I sought my lover at twilight
Snow fell at daybreak
Residing at the Potala
I am Rigzin Tsangyang Gyatso
But in the back alleys of Shol-town
I am rake and stud
Secret or not
No matter
Footprints have been left in the snow– Tsangyang Gyatso, the sixth Dalai Lama
At night he would slip out of Potala in disguise and frequent Shol-town, the brothel area in Lhasa. Before dawn he would tiptoe back to his living quarter, and resume his duties as the Dalai Lama in the morning. His ventures were finally discovered when servants traced his footprints in the snow. This is vividly recounted in one of his most famous poems: