The mountain-light suddenly fails in the west,
In the east from the lake the slow moon rises.
I loosen my hair to enjoy the evening coolness
And open my window and lie down in peace.
The wind brings me odours of lotuses,
And bamboo-leaves drip with a music of dew…
I would take up my lute and I would play,
But, alas, who here would understand?
And so I think of you, old friend,
O troubler of my midnight dreams!
Original Poem
「夏日南亭怀辛大」
孟浩然
山光忽西落， 池月渐东上。
散发乘夜凉， 开轩卧闲敞。
荷风送香气， 竹露滴清响。
欲取鸣琴弹， 恨无知音赏。
感此怀故人， 中宵劳梦想。
Interpretation
Composed during Meng Haoran's reclusive years in Xiangyang, this poem captures a tranquil summer night tinged with quiet loneliness. While the exact date is unknown, it reflects the poet's contented yet occasionally solitary existence amidst nature's comforts.
First Couplet: "山光忽西落，池月渐东上。"
Shān guāng hū xī luò, chí yuè jiàn dōng shàng.
Mountain glow suddenly fades west; Pond moon gradually rises east.
The contrast between "suddenly" and "gradually" mirrors the poet's shifting mood from daytime restlessness to evening calm, framing nature's transition as an inner experience.
Second Couplet: "散发乘夜凉，开轩卧闲敞。"
Sàn fà chéng yè liáng, kāi xuān wò xián chǎng.
Loosened hair enjoys night's coolness; Open window reclines in spacious ease.
Unrestrained gestures ("loosened hair," "open window") embody physical and spiritual liberation, epitomizing the recluse's unburdened existence.
Third Couplet: "荷风送香气，竹露滴清响。"
Hé fēng sòng xiāng qì, zhú lù dī qīng xiǎng.
Lotus breeze delivers fragrance; Bamboo dew drips crystalline notes.
Synesthetic imagery merges scent and sound into a multisensory nocturne, crafting an immersive atmosphere where nature's delicate phenomena become profoundly noticeable.
Fourth Couplet: "欲取鸣琴弹，恨无知音赏。"
Yù qǔ míng qín tán, hèn wú zhīyīn shǎng.
I'd play my resonant zither now - But grieve no kindred soul to hear.
The anticipated musical expression underscores artistic solitude, where aesthetic perfection remains incomplete without shared appreciation.
Fifth Couplet: "感此怀故人，中宵劳梦想。"
Gǎn cǐ huái gùrén, zhōngxiāo láo mèngxiǎng.
Moved by this, I miss my old friend - Till midnight wearies dreaming thoughts.
The conclusion transforms physical night into psychological space, where memory and longing persist beyond waking hours.
Holistic Appreciation
The poem traces an arc from sensory pleasure to emotional poignancy. Beginning with celestial movements and bodily comfort, it progresses through nature's subtle offerings before revealing their ultimate insufficiency without human connection. The zither's silence speaks louder than its music could - an elegant metaphor for the paradox of artistic fulfillment requiring both solitary creation and communal appreciation. Dreams become the final realm where absence is momentarily overcome.
Writing Characteristics
The poet skillfully employs sensory descriptions to construct vivid scenes, layering the beauty of a summer night through visual, olfactory, and auditory elements. The language flows with elegant naturalness and gentle rhythm, creating a work that, while devoid of overt emotional intensity, resonates with delicate warmth and lingering charm. Through emotional progression, the poem transitions from leisurely ease to contemplative solitude, blending reality with dreamscapes in a harmonious fusion of tangible and ethereal elements. Its well-structured composition follows clear narrative development, achieving natural expression and embodying the artistic essence of "profound subtlety within understated simplicity".
Insights
This summer nocturne reveals how aesthetic pleasure heightens, rather than diminishes, human longing. Meng demonstrates that nature's beauty often serves as both consolation and reminder of isolation. The poem suggests our deepest appreciations instinctively seek witnesses - whether in shared music or reciprocal dreams. For modern readers, it offers a meditation on how digital connectivity has altered, but not eliminated, this fundamental desire for artistic and emotional resonance with kindred spirits.
Poem translator
Kiang Kanghu
About the poet
Meng Haoran (孟浩然), 689 - 740 AD, a native of Xiangyang, Hubei, was a famous poet of the Sheng Tang Dynasty. With the exception of one trip to the north when he was in his forties, when he was seeking fame in Chang'an and Luoyang, he spent most of his life in seclusion in his hometown of Lumenshan or roaming around.
