月夜              yuè yè                                      48 translations

 

今夜鄜州月                jīn yè fū zhōu yuè,                     ngiuæt              L d L L e

閨中只獨看                guī zhōng zhǐ dú kàn.                 kɑn                  L L r e L

遙憐小兒女                yáo lián xiǎo ér nǚ,                    niǔ                    L L r L r

未解憶長安                wèi jiě yì cháng ān.                    qɑn                  d r e L L

香霧雲鬟濕                xiāng wù yún huán shī,               ship                  L d L L e

清輝玉臂寒                qīng huī yù bì hán.                     hɑn                   L L e d L

何時虛幌                hé shí yǐ xū huǎng,                     xuɑ̌ng               L L r L r

雙照淚痕干                shuāng zhào lèi hén gān  .          gɑn                   L d d L L

 

Rhyme  ABCBDBEB

 

Brownrigg, Ray (www.mcs.vuw.ac.nz/~ray/ChineseEssays) (literal)

Moon Night

 

This night Fu zhou moon

Chamber in only alone watch

Distant pity/love little son daughter

Not understand remember Chang an

Fragrant mist cloudy hair-bun damp

Bright splendour jade arm cold/needy

What time lean/rely empty curtain

Two shine tear mark dry

 

 

Chang, Edward C. (www.poetry-chinese.com) (literal)

On a Moonlit Night

 

tonight Fu Zhou's moon 

in the boudoir you alone watching

afar, pitying for my little children

don’t understand why thinking of Changan

fragrant fog moistens the hairdo

clear moonlight chills the fair arms

when to lean on see-through curtain

shining on our dried traces of tears

 

 

Ditmanson, Peter (www.colby.edu/personal/p/pbditman/151/DuFu.doc) (literal)

Moonlit Night

 

now      night     Fu        county  moon

room    midst    only      lone      see

distant  pity       little      son       daughter

notyet   know    recall    Changan (Tang Capital)

fragrant mist      cloud    hair       damp

clear     light      jade      arms     cold

what     time      leanon empty   curtain

double  shine     tear      marks   dry

 

 

Hawkes, David A Little Primer of Tu Fu (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1967) (literal)

Moonlit Night

 

To-night Fuzhou moon

My-wife can-only alone watch

Distant sorry-for little sons-daughters

Not-yet understand remember Chang’an

Fragrant mists cloud-hair wet

Clear light jade-arms cold

What-time lean empty curtain

Double-shine tear-marks dry

 

 

“nooriginalthought” (home.earthlink.net/~nooriginalthought/Chinese_Poetry.html) (literal)

Moon Night

 

this night Fu county moon

door middle only alone look/see

invite/request pity small child female

not-yet untie/solve/know thoughts Chang An

fragrant mist cloud hair-on-temples moist

pure lustre jade shoulders chill

what time rely/lean-on modest curtain

pair shine tears mark dry

 

 

Yip, Wai-lim, ed. Chinese Poetry: Major Modes and Genres (Berkeley: University of California Press, 1976) (literal)

Moonlit Night

 

this                   night     Fu                    Chou’s moon

boudoir            middle  only                  alone    watch

at-a-distance    pity       small                 son       daughter

not-yet             know    remember         Ch’ang An

fragrant             mist      cloud                hair       wet

clear                 ray       jade                  arm      cold

what                 time      lean-on             empty   curtain

double              shine     tear                  mark    dry

 

 

anonymous (www.chinese-poems.com) (literal)

Moonlit Night

 

This night Fuzhou moon
Woman’s chamber in only alone watch
Far pity little boy girl
Not understand remember Chang'an
Fragrant mist cloud dressed hair wet
Clear brightness jade arm cold
What time lean on empty curtain
Pair shine tears trace dry

 

 

unknown (titohost.itbdns.com/chinese-poet/chinese%20poem-1/1-8l5w.htm) (literal)

A moonlit night

 

tonight Fuzhou moon

room inside alone see

far-away feel-sorry young daughter

not-yet understand think Changan

fragrant fog rich hair wet.

clean light beautiful elbow cold

where stand roof-window

together lit & tear trace dry?      

 

 

Alley, Rewi Tu Fu: Selected Poems (Peking: Foreign Languages Press, 1964)

Moonlight Night

 

This night at Fuchow there will be

Moonlightand there she will be

Gazing into itwith the children

Already gone to sleepnot even in

Their dreams and innocence thinking

Of their father at Changan

Her black hair must be wet with the dew

Of this autumn nightand her white

Jade armschilly with the cold; when

Oh when, shall we be together again

Standing side by side at the window

Looking at the moonlight with dried eyes.

