Autumn Night Gazing at the Moon by the Southern Gate
- Poetry of Qian Qi

《裴迪南门秋夜对月》
Autumn Night Gazing at the Moon by the Southern Gate by Qian Qi
English Translation

Tonight, stirred by wine and verse, I linger at Xie Gong's tower,

Where moonlight floods the silent halls, in its fullest, clearest hour.

The shadows close the heavy gate; one tree bears autumn's chill.

A magpie startles, scattering leaves; fireflies drift past the hill.

Now at the edge of distant skies—this moonlight pure and deep,

How many hearts, beneath its glow, are lost in silent grief?

This poem was composed during the Mid-Tang period, when the poet Qian Qi and his friend Pei Di gathered on an early autumn night at Xie's Pavilion by the southern gate, sharing wine and composing poetry under the moonlight. As the moon rose in the silent night, its cool radiance stirred deep emotions, immersing the poet in the tranquility and vastness of the autumn evening, ultimately evoking homesickness. The poem masterfully blends scene and sentiment, its restrained depth creating a serene and lingering artistic conception.

中文原文( Chinese )

夜来诗酒兴，月满谢公楼。

影闭重门静，寒生独树秋。

鹊惊随叶散，萤远入烟流。

今夕遥天末，清光几处愁。

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Why Chinese poems is so special?
The most distinctive features of Chinese poetry are: concision- many poems are only four lines, and few are much longer than eight; ambiguity- number, tense and parts of speech are often undetermined, creating particularly rich interpretative possibilities; and structure- most poems follow quite strict formal patterns which have beauty in themselves as well as highlighting meaningful contrasts.
How to read a Chinese poem?
Like an English poem, but more so. Everything is there for a reason, so try to find that reason. Think about all the possible connotations, and be aware of the different possibilities of number and tense. Look for contrasts: within lines, between the lines of each couplet and between successive couplets. Above all, don't worry about what the poet meant- find your meaning.
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