The moon, grown full now over the sea, Brightening the whole of heaven, Brings to separated hearts The long thoughtfulness of night. It is no darker though I blow out my candle. It is no warmer though I put on my coat. So I leave my message with the moon And turn to my bed, hoping for dreams.
Original Poem:
「望月怀远」
张九龄
海上生明月，天涯共此时。
情人怨遥夜，竟夕起相思。
灭烛怜光满，披衣觉露滋。
不堪盈手赠，还寝梦佳期。
Interpretation:
This is a poem of nostalgia for a faraway lover (or friend), a poem of emotion through the scenery, this poem is well conceived, original and interesting, loved by later generations.
In the first two lines, a bright moon rises over the vast and boundless sea, reminding people of their friends and relatives who are far away from the ends of the earth and the sea, and should be looking at the same bright moon at this moment. It shows the majestic and broad realm, and also points out the friends and relatives who are separated from each other, at the same time, when they are thinking of each other. It is far away from the end of the world, thousands of miles away from the hearts of people tightly tied together, bringing infinite comfort.
The third and fourth lines: The sentimental people all resent the long moonlight night and miss their loved ones by staying awake all night. From the scene to the inner monologue, from the dream back to reality, from admiration and yearning to resentment and lovesickness, and the first line to form a sharp contrast. The poet looks at the moon and misses the distance, although the people at the end of the world and oneself are in the same clear light, but they can not see each other, how can they not be annoyed and miss each other all night long.
The fifth and sixth lines: extinguish the candles and love the moonlight in the room, I wandered around in my clothes and felt the cold night dew.
The poet misses the distant person, sleepless all night, extinguish the candle and go out, and the distant person to enjoy a round of bright moon, unknowingly has let the dewdrops wet clothes, visible to the moonlight love and pity, miss the distant person’s feelings of the depth of meaning. Here a “full” word, and the previous “the end of the world” rhyme remote connection, the same broad, and does not harm this line of the hazy silence of the poetic situation, can be described as a wonderful stroke.
The seventh and eighth lines: although the moonlight is good, but can not be given to each other, it is better to go back to the dreamland to find a good time.
I can’t hold the silver light in my hand and give it to you, so I’d better go back to my room and go to sleep, and maybe in my dreams I can still get together with you and spend a good night together. This line of the poet and back to the room, in this one out and in, full of the poet misses the deep feelings and disappointment of the distant people. Although with her to a round of the moon, but can not be seen, and the moon has a shadow invisible, can not grasp, not to send love. And the night deep dew cold, only back to the house in the dream to find a good time to meet her. In reality, it is impossible to find, and the dream world is indistinct, even though it is beautiful, it is difficult to come true, how can it not make people disappointed!
This poem has a wide range of realms and words, alternating between the ideal and the reality, and going back and forth. Suddenly joyful, suddenly resentful and lovesick, suddenly compassionate, suddenly hopeless, the mood ebbs and flows, the intestines, and the rhyme is complete.
Poem translator:
Kiang Kanghu
About the poet:
Zhang Jiuling (张九龄), 678 – 740 AD, was a native of Shaoguan, Guangdong. He was a wise prime minister who was upright and upright in discussing the government and wrote a lot of poems that were light, cozy and far-reaching.