 

 

Alley, Rewi The People Sing: More Translations of Poems and Songs of the People of China (Peking: R. Alley, 1958)

Moonlight Night

 

This night at Fuchow there will be

Moonlightand there she will be

Gazing into itwith the children

Already gone to sleepnot even in

Their dreams and innocence thinking

Of their old home at Changan

Her black hair must be wet with the dew

Of this autumn nightand her white

Jade armschilly with the cold; when

Oh when, shall we be together again

Standing side by side at the window

Looking at the moonlight with eyes

That are wet.

 

 

Baird, Nathan (ensie.blogspot.com/2006_04_01_archive.html)

Moonlit Night

 

The Fuzhou moon

my wife must watch alone tonight.

Sadly distant here in Chang’an,

can our little ones know my plight?

Mists dampen her soft hair, scented,

her jade-arms cool in the moon’s light.

-- Will we lean on our window sills

till our tear-marks dry in the night?

 

 

Barnstone, Tony & Chou Ping (www.7beats.com/2006_12_01_7beats_archive.html)

Moonlit Night

 

In Fuzhou tonight there's a moon

my wife can only watch alone.

Far off, I brood over my small children

who don't even remember Changan.

Her satin hair dampens in fragrant mist,

jade arms chilled by clear moonlight.

When will we lean together between empty curtains

beaming as tear tracks dry on our faces?

 

 

Brownrigg, Ray (www.mcs.vuw.ac.nz/~ray/ChineseEssays)

Tonight’s Moon

 

This moon        at home tonight

My wife            must watch alone.

I grieve for        my young ones

Who know not   where I’ve gone.

Damp mist,       hair fragrance lifts;

Cool moon,      jade arm falls on.

When will         that bright-lit pane

Shine on           us both as one?

 

 

Bynner, Witter The Jade Mountain: A Chinese Anthology (New York: Knopf, 1931)

On a Moonlight Night

 

Far off in Fuzhou she is watching the moonlight,

Watching it alone from the window of her chamber-

For our boy and girl, poor little babes,

Are too young to know where the Capital is.

Her cloudy hair is sweet with mist,

Her jade-white shoulder is cold in the moon.

...When shall we lie again, with no more tears,

Watching this bright light on our screen?

 

 

Chang, Edward C. (www.poetry-chinese.com)

On a Moonlit Night

 

At this very moment tonight in Fu Zhou,

you are watching the moon alone in your boudoir.

Far away, I feel for my young children

Who do not understand why Changan is on your mind.

The fog moistens your hairdo;

the clear moonlight chills your arms.

When can we lean by the thin curtain

and let the moonlight shine on the traces of our tears?

 

 

Dai Naidie and Yang Xianyi 戴乃迭、杨宪益 (www.poetic.com.cn/go.asp?id=21982&ttt=)

One Moonlight Night

 

On this moonlight night in Fuzhou

She will be watching in her room alone;

Far away, my heart aches for our children,

Too young to remember Chang’an.

Her cloudy hair will be damp in the fragrant mist,

Her jade-white arms cold in the limpid light;

When shall we lean together by gauze curtains,

Side by side beneath the moon, all our tears dried?

 

 

Davis, A. R. Tu Fu (New York: Twayne Publishers, 1971)

Moonlit Night

 

Tonight the Fu-chou moon,

In her chamber alone she watches.

From afar I pity my little children

Who know not enough to remember Ch’ang-an

With fragrant mist her cloud-hair-knots are damp;

In the chill moonlight her jade arms are cold.

When shall we lie within the empty curtains

And it shine on both, our tear-traces dry?

 

 

Ding Zuxin and Raffle (www.zftrans.com/bbs/simple/index.php?t3405_8.html)

Moonlit Night

 

This moon above Fuzhou
Must be watched from my bedroom, alone.
My poor children, there in Zhangan,
Cannot understand what their mother feels.
She sits staring, stares long, stares hard.
Her silk hair will be wet
From the dew, from the mist.
Her arms will be wet, will be chilled.
When will we be able to lean at the
Curtain together,
Seeing tears dried on shining faces?

 

 

Ditmanson, Peter (www.colby.edu/personal/p/pbditman/151/DuFu.doc)

Moonlit Night

 

Tonight the Fuzhou moon,

my wife can only watch alone.

From a distance, I feel for my little children

who do not yet know or recall Chang'an.

The fragrant mist dampens her waves of hair,

her jade arms are chilled by the clear light.

When will we lean in the empty window,

a pair in the glow, our tear marks drying.

 

 

“Dongbo” (www.mountainsongs.net/poem_.php?id=200)

Night Moon

 

The Fuzhou moon is full tonight,

Alone in your room you watch it.

