On this quiet night, there are no neighbors near my house.
I live in the wilderness, retired and poor.
In the rain, there is a tree with yellow leaves.
Under the lamp, there is a white-haired man.
Because I have lived in solitude and fallen into melancholy for so long,
Your frequent visits make me feel grateful, yet guilty.
It seems we are predestined to be friends for life
—
And on top of that, you are a Cai's kinsman 1 of mine.
1
The chapter title "Names of people" in the 6th volume of the work,
Encyclopedia written by Hua Zhang of the Jin dynasty, says, "The mother of Bo-jie
Cai was the younger sister of Xi Yuan and the aunt of Huan Yuan." Thus, Bo-jie
Cai and Huan Yuan were cousins. This story led later generations to use Cai's
kinsman to refer to a cousin.