8月15日

〈水調歌頭〉
宋 蘇軾 ( 1036~1101 )

丙辰中秋，歡飲達旦，大醉，作此篇，兼懷子由。

明月幾時有？把酒問青天。
不知天上宮闕，今夕是何年？
我欲乘風歸去，惟恐瓊樓玉宇，高處不勝寒。
起舞弄清影，何似在人間？
轉朱閣，低綺戶，照無眠。
不應有恨，何事長向別時圓？
人有悲歡離合，月有陰晴圓缺，此事古難全。
但願人長久，千里共嬋娟！

──選自《東坡詞》

August 15

When Does the Bright Moon Appear?
Tune: Prelude to Water Music
Su Shi (1036- 1101, Song Dynasty)
English translation: John Balcom

Mid autumn, 1076. I drank till the sun came up and got very
drunk. I missed my brother Ziyou and wrote these lyrics.

When does the bright moon appear?
I lift my cup and ask the night sky:
Do you know, in heaven's court,
What year it is?

I would ride the wind and wend my way there,
But I fear the carnelian towers and the jade halls.
I cannot stand the cold in such lofty places.

I rise and dance with my shadow,
What is it like in the human world?
The moon goes round the red chambers,
The gauzy windows,
Shinning on the sleepless.
You should have no regrets.
Why is it always full when we are apart?

People have sorrow and joy, meetings and departures;
The moon is bright and dim, full and waning.
There was nothing perfect since the past,
But I hope that humans can live long
And enjoy the beauty of the moon,
though it is a thousand li away.

── from Dongpo Ci (Poetry of Su Shi)