In the literary history of China, many poets penned praise to the pure moon of mid-autumn night and gave words to their feelings. The following are some of the best of those poems.
Thoughts in the Silent Night 静夜思
By Li Bai (李白)
Li Bai used four lines of five characters to express his homesickness at the Moon (Mid-Autumn) Festival.
床 前 明 月 光 Chuáng qián míng yuèguāng Moonlight shining through the window
疑 是 地 上 霜 Yí shì dìshàng shuāng Makes me wonder if there is frost on the ground
举 头 望 明 月 Jǔ tóu wàng míngyuè Looking up to see the moon
低 头 思 故 乡 Dī tóu sī gùxiāng Looking down I miss my hometown
The Moon Festival
By Su Shi (苏轼)
明月几时有 Míngyuè jǐshí yǒu When is there moonlight?
把酒问青天 Bǎjiǔ wèn qīngtiān Winecup in hand, I ask the deep blue sky
不知天上宫阙 Bùzhī tiānshàng gōngjué Not knowing in those celestial palaces on high
今夕是何年 Jīnxī shì hé nián What year it is tonight
我欲乘风归去 Wǒ yù chéng fēng guī qù I long to fly on the wind
又恐琼楼玉宇 Yòu kǒng qióng lóu yùyǔ Yet dread those crystal towers, those courts of jade
高处不胜寒 Gāo chù bùshèng hán Freezing to death among those icy heights
起舞弄清影 Qǐwǔ nòng qīng yǐng Instead I rise to dance with my pale shadow
何似在人间 Hé shì zài rénjiān Better off, after all, in the world of men
转朱阁 Zhuǎn zhū gé Rounding the red pavilion
低绮户 Dī qǐ hù Stooping to look through gauze windows
照无眠 Zhào wúmián The moon shines on the sleepless
不应有恨 Bù yìng yǒu hèn The moon should know no sadness
何事长向别时圆 Héshì zhǎng xiàng bié shí yuán Why, then, is she always full when dear ones are parted?
人有悲欢离合 Rén yǒu bēihuānlíhé As men's grief and joy, parting and union
月有阴晴圆缺 Yuè yǒu yīn qíng yuán quē So the moon is bright or dim, waxes and wanes
此事古难全 Cǐ shì gǔ nán quán Always some flaw, and so it has been since of old
但愿人长久 Dàn yuàn rén chángjiǔ My one wish for you is long life
千里共婵娟 Qiānlǐ gòng chánjuān And to share in this loveliness far, far away
This is a famous Mid-Autumn lyric written for his brother Ziyou (1039–1112), when the poet was away from the imperial court. According to some commentators, "the palace on high" might allude to the imperial palace and therefore, after reading this lyric, Emperor Song Shenzong said that Su Shi was loyal.
汗水一直下,只为咱宝贝!
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