The moon is born above the Eastern Sea
And dimly bright throws half her light on me.
At dusk she shines on districts near the border;
At midnight she’s besieged with walls of order.
Her halo sheds a cold light far and wide;
Her beam is blended with frost falling light.
The general hears the horn at break of day;
His war horse yearning for southward way.
汉月生辽海，朣胧出半晖。
合昏玄菟郡，中夜白登围。
晕落关山迥，光含霜霰微。
将军听晓角，战马欲南归。
This poem was composed during the Wu Zhou period, a time of frequent border conflicts. Shen Quanqi, serving in the court, repeatedly heard reports of incessant northern campaigns. The title "Moon Over the Mountain Pass" follows the old Yuefu tradition, often used by poets to express the sorrow of separation between soldiers and their families or to reflect on the realities of war. While inheriting this tradition, Shen Quanqi skillfully employs the "moon" as the unifying image—shining both on the frontier and the heartland, both cold and distant, yet implicitly evoking human sorrow. Without directly depicting grief, the poet uses the "moon's journey" as a thread, creating movement within stillness, allowing readers to feel a profound solitude and the desolate cold of war beneath its clear light.
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.
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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