春江潮水連海平 海上明月共潮生
灩灩隨波千萬裏 何處春江無月明
A Moonlit Night by the River in Spring by Zhang Ruo Xu 江紹倫譯
In spring the river rises to level with the sea
The moon rises together with sea tides as should be
Following the waves she travels a thousand li
Where’er the river flows there she is
江畔何人初見月 江月何年初照人
人生代代無窮已 江月年年望相似
Who first saw the moon rise by riverside
Which year was man first graced by moonshine
Generation after generation man change and thrive
Year in year out the moon looks but alike
不知江月待何人 但見長江送流水
白雲一片去悠悠 青楓浦上不勝愁
To whom the moon specially bestows her light we do not know
We see ever so clearly the Yangtze River’s incessant flow
Up in sky patches of white clouds leisurely float
Down on earth green maples cling to their sadness untold
昨夜閑潭夢落花 可憐春半不還家
江水流春去欲盡 江潭落月複西斜
I dreamed last night to see flowers falling on water at ease
And pity myself this late spring hour still away from thee
The river carrying all feelings of spring will not reverse its flow
But our reclining moon even dwelling in water will maintain her grow
斜月沉沉藏海霧 碣石瀟湘無限路
不知乘月幾人歸 落月搖情滿江樹
A partial moon striving to shine on can brighten a misty sea
Her luster on crimson boulders will beautify the surroundings for all to see
I know not how many of my loved ones will be home the next moon
I know for sure all trees here will boast her love very soon
