張若虛《春江花月夜》

春江潮水連海平，海上明月共潮生。
灩灩隨波千萬里，何處春江無月明。
江流宛轉繞芳甸，月照花林皆似霰。
空裡流霜不覺飛，汀上白沙看不見。
江天一色無纖塵，皎皎空中孤月輪。
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。
不知江月照何人，但見長江送流水。
白雲一片去悠悠，青楓浦上不勝愁。
誰家今夜扁舟子，何處相思明月樓。
可憐樓上月徘徊，應照離人妝鏡台。
玉戶簾中捲不去，搗衣砧上拂還來。
此時相望不相聞，願逐月華流照君。
鴻雁長飛光不度，魚龍潛躍水成文。
昨夜閑潭夢落花，可憐春半不還家。
江水流春去欲盡，江潭落月復西斜。
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 Night of Flower and Moon on the Spring River (by Zhang Ruoxu)

           translated by Charles Yung Huang

The tides of the spring river blend into the sea.

Up alongside the tides, a radiant moon is born.

Riding the gleaming waves, it rambles for myriad li.

Nowhere on the spring river does the moon not adorn.

The river meanders around the scented fields where

All the flowers seem like graupels in the silvery sheen.

Floating frost turns into dazzled droplets in the air.

The white sands on the shoals are virtually unseen.

The river and sky form a seamless hue sans dust and grime.

The sole wheel-like moon in the heavens is ever so bright.

Who on the strand saw the moon for the very first time?

When did the river moon first catch someone in its sight?

Generation after generation, life goes on.

Year after year, over the river the same moon prevails.

No one knows whom the moon is shedding light upon.

The river, though, is sending the waters off with no trails.

Leisurely drifting away is a lone white cloud in flight.

Deep in melancholy are green maples by the sandbar.

Who is sailing alone in a little boat tonight?

In the moonlit loft, who is pining for her man afar?

Outside the loft, pity the moon lingering about

That should be brightening the lonely woman’s dresser!

Her rolled ornate curtain cannot keep the moonlight out.

The beams round her clothes-pounding block, bid to leave, still loiter.

Mutually gazing at the moon but nothing heard!

How sweet it would be to shine on him by stalking the moon!

Can notes be flown to moonless lands by the messenger bird?

Can the fish and dragon make ripples to convey thoughts soon?

Last night flowers fell by the idle pond in her dream.

Sadly he has not returned while spring is halfway recessed.

Spring and youth are being washed away by the rolling stream.

The descending moon above the pond yet slants west.

The oblique moon, sinking, is obscured by a mist at sea.

Endless roads to remote hills and rills keep lovers apart.

How many will hasten home by the moonlight---will he?

Untold cravings to the river trees the moon does impart!