From this distance

I grieve for our small children,

Who miss me here in Changan.

I can imagine their moist curls,

And crystal cold jade arms.

Oh when will we be together again

        Moon glow reflected

                On tracks of dried teardrops?

 

 

Hart, Henry H. The Charcoal Burner, and Other Poems; Original Translations from the Poetry of the Chinese (Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 1974)

Moonlight

 

Tonight my wife is alone,

Watching the moon shine down on Fu Chou.

My heart aches for my little children far away.

They cannot understand

About their father in Changan.

My wife’s cloudlike hair

Must be damp with the fragrant mist,

And her jadelike arms chilled

By the cold moonlight.

When shall we once more lean together

At the open window to look upon the moon,

While the traces of tears of happiness

Dry on our cheeks?

 

 

Hawkes, David A Little Primer of Tu Fu (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1967)

Moonlit Night
 

Tonight in Fu-chou my wife will be watching this moon alone. I think with tenderness of my far-away little ones, too young to understand about their father in Ch'ang-an. My wife's soft hair must be wet from the scented night-mist, and her white arms chilled by the cold moonlight. When shall we lean on the open casement together and gaze at the moon until the tears on our cheeks are dry?

 

 

Hinton, David The Selected Poems of Tu Fu (London: Anvil Press Poetry, 1990)

Moonlit Night

 

Tonight at Fu-chou, this moon she watches
Alone in our room. And my little, far-off
Children, too young to understand what keeps me
Away, or even remember Chang'an. By now,
Her hair will be mist-scented, her jade-white
Arms chilled in its clear light. When
Will it find us together again, drapes drawn
Open, light traced where it dries our tears?

 

 

Hung, William Tu Fu: China’s Greatest Poet (New York: Harvard University Press, 1952)

Moonlight Night

 

The same moon is above Fu-chou tonight;

From the open window she will be watching it alone,

The poor children are too little

To be able to remember Ch’ang-an.

Her perfumed hair will be dampened by the dew,

The air may be too chilly on her delicate arms.

When can we both lean by the wind-blown curtains

And see the tears dry on each other’s face?

 

 

Kline, A. S. (www.tonykline.co.uk)

Moon at Night in Ch’ang-an

 

North of here in the moonlight

She too looks up in loneliness.

I am sad for our little children,

Too young to think of far off Ch’ang-an.

 Clouds of hair wet with jewelled mist.

Cold light on arms of jade.

When will we two stir the silk curtains

While one moon shows the stain of tears?

 

 

Kotewall, Robert & Normal L. Smith in Davis, A. R., ed. The Penguin Book of Chinese Verse (Harmondsworth: Penguin Books, 1962)

A Moonlit Night

 

This night in Fu-chou in moonlight,

In her chamber she alone looks out;

Afar I pity my little children

That they know not yet to think of Ch’ang-an.

In the sweet mist her cloud-like tresses are damp;

In the clear moonlight her jade-like arms are cold.

When shall we two nestle against those unfilled curtains,

With the moon displaying the dried tear-stains of us both.

 

 

Li Weijian and Weng Xianliang 李维建,翁显良 (www.poetic.com.cn/go.asp?id=21982&ttt=)

Moonlight Night

 

Tonight the moon in a distant sky

Arrests the eye of my loving wife alone,

For the poor little ones are to the feeling of loss yet unknown.

The mist is moist and fragrant on your cloud-like hair.

The light lucid and cool on your jade-white arms.

When shall we stand together by the soft curtains

And let it shine on us – us without a trace of tears?

 

 

Liu, James J. Y. Essentials of Chinese Literary Art (North Scituate, Mass.: Duxbury Press, 1979)

Moonlit Night

 

Tonight, the moon over Fu-chou,

From her room she can only watch alone.

Far away, my poor little children

Don’t know they should remember the capital.

Fragrant mist moistens her hair, dark as clouds;

Clear rays chill her arms, fair as jade.

When shall we lean against the empty curtain,

With the moon drying the tears of us both?

 

 

Lowell, Amy & Florence Ayscough (digital.library.upenn.edu/women/lowell/tablets/tablets.html#115)

Moon Night

 

Tonight the moon at Fu Chou.

In the center of the Women’s Apartments

There is only one to look at it.

I am far away, but I love my little son, my daughter.

They cannot understand and think of Chang An

The sweet-smelling mist makes the cloud head-dress damp,

The jade arm must be chilly

In this clear, glorious shining.

When shall I lean on the lonely screen?

When shall we both be shown upon, and the scars of tears be dry?

