Lament for the Deceased Wife, No. 3

Lament for the Deceased Wife, No. 3

Sitting idle, I grieve for you and grieve for myself—

How much time is there even in a lifetime?

Deng You, childless, came to know his fate;

Pan Yue, mourning the dead, still wasted words in vain.

What hope lies in sharing a dark and distant grave?

A future meeting in another life is even harder to foresee.

All I can do is keep my eyes open through the long night,

To repay the furrowed brows of your unfulfilled life.