Mooring at Night by Maple Bridge

Introducion:

Starting with miniature scenes, the poem paints a cold, serene and misty picture of an autumn evening in the southern China' s countryside crisscrossed with rivers.   

 

Text:

fēng qiáo yè bó

 枫   桥   夜泊

张继（唐）

 

yuè luò wū tí shuāng mǎn tiān，

 月    落  乌啼    霜    满    天，   

jiāng fēng yú huǒ duì chóu mián。

 江     枫     渔 火   对   愁    眠。

gū sū chéng wài hán shān sì，

 姑 苏   城  外  寒   山   寺，

yè bàn zhōng shēng dào kè chuán。

夜 半   钟  声   到    客    船。

 

Mooring at Night by Maple Bridge

Zhang Ji (Tang)

The raven calls, the moon descends the sky with frost all white,

Near the bank maple, by a dim lamp I lie awake in sorrow.

And outside Gusu city, from Bleak Hill Temple, flow,

Out to the mooring boat the distant chimes of midnight.

 

Comment

Starting with miniature scenes, the poem paints a cold, serene and misty picture of an autumn evening in the southern China' s countryside crisscrossed with rivers. The autumn night is minutely described with specific colours, sounds, moods, and character highlighted by the third and fourth lines which carry the distant chimes from the Bleak Hill Temple miles off. The faint tolls suggest Buddhist notes, and what do they evoke in the heart of lone and woeful people? The sharp contrast is aptly presented by the first and second couplets, the first being detailed and concrete while the second being simple and abstract, thus giving a subtle artistic flavour for the audience to appreciate.