English Rendering
No cicadas will trill when wild geese southwars fly;
Viewed from lofty tower, water blends with the sky.
The Moon and Frost Goddesses are cold-proof on high;
Before the crystal palace in beauty they vie.
Moon and Frost
- Poetry of Li Shangyin
《霜月》
Original Text (中文原文)
初闻征雁已无蝉，百尺楼台水接天。
青女素娥俱耐冷，月中霜里斗婵娟。
Analysis & Context
This poem depicts a late autumn night scene observed from a waterside tower, where frost and moonlight create sublime beauty. Through this crystalline nocturnal imagery interwoven with mythological allusions, the poet expresses transcendental yearning for luminous purity while conveying detachment from worldly concerns.
Reader's Companion
The Essence of the Verse
Classical Chinese poetry thrives on Concision and Ambiguity. Without tense or number, the words create a timeless space where the reader becomes the co-creator of the poem's meaning.
Reading Between the Lines
Look for Contrasts: light and shadow, movement and stillness. Don't just translate the words; feel the Yijing (artistic conception) that lingers long after the last character.
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