<Prelude to Water Melody> Sent to Ziyou on Mid-autumn Festival
- Poetry of Su Shi

《水调歌头·明月几时有》
<Prelude to Water Melody> Sent to Ziyou on Mid-autumn Festival by Su Shi
中文原文( Chinese )

丙辰中秋，欢饮达旦，大醉，作此篇，兼怀子由。

明月几时有，把酒问青天。

不知天上宫阙，今夕是何年。

我欲乘风归去，又恐琼楼玉宇，高处不胜寒。

起舞弄清影，何似在人间。

转朱阁，低绮户，照无眠。不应有恨，何事长向别时圆？

人有悲欢离合，月有阴晴圆缺，此事古难全。

但愿人长久，千里共婵娟。

English Translation

On the mid-autumn festival,I drank happily till dawn and wrote this in my cups while thinking of Ziyou.

When did the bright moon first appear?

Wine-cup in hand,I ask the blue sky.

I do not know what time of year It would be tonight in the palace on high.

Riding the wind,there I would fly,

But I'm afraid the crystalline palace would be 

Too high and too cold for me.

I rise and dance,with my shadow I play.

On high as on earth,would it be as gay?


The moon goes round the mansions red 

With gauze windows to shed 

Her light upon the sleepless bed.

Against man she should not have any spite.

Why then when people part is she oft full and bright?

Men have sorrow and joy,they part and meet again;

The moon may be bright or dim,she may wax or wane.

There has been nothing perfect since olden days.

So let us wish that man live as long as he can 

Though miles apart,we'll share the beauty she displays.

This is a famous Mid-Autumn lyric written for his brother Zi-you (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 Shen Zong said that Su Shi was loyal.

This is a masterpiece written by Su Shi in Mizhou in 1076, a time of adversity for our poet as he held different views on the New Laws (proposed by Wang Anshi) which was approved and enacted. Feeling himself out of the Emperor’s favor, he asked to be sent away from the Royal Court to the post of Mizhou’s Mayor. His wife had left him and he hadn't seen his brother in six years. Here his inclination is to wish himself into the legendary jade palace of the Goddess on the moon, of romantic art and beauty, and above all, a life of seclusion from the chaos of society. Still, he is led to fear the cold perfections of her empire. After all, Su Shi is more a man of the world than a Daoist of fairy lands. And to the readership, the bravest sight of all is to see a great man struggling against adversity where great works could be born.

- Last updated: 2024-12-07 21:38:49
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Why Chinese poems is so special?
The most distinctive features of Chinese poetry are: concision- many poems are only four lines, and few are much longer than eight; ambiguity- number, tense and parts of speech are often undetermined, creating particularly rich interpretative possibilities; and structure- most poems follow quite strict formal patterns which have beauty in themselves as well as highlighting meaningful contrasts.
How to read a Chinese poem?
Like an English poem, but more so. Everything is there for a reason, so try to find that reason. Think about all the possible connotations, and be aware of the different possibilities of number and tense. Look for contrasts: within lines, between the lines of each couplet and between successive couplets. Above all, don't worry about what the poet meant- find your meaning.

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