the willow pattern

The story of the Willow Pattern.

Look at the plate, look into an age long past,
and see where a tender love unto death remained steadfast,
and how beyond death the thread of love still weaves,
in a mist-hush't autumn as the willow sheds its leaves.
To the right, a lordly mandarin's country seat, before this a small pavilion, and behind an orange tree, and next a peach-tree in full bearing sweet.
The willow tree at one end of the bridge, and the humble cottage of the gardener at the other.
And to the right and above see an island with a chalet thereupon.
Two turtle doves circle above,
lost in the air and in love.
And see on the bridge, the mandarin's only daughter, Li-Chi with her distaff in hand, and the mandarin himself who carries... a whip.

And Li-Ching was in love with handsome Chang who had been her father's secretary in days before, and in the small chalet on the island was his home.
On a dire day the father overheard his daughter and her lover as their love they pledged in the shade of the orange tree; for love, you know, yearns to be known and free.
The father stern forebade the match, he saw perhaps how Chang might chance his wealth to plunder, or saw some other hindrance to the suit, real or imagined - it matters not today.
But love, of course, is hardly denied and the couple at once eloped, they lay in secret hushed in the gardener's poor cot whilst the father swore in thwarted rage, and felt the moment come to 'scape, into the boat they leap, see above the bridge the oar in haste he plies, but her father sees them and with murder in his eyes,
pursues them with his scourge in hand, and would have beaten both to death despite she be his kin, except the gods have known the faith which in those lovers dwelt,
and reach down to that fatal scene
where deathly clamour near had been,
and in a magick moment there Li-Ching and Chang the doves you see become, them and their love the lovely sky receives,
in a mist-hush't autumn as the willow sheds its leaves.