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枫桥夜泊 Mooring at Night by Maple Bridge

(China Daily)
Updated: 2008-09-01 14:59

枫桥夜泊 (fēng qiáo yè bó) Mooring at Night by Maple Bridge
张继 (Zhāng Jì)
月落乌啼霜满天 (yuè luò wū tí shuāng mǎn tiān)
江枫渔火对愁眠 (jiāng fēng yú huǒ duì chóu mián)
姑苏城外寒山寺 (gū sū chéng wài hán shān sì)
夜半钟声到客船 (yè bàn zhōng shēng dào kè chuán)

The moon goes down, crows cry under the frosty sky,
Dimly-lit fishing boats ‘neath maples sadly lie.
Beyond the Gusu Walls the Temple of Cold Hill
Rings bells which reach my boat, breaking the midnight still.

Zhang Ji, a native of Hubei province, was one of the many poets of the Tang Dynasty (AD 618-907) who lived in the mid-8th century. It is a pity that less than 50 of his poems are left today. When he wrote this poem, Zhang had just failed another imperial exam, which was the main way for ancient scholars to become civil officials and realize their political ambitions. Taking a rest at Suzhou (or Gusu) in Jiangsu province, the lonely traveler had a sleepless night as frost filled the air. Thanks to Zhang’s poem, the Temple of Cold Hill (Hanshan Si) has become very famous. It is said to have been built where a hermit named Hanshanzi once lived. The poem is translated by professor Xu Yuanchong.

China Daily with contribution from 100 Ancient Chinese Poems published by Sinolingua (hyjx@sinolingua.com.cn)