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，宝玉说探春的好，李纨才要推宝钗这诗有身分，因又催黛玉。黛玉道:"你们都有了?"说着提笔一挥而就，掷与众人。李纨等看他写道是:
半卷湘帘半掩门， 碾冰为土玉为盆。
看了这句，宝玉先喝起彩来，只说"从何处想来!"又看下面道:
偷来梨蕊三分白，借得梅花一缕魂。
众人看了也都不禁叫好，说"果然比别人又是一样心肠。"又看下面道是:
月窟仙人缝缟袂，秋闺怨女拭啼痕。
娇羞默默同谁诉，倦倚西风夜已昏。
众人看了，都道是这首为上。李纨道:"若论风流别致，自是这首，若论含蓄浑厚，终让蘅稿。"探春道:"这评的有理，潇湘妃子当居第二。"李纨道:"怡红公子是压尾，你服不服?"宝玉道:"我的那首原不好了，这评的最公 。"又笑道:"只是蘅潇二首还要斟酌。"李纨道:"原是依我评论，不与你们相干，再有多说者必罚。 "宝玉听说，只得罢了。李纨道:"从此后我定于每月初二十六这两日开社， 出题限韵都要依我。 这其间你们有高兴的，你们只管另择日子补开，那怕一个月每天都开社，我只不管。只是到了初二，十六这两日，是必往我那里去。"宝玉道:"到底要起个社名才是。"探春道:"俗了又不好，特新了，刁钻古怪也不好。可巧才是海棠诗开端， 就叫个海棠社罢。虽然俗些，因真有此事，也就不碍了。"说毕大家又商议了一回，略用些酒果，方各自散去。也有回家的，也有往贾母王夫人处去的。当下别人无话。
‘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，宝玉说探春的好，李纨才要推宝钗这诗有身分，因又催黛玉。黛玉道:"你们都有了?"说着提笔一挥而就，掷与众人。李纨等看他写道是:
半卷湘帘半掩门， 碾冰为土玉为盆。
看了这句，宝玉先喝起彩来，只说"从何处想来!"又看下面道:
偷来梨蕊三分白，借得梅花一缕魂。
众人看了也都不禁叫好，说"果然比别人又是一样心肠。"又看下面道是:
月窟仙人缝缟袂，秋闺怨女拭啼痕。
娇羞默默同谁诉，倦倚西风夜已昏。
众人看了，都道是这首为上。李纨道:"若论风流别致，自是这首，若论含蓄浑厚，终让蘅稿。"探春道:"这评的有理，潇湘妃子当居第二。"李纨道:"怡红公子是压尾，你服不服?"宝玉道:"我的那首原不好了，这评的最公 。"又笑道:"只是蘅潇二首还要斟酌。"李纨道:"原是依我评论，不与你们相干，再有多说者必罚。 "宝玉听说，只得罢了。李纨道:"从此后我定于每月初二十六这两日开社， 出题限韵都要依我。 这其间你们有高兴的，你们只管另择日子补开，那怕一个月每天都开社，我只不管。只是到了初二，十六这两日，是必往我那里去。"宝玉道:"到底要起个社名才是。"探春道:"俗了又不好，特新了，刁钻古怪也不好。可巧才是海棠诗开端， 就叫个海棠社罢。虽然俗些，因真有此事，也就不碍了。"说毕大家又商议了一回，略用些酒果，方各自散去。也有回家的，也有往贾母王夫人处去的。当下别人无话。
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