 

 

Lunde, David (www.chinapage.com)

Moonlit Night

 

Tonight my wife must watch alone the full moon over Fu-zhou;
I think sadly of my sons and daughters far away,
too young to understand this separation
or remember our life in Chang'an.
In fragrant mist, her flowing hair is damp;
In clear moonlight, her jade-white arms are cold.
When will we lean at the open casement together
while the moonlight dries our shining tears?

 

 

Murphy, James R. (http://www.torusflex.com/poetry%20project1/poetry.html)

Moonlit Night

 

this night’s moon shines the same in fu zhou

alone in her room my dear wife watches

from far off here i pity our small son and daughter

too young to know why i stay in chang-an

her fragrant hair will be damp from the dew

the clear moonlight is gleaming on her cool jade arms

when will we stand together again to hold back the curtains

and show the drying tears as we each search our face

 

 

 orchid_dreams” (www.chinahistoryforum.com/lofiversion/index.php/t14104.html)

Night in the Moonlight

 

Tonight's Fu Zhou moon

Is lonely watched in the boudoir

Pity my young children

Doesn't understand to miss Chang'an*

Fragrant mist dampens her thick hair

Bright moonlight cools her pale skin

When can we sit under the moon together

And let the moonlight dry her tears.

 

 

Owen, Stephen The Great Age of Chinese Poetry: The High T’ang (New Haven: Yale University Press, 1981)

Moonlit Night

 

The moon tonight in Fu-chou

She watches alone from her chamber,

While faraway I think lovingly on daughters and sons,

Who do not yet know how to remember Ch’ang-an.

In scented fog, her cloudlike hairdo moist,

In its clear beams, her jade-white arms are cold.

When shall we lean in the empty window,

Moonlit together, its light drying traces of tears.

 

 

Seth, Vikram Three Chinese Poets (New York, NY: HarperCollins, 1993)

<www.amazon.com/gp/customer-reviews/discussions/start-thread.html?ie=UTF8&ASIN=0060950242&authorID=A3605VVN29N1FM&store=yourstore&reviewID=R10FD0670XOO7N&displayType=ReviewDetail>

Moonlit Night

 

In Fuzhou, far away, my wife is watching

The moon alone tonight, and my thoughts fill

With sadness for my children, who can't think

Of me here in Changan; they're too young still.

Her cloud-soft hair is moist with fragrant mist.

In the clear light her white arms sense the chill.

When will we feel the moonlight dry our tears,

Leaning together on our window-sill?

 

 

Sze, Arthur (www.thedrunkenboat.com/tufusze.htm)

Moonlight Night

This evening in Fu-chou my wife
can only look out alone at the moon.
From Ch'ang-an I pity my children
who cannot yet remember or understand.
Her hair is damp in the fragrant mist.
Her arms are cold in the clear light.
When will we lean beside the window
and the moon shine on our dried tears?

 

 

Watson, Burton The Selected Poems of Du Fu (New York: Columbia University Press, 2002)

Moonlight Night

 

From her room in Fu-chou tonight

all alone she watches the moon.

Far away, I grieve that her children

can’t understand why she thinks of Ch’ang-an.

Fragrant mist in her cloud hair damp,

clear lucence on her jade arms cold-

when will we lean by chamber curtains

and let it light the two of us, our tear stains dried?

 

 

Wu Juntao吴钧陶 (www.poetic.com.cn/go.asp?id=21982&ttt=)

The Moonlit Night

 

The moon tonight in Fuzhou’s sky—

In the chamber you alone will see it floating by.

I’m sorry for our children dear,

Who know not to yearn for me in Chang-an here.

Your balmy curls are dewy dreams;

Your arms are smooth like jade and chill in lucid beams.

When we’ll lean by the gauzy veils?

We’ll shine in the light and tears will be the dry trails.

 

 

Xu Yuanchong 许渊冲 (www.poetic.com.cn/go.asp?id=21982&ttt=)

The Moonlit Night

 

Alone in your bed-chamber you would gaze tonight

At the full moon which over Fuzhou shines so bright.

Far off, I feel grieved to think of our children dear,

Too young to yearn for their father in Changan here.

Your fragrant cloud-like hair is wet with dew, it seems;

Your jade-white arms would feel the cold of clear moon-beams.

When we lean by the window screen side by side,

Watching the moon with tears wiped away and eyes dried?

 

 

Yang Xianyi & Gladys Yang (PPTS)

One Moonlight Night

 

On this moonlight night in Fuzhou

She will be watching in her room alone;

Far away, my heart aches for our children,

Too young to remember Changan

Her cloudy hair will be damp in the fragrant mist,

Her jade-white arms cold in the limpid light;

When shall we lean together by gauze curtains,

Side by side beneath the moon, all our tears dried?

