When they had finished reading, Bao-yu said he liked Tan-chun’s poem best of the three, but Li Wan insisted that Bao-chai’s was superior. It had ‘more character’ she said. She was about to press Dai-yu for her contribution when Dai-yu sauntered in of her own volition.
‘Oh! have you all finished?’
She picked up a brush and proceeded, writing rapidly and without a pause, to set down the poem that was already completed in her mind. She wrote on the first sheet of paper that came to hand and, having finished, threw it nonchalantly across the table for the others to inspect.
Beside the half-raised blind, the half-closed door,
Crushed ice for earth and white jade for the pot,
They had got no further than the first couplet, when Bao-yu broke out into praises.
‘Clever! How do you get these ideas?’
Three parts of whiteness from the pear-tree stolen,
One part from plum for scent (which pear has not)—
All of them were impressed by this second couplet.
‘This is good. Original. It’s quite different from the other three.’
Moon-maidens stitched them with white silken thread,
And virgins’ tears the new-made flowers did spot,
Which now, like bashful maids that no word say,
Lean languid on the breeze at close of day.
‘Yes, this is the best,’ they said. ‘This is the best of the four.’
‘For elegance and originally, yes,’ said Li Wan; ‘but for character and depth I prefer Lady All-spice’s.’
‘I think that’s a fair judgement,’ said Tan-chun. ‘I think River Queen’s has to take second place.’
‘At all events,’ said Li Wan, ‘Green Boy’s is bottom. Do you accept that judgement, Green Boy?’
‘Oh yes,’ said Bao-yu. ‘It’s a perfectly fair one. Mine is just not a good poem. But’ — he smiled hopefully —‘I think we ought to reconsider the placing of All-spice’s and River Queen’s contributions.’
‘You agreed to abide by my decisions,’ said Li Wan. ‘I don’t think the rest of you have any say in the matter. If anyone questions a decision of mine in future, he will have to pay a penalty.’
Bao-yu was obliged to let the matter drop.
‘I propose that our two meetings should be on the second and sixteenth of each month,’ said Li Wan. ‘On those occasions I shall be responsible for choosing the subjects and the rhymes. If any of you ever feels like having an extra meeting in between those dates, there’s nothing to stop you. In fact, there’s nothing to stop you having a meeting every day, if you feel like it. But that’s entirely up to you. On the second and sixteenth you must all come round to my place, and the meetings on those two days are my responsibility.’
‘We really ought to have a name for the club,’ said Bao-yu. ‘We don’t want anything banal,’ said Tan-chun; ‘on the other hand we don’t want anything too weird and wonderful. As we started off with a poem about white crab-blossom, why don’t we simply call ourselves “The Crab-flower Club”? That might have seemed a somewhat banal title other things being equal, but in our case it wouldn’t be because it would commemorate our founding meeting.’
Tan-chun’s proposal was followed by general discussion. After partaking of the liquid and other refreshment which she provided, the party then broke up, some returning to their own apartments in the Garden, some going on to Grandmother Jia’s or Lady Wang’s apartments outside. Our record leaves them at this point and does not specify.
大家看了，寶玉說探春的好，李紈才要推寶釵這詩有身分，因又催黛玉。黛玉道:"你們都有了?"說著提筆一揮而就，擲與眾人。李紈等看他寫道是:
半卷湘簾半掩門， 碾冰為土玉為盆。
看了這句，寶玉先喝起彩來，隻說"從何處想來!"又看下麵道:
偷來梨蕊三分白，借得梅花一縷魂。
眾人看了也都不禁叫好，說"果然比別人又是一樣心腸。"又看下麵道是:
月窟仙人縫縞袂，秋閨怨女拭啼痕。
嬌羞默默同誰訴，倦倚西風夜已昏。
眾人看了，都道是這首為上。李紈道:"若論風流別致，自是這首，若論含蓄渾厚，終讓蘅稿。"探春道:"這評的有理，瀟湘妃子當居第二。"李紈道:"怡紅公子是壓尾，你服不服?"寶玉道:"我的那首原不好了，這評的最公 。"又笑道:"隻是蘅瀟二首還要斟酌。"李紈道:"原是依我評論，不與你們相幹，再有多說者必罰。 "寶玉聽說，隻得罷了。李紈道:"從此後我定於每月初二十六這兩日開社， 出題限韻都要依我。 這其間你們有高興的，你們隻管另擇日子補開，那怕一個月每天都開社，我隻不管。隻是到了初二，十六這兩日，是必往我那裏去。"寶玉道:"到底要起個社名才是。"探春道:"俗了又不好，特新了，刁鑽古怪也不好。可巧才是海棠詩開端， 就叫個海棠社罷。雖然俗些，因真有此事，也就不礙了。"說畢大家又商議了一回，略用些酒果，方各自散去。也有回家的，也有往賈母王夫人處去的。當下別人無話。
‘Oh! have you all finished?’
