On the willows there, we hung up our lyres

The way that Claudius described Haurchefant, with an exasperation that could mean nothing but powerful fondness, will be impossible to capture in his own words. Lan Wangji pauses, then tries. "Haurchefant was loud," he says. He hears the echo of Claudius saying the same, his eloquent emphases, and wishes he could convey that, but his own voice is as low and calm as it ever is. "He was proud to have Claudius and Alphinaud in his home."