 

 

Yip, Wai-lim, ed. Chinese Poetry: Major Modes and Genres (Berkeley: University of California Press, 1976)

Moonlit Night

 

Tonight, moon over Fu-chou

My wife watches it alone there,

I think of my children across such distance;

They don't understand why I am in Ch'ang-an.

Fragrant mist wets cloud-locks.

Clear moonlight chills white arms.

When can we lean on the open casement together,

Doubly shone, as tears dry up

 

 

Young, David Five T'ang Poets (Ohio: Oberlin College Press, 1990) <www.amazon.com/gp/customer-reviews/discussions/start-thread.html?ie=UTF8&ASIN=0060950242&authorID=A3605VVN29N1FM&store=yourstore&reviewID=R10FD0670XOO7N&displayType=ReviewDetail>

Moonlit Night

 

Tonight

in this same moonlight

my wife is alone at her window

 

I can hardly bear to think of my children

too young to understand

why I can't come home to them

 

her hair must be damp from the mist

her arms cold jade in the moonlight

 

when will we stand together

by those slack curtains

while the moonlight

dries the tear-streaks

on our faces?

 

 

Zhang Tingchen and Wei Bosi 张廷琛、魏博思 (www.poetic.com.cn/go.asp?id=21982&ttt=)

A Moonlit Evening

 

Tonight when the moon is over Fuzhou

She will be watching all alone in her bedroom.

I pity my small children far away,

Who don’t even know what to miss of Changan.

Her cloudlike hair is dampened by the fragrant mists;

In radiant light, her jade-white arms grow chill.

When shall we side by side lean from window,

All traces of these tears in moonlight vanished?

 

 

Zhang Xueqing 章学清 (www.poetic.com.cn/go.asp?id=21982&ttt=)

On a Moonlight Night

 

Tonight the moon in Fuzhou must look drear,

Viewed from her boudoir by herself, my dear.

I wish my little ones would in their turn 

For Changan like the mother fondly yearn.

The fragrant mists bedew her cloudy hair,

Her jade white arms, long chilled in lucent air.

Oh, when shall we be standing side by side

Against gauze curtains in the moon, tears dried?    

 

 

anonymous (www.chinese-poems.com)

Moonlit Night

 

The moon shines in Fuzhou tonight,
In her chamber, she watches alone.
I pity my distant boy and girl-
They don't know why she thinks of Chang'an.
Her cloud-like hair is sweet with mist,
Her jade arms cold in the clear moonlight.
When shall we lean in the empty window,
Together in brightness, and tears dried up?

 

 

unknown (home.earthlink.net/~nooriginalthought/Chinese_Poetry.html)

Moon Night

 

The moon this night in Fu county,

Is watched alone from her chamber door.

The tenderness of son and daughter,

Will not yet know of Chang An.

Her soft hair moistened by a fragrant mist,

Her smooth-white shoulders chilled in the pure light.

When shall we recline by humble curtains,

Both our eyes dried of tears?

 

 

unknown (www2.njnu.edu.cn/tangshi/group3.htm)

A Moonlit Night

 

Alone in your bed-chamber you would gaze tonight

At the full moon which over Fuzhou shines so bright.

Far off, I feel grieved to think of our children dear,

Too young to yearn for their father in Changan here.

Your fragrant cloud-like hair is damp with dew, it seems;

You jade-white arms would feel the cold of clear moonbeams.

When can we lean by the window screen side by side,

Watching the moon with tears wiped away and eyes dried?

 

 

unknown (titohost.itbdns.com/chinese-poet/chinese%20poem-1/1-8l5w.htm)

A Moonlit Night

 

As for the moon of Fuzhou of tonight                                                 

From your room, alone you would see it.                                           

From far away, I feel sorry that my little daughter.                              

Does not understand how to think of Changan

By fragrant fog, your rich hairs would be wet

Under the clean moonlight, your beautiful elbows would be cold.

When, by standing under a roof window,

Would we be shined by the moon together, and would traces of tears dry?                   

 

 

unknown (dictionary.jongo.com/lesson/detail/387.html)

A Moonlit Night

 

Alone in your bedchamber, you would gaze tonight

At the full moon, which over Fuzhou shines so bright.

I'm grieved to think of our children so far away,

Too young to yearn for me, who still in Chang'an stay.

Your fragrant cloudlike hair is moist with dew, it seems;

Your jade-white arms would feel the cold of clear moonbeams.

When shall we stand by window curtains side by side,

Watching the moon with trace of tears already dried?