Mid-Autumn Festival Night (With the Tune of Water Melody)

By Su Shi

On Mid-autumn of the Bing Chen year, having been drinking happily over night, and I'm drunk. I just write this poem, while thinking of Zi You.

When will I have the brilliant moonlight?
So ask the sky above, raising the wine cup.
In havelis of heaven, I wonder
which year it is this evening?
On wings of wind, I need to go there,
but my worry that it's too cold
in those gorgeous des reses.
Dancing to my lonesome, or
whatever it called the worldly life?

It turned across the scarlet garret,
and hung low on the carved windows,
illuminating my mind sleepless.
There shouldn't be any mean thing, but
why the full moon we're just parting?
With people, the vicissitudes of life,
with moon,  waning and waxing,
these things are never fulfilling.
Wishing everything goes well with us,
with beautiful moon however we’re apart.

        English tr. by Chen Zihong

***

蘇軾《水調歌頭·中秋》

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，又恐瓊樓玉宇，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。