When we look up the entries on the osmanthus in the botanical section of the encyclopedic 18th-century compilation Completed Collection of Graphs and Writings of Ancient and Modern Times, what the romantically-minded literati, particularly since the Tang and Song, mostly write about is Chang E and Wu Gang, yellow petals falling like snow, and evening fragrance--a mish-mash broad enough to put together an autumn sonata.
翻開《古今圖書集成》草木典桂部，藝文志裡的浪漫文人，尤其唐宋以後，大多拉來嫦娥吳剛、黃雪晚香，吭不攏總共譜一首秋光奏鳴曲。