Tonight, stirred by wine and verse, I linger at Xie Gong's tower,
Where moonlight floods the silent halls, in its fullest, clearest hour.
The shadows close the heavy gate; one tree bears autumn's chill.
A magpie startles, scattering leaves; fireflies drift past the hill.
Now at the edge of distant skies—this moonlight pure and deep,
How many hearts, beneath its glow, are lost in silent grief?
Original Poem
「裴迪南门秋夜对月」
钱起
夜来诗酒兴，月满谢公楼。
影闭重门静，寒生独树秋。
鹊惊随叶散，萤远入烟流。
今夕遥天末，清光几处愁。
Interpretation
This poem was composed during the Mid-Tang period, when the poet Qian Qi and his friend Pei Di gathered on an early autumn night at Xie's Pavilion by the southern gate, sharing wine and composing poetry under the moonlight. As the moon rose in the silent night, its cool radiance stirred deep emotions, immersing the poet in the tranquility and vastness of the autumn evening, ultimately evoking homesickness. The poem masterfully blends scene and sentiment, its restrained depth creating a serene and lingering artistic conception.
First Couplet: "夜来诗酒兴，月满谢公楼。"
Yè lái shī jiǔ xìng, yuè mǎn Xiè gōng lóu.
Night falls as poetic and vinous joy arises,
While moonlight floods Lord Xie's storied tower.
The opening sketches a lively scene of friends reveling beneath the moon. "Xie's Pavilion" alludes to Xie Zhuang's Rhapsody on the Moon, lending the setting a refined literary atmosphere while subtly indicating Pei Di's study. As moonlight fills the tower, the mood transitions from warmth to coolness, establishing the poem's emotional arc from merriment to quietude.
Second Couplet: "影闭重门静，寒生独树秋。"
Yǐng bì chóng mén jìng, hán shēng dú shù qiū.
Shadows seal the courtyard gates in stillness,
Chill emerges from a lone autumn tree.
Turning inward, the poet captures solitude through the quiet, closed gates and the solitary tree radiating cold—crafting an atmosphere of desolate stillness. This couplet conveys the emptiness and crisp air after the gathering disperses, emotions growing more restrained and introspective.
Third Couplet: "鹊惊随叶散，萤远入烟流。"
Què jīng suí yè sàn, yíng yuǎn rù yān liú.
Magpies startle, scattering leaves in flight;
Fireflies drift far into misty currents.
The moon's brilliance is revealed indirectly: magpies mistake its light for dawn, their wings stirring fallen leaves, while distant fireflies fade into hazy streams. These dynamic images—drawing from Cao Cao and classical poetry, yet more refined—paint the silver-lit autumn night. The "flowing" fireflies interplay with mist, creating striking visual lyricism.
Fourth Couplet: "今夕遥天末，清光几处愁？"
Jīn xī yáo tiān mò, qīng guāng jǐ chù chóu?
Tonight at heaven's distant edge,
How many griefs does this clear light touch?
The conclusion shifts from scene to feeling. Gazing at the moon, the poet wonders how many others under its glow might share his melancholy. The rhetorical question—"How many griefs?"—lingers unanswered, resonating as both universal reflection and personal yearning, ethereal yet profoundly evocative.
Holistic Appreciation
This poem is a masterful blend of scene and sentiment, transitioning from liveliness to stillness with profound artistic conception. Beginning with moonlit drinking among friends, the poet gradually descends into nocturnal contemplation. Through layered imagery, emotions shift from exuberance to subtle melancholy—from the joy of gathering to universal reflections on sorrow. Compact in structure yet rich in imagery, its refined language exemplifies Mid-Tang landscape poets' unique insight into nature and human feeling.
Artistic Merits
- Dynamic-to-Stillness Pacing: From "poetic wine merriment" to "silent heavy gates", then "startled magpies" and "distant fireflies", the poem’s rhythm flows organically between motion and quietude, fusing emotion with visual artistry.
- Precise Imagery, Allusive Depth: "Xie’s Pavilion" anchors cultural context; "startled magpies" echoes "Short Song Style", blending classical echoes with fresh feeling. "Fireflies merging with misty streams" showcases observational brilliance, amplifying moonlight while resonating symbolically.
- Open-Ended Closure: The concluding rhetorical question deepens the theme without explicitness, inviting boundless reader reflection.
Insights
The poem reveals: though gatherings part and the moon shines equally, each heart carries unique sorrows. Beneath the moon, all grows still—only human worries multiply. By channeling emotion through nature, the poet reminds us that true poetry often dwells in ordinary nightscapes, awaiting quiet observation. Amid worldly noise, preserving the capacity to perceive nature and introspect remains poetry’s deepest solace.
About the Poet
Qian Qi (钱起, c. 722-780), a native of Huzhou, Zhejiang, was the foremost of the "Ten Talents of the Dali Era" in mid-Tang poetry. His poetic style, inheriting Wang Wei's legacy, excelled particularly in regulated verse (五律), characterized by its ethereal elegance. Yan Yu praised his work as "innovative in form," reflecting the Dali period's transition from the High Tang's naturalism to refined craftsmanship.
