Thoughts in the Silent Night

Li Bai · Tang

床前明月光
chuáng qián míng yuè guāng
疑是地上霜
yí shì dì shàng shuāng
举头望明月
jǔ tóu wàng míng yuè
低头思故乡
dī tóu sī gù xiāng

Before my bed a pool of light

I wonder if it's frost on the ground

Looking up, I find the mountain moon

Looking down, I think of my hometown

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Literal Translation

The bright moonlight before my bed, I suspect it is frost on the ground. Raising my head to gaze at the bright moon, Lowering my head to think of my homeland.

Poetic Translation

Moonlight pools before my bed, So bright I think it's frost on the ground. I lift my head to watch the moon, Then bow it, thinking of home.

Cultural Context

The moon has long been a symbol of longing and home in Chinese poetry. The full moon represents completeness and reunion, making it especially poignant for someone far from home. This poem captures the universal experience of homesickness, expressed through the simplest of images. The juxtaposition of the cold, bright moon and warm memories of home creates a sense of melancholy that resonates across cultures and time periods.

Cultural Symbols:

MoonlightFrostHome