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233 李白 靜夜思 translation: Quiet Night Thoughts, by Li Bai

床前明月光 Chuang Qian Ming Yue Guang

This is a translation and annotation of the poem 靜夜思 (Jìng Yè Sī), by the Tang dynasty poet 李白 (Li Bai). The poem is #233 in the collection 300 Tang Poems, and is also known by its first line: 床前明月光 (Chuáng Qián Míng Yuè Guāng).

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靜夜思 Jìng Yè Sī [quiet] [night] [think] Quiet Night Thoughts

床前明月光 Chuáng qián míng yuè guāng [bed] [front] [bright] [moon] [light] Bright moonlight before my bed;

疑是地上霜 Yí shì dìshàng shuāng [suspect] [is] [ground] [on] [frost] I suppose it is frost on the ground.

舉頭望明月 Jǔ tóu wàng míng yuè [raise] [head] [look] [bright] [moon] I raise my head to view the bright moon,

低頭思故鄉 Dītóu sī gùxiāng [lower] [head] [think of] [old] [home village] then lower it, thinking of my home village.

Notes

The poem has a AABA rhyme scheme which hasn’t been rendered in the translation.

The 山 in the third line is often seen replaced with 明, or both the characters 山 and 明. In any case it is best seen as 明.

Source: 静夜思 - 百度百科


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