Crickets sound in the night. A sleeper wakes, walks alone by the steps and sees the moon through a curtain. Xiaochongshan, traditionally attributed to Yue Fei, begins far from the public image of a commander.
Xiaochongshan is the name of a ci melody pattern. Within its inherited shape, the poem carries a private restlessness: thoughts that remain awake after the room has fallen quiet.
Someone who understands the sound
Near the end, the voice turns towards music:
I would give my thoughts to the sounding strings.
The wish leads to zhiyin, a Chinese expression for someone who deeply understands us, literally someone who understands the sound. The strings can carry a feeling; the heart still waits for a listener.
Stone keeps a name beside the lake. These few lines bring it close enough to hear.