She picked up a brush and proceeded, writing rapidly and without a pause, to set down the poem that was already completed in her mind. She wrote on the first sheet of paper that came to hand and, having finished, threw it nonchalantly across the table for the others to inspect.
Beside the half-raised blind, the half-closed door,
Crushed ice for earth and white jade for the pot,
They had got no further than the first couplet, when Bao-yu broke out into praises.
‘Clever! How do you get these ideas?’
Three parts of whiteness from the pear-tree stolen,
One part from plum for scent (which pear has not)—
All of them were impressed by this second couplet.
‘This is good. Original. It’s quite different from the other three.’
Moon-maidens stitched them with white silken thread,
And virgins’ tears the new-made flowers did spot,
Which now, like bashful maids that no word say,
Lean languid on the breeze at close of day.
‘Yes, this is the best,’ they said. ‘This is the best of the four.’
‘For elegance and originally, yes,’ said Li Wan; ‘but for character and depth I prefer Lady All-spice’s.’
‘I think that’s a fair judgement,’ said Tan-chun. ‘I think River Queen’s has to take second place.’
‘At all events,’ said Li Wan, ‘Green Boy’s is bottom. Do you accept that judgement, Green Boy?’
‘Oh yes,’ said Bao-yu. ‘It’s a perfectly fair one. Mine is just not a good poem. But’ — he smiled hopefully —‘I think we ought to reconsider the placing of All-spice’s and River Queen’s contributions.’
‘You agreed to abide by my decisions,’ said Li Wan. ‘I don’t think the rest of you have any say in the matter. If anyone questions a decision of mine in future, he will have to pay a penalty.’
Bao-yu was obliged to let the matter drop.
‘I propose that our two meetings should be on the second and sixteenth of each month,’ said Li Wan. ‘On those occasions I shall be responsible for choosing the subjects and the rhymes. If any of you ever feels like having an extra meeting in between those dates, there’s nothing to stop you. In fact, there’s nothing to stop you having a meeting every day, if you feel like it. But that’s entirely up to you. On the second and sixteenth you must all come round to my place, and the meetings on those two days are my responsibility.’
‘We really ought to have a name for the club,’ said Bao-yu. ‘We don’t want anything banal,’ said Tan-chun; ‘on the other hand we don’t want anything too weird and wonderful. As we started off with a poem about white crab-blossom, why don’t we simply call ourselves “The Crab-flower Club”? That might have seemed a somewhat banal title other things being equal, but in our case it wouldn’t be because it would commemorate our founding meeting.’
Tan-chun’s proposal was followed by general discussion. After partaking of the liquid and other refreshment which she provided, the party then broke up, some returning to their own apartments in the Garden, some going on to Grandmother Jia’s or Lady Wang’s apartments outside. Our record leaves them at this point and does not specify.
大家看了，寶玉說探春的好，李紈才要推寶釵這詩有身分，因又催黛玉。黛玉道:"你們都有了?"說著提筆一揮而就，擲與眾人。李紈等看他寫道是:
半卷湘簾半掩門， 碾冰為土玉為盆。
看了這句，寶玉先喝起彩來，隻說"從何處想來!"又看下麵道:
偷來梨蕊三分白，借得梅花一縷魂。
眾人看了也都不禁叫好，說"果然比別人又是一樣心腸。"又看下麵道是:
月窟仙人縫縞袂，秋閨怨女拭啼痕。
嬌羞默默同誰訴，倦倚西風夜已昏。
眾人看了，都道是這首為上。李紈道:"若論風流別致，自是這首，若論含蓄渾厚，終讓蘅稿。"探春道:"這評的有理，瀟湘妃子當居第二。"李紈道:"怡紅公子是壓尾，你服不服?"寶玉道:"我的那首原不好了，這評的最公 。"又笑道:"隻是蘅瀟二首還要斟酌。"李紈道:"原是依我評論，不與你們相幹，再有多說者必罰。 "寶玉聽說，隻得罷了。李紈道:"從此後我定於每月初二十六這兩日開社， 出題限韻都要依我。 這其間你們有高興的，你們隻管另擇日子補開，那怕一個月每天都開社，我隻不管。隻是到了初二，十六這兩日，是必往我那裏去。"寶玉道:"到底要起個社名才是。"探春道:"俗了又不好，特新了，刁鑽古怪也不好。可巧才是海棠詩開端， 就叫個海棠社罷。雖然俗些，因真有此事，也就不礙了。"說畢大家又商議了一回，略用些酒果，方各自散去。也有回家的，也有往賈母王夫人處去的。當下別人無話。
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