The Golden Youth's Story, Volume Four
At that time, the merchant leader Rizhao crossed the great ocean, completed his profitable venture, and soon returned to the city of Rajagriha. As he was about to enter the city, the merchant leader suddenly saw an inauspicious sign. Immediately, he was struck with fear, his body trembled violently, and his eyes twitched. The sign was this: flocks of birds gathered before him, screeching loudly. The merchant leader, who understood such omens, thought to himself: "The sign I have just seen is extremely inauspicious. It surely means that my son, the Golden Child, is facing trouble. The disturbance must be near, and as the signs indicate, separation is certain."
Then the caravan leader spoke these verses:
"My eyes twitch and flutter, flocks of birds cry out with harsh voices— Surely my son's time of parting sorrow draws near.
If my limbs tremble and shake, my heart is troubled with fear and dread, Surely my dear child will soon depart—these ill omens tell me so."