counts them off: her tears, her twisting stomach, and her aching heart.