I saw my sister,
Katara, by the river,
Aglow in a sliver
Of cold moonlight,
With no clouds in sight;
The water at her beck and call,
Obeying her every gesture,
Her silent commands to rise and fall
Moulded by her gentle pressure….

I saw my lover,
Princess Yue, wrapped in glowing silver;
Entombed by the moon’s cold light,
Reflected in that river;
Yet no unbroken image lay
To soothe my eyes or gently stay
The choppy water, glistening
In a multitude of highlights, shifting
Like a shattered mirror drifting by:
A million tears of light did cry….

No bending of that cold water
By highly-trained martial master,
Nor...