Quietly， I walked away， as quietly as I had started out;
I waved my hand lightly， and said goodbye to the clouds in the sky.
The willow by the river， a newly wedded bride in the sunlight;
The reflection in the waves， twirling in my heart.
The moss on the mud， so slippery it slid into the water;
In the waves of the Kang River， I longed to be like the weeds.
The pool below the elm tree was not a spring;
It was a rainbow in the river grass that had been torn apart and settled under my feet.
To find my dreams， I took a long bamboo pole and pulled it up to the stars;
I filled a boat with moonlight， and sang loudly at the bright riverbank.
But I couldn’t sing loudly， my voice was soft and gentle;
The crickets were silent too， as was the Kang River tonight.
Quietly， I walked away， as quietly as I had started out;
I wrapped my sleeves tightly around me， and took nothing with me.