水调歌头·明月几时有 When was the moon ever so bright?

水调歌头·明月几时有

丙辰中秋，欢饮达旦，大醉，作此篇。兼怀子由。

原作：【宋】苏轼

英译：戈登.奥赛茵、闵晓红

明月几时有，把酒问青天。

不知天上宫阙，今夕是何年？

我欲乘风归去，又恐琼楼玉宇，高处不胜寒。

起舞弄清影，何似在人间！

转朱阁，低绮户，照无眠。

不应有恨，何事长向别时圆？

人有悲欢离合，月有阴晴圆缺，此事古难全。

但愿人长久，千里共婵娟。

When was the moon ever so bright?

- to the tune of Shuidiaogetou

(I wrote this for the Moon Festival as well as for my brother Ziyou

in 1076 after drinking through the night.)

written by: Su Shi ( Song Dynasty )

translated by: G. Osing, J. Min & H. Huang(1990)

modified by: Julia Min(2022)

When was the moon ever so bright?

With a cup in hand filled with wine，

I ask the vast, dark blue Empyrean.

What year is it in Heaven tonight?

Could I be taken there on a wind ride?

But I fear it would be cold up so high，

in the riches of the moon's jade palace.

I'll dance a satire to the shadow of mine,

for some earthly joy in the moonlight,

In our mortal world of humankind.

Drifting past the red pavilion, the moonlight,

Lowers her gaze through crafted windows,

keeping me awake. Oh Brother, such is life!

It’s been seven years since our last reunion.

And when we’re apart, she’s full and bright.

It’s a spell beyond the moon and mankind.

Life’s just ups n downs, welcomes n goodbyes.  

The moon waxes and wanes, dims and shines.   

May we, now and always, peace to our hearts,

share the same Moon Goddess in paradise.        

Picture retrieved from Google

Appreciation:

This is a masterpiece written by Su Shi in Mizhou in 1076, a time of hardship for our poet as he held different views on the New Laws (proposed by Wang Anshi), which were approved and enacted. Feeling himself out of the Emperor’s favour, he asked to be sent away from the Royal Court to be Mizhou’s Mayor. His wife had left him, and he hadn't seen his brother in seven years. Here, his inclination was to wish himself into the legendary jade palace of the Goddess on the moon, of romantic art and beauty, and above all, a life of seclusion from the chaos of Song’s political scene, but he was led to fear the cold perfection of her empire. After all, Su Shi is more a man of the world than a Daoist of fairy lands. And to the readership, the bravest sight of all is to see a great man struggling against adversity where great works could be born. 

Notes:

1. “bing chen”: the year 1076.

2. Legend has it that there is a palace called Guang Han on the moon.

3. The Chinese believe three days in Heaven are equal to three years on Earth, so the dates on Heaven and Earth differ.

4. “Chanjuan” refers to the goddess Chang E, who is said to inhabit the moon palace.

Pinying and Word-For-Word Translation:

shuǐ diào gē tóu - to the tune of Shuidiaogetou

(bǐng chén zhōng qiū ，huān yǐn dá dàn ，dà zuì ，zuò cǐ piān 。jiān huái zǐ yóu ) - Bingchen year Mid-Autumn Festival, enjoy drinking to the next morning; heavily drunk, compose this ci, also miss Ziyou;

míng yuè jǐ shí yǒu - bright moon when have;

bǎ jiǔ wèn qīng tiān - hold a cup of wine and ask dark-blue sky;

bú zhī tiān shàng gōng què - not know in Heaven Palace;

jīn xī shì hé nián - this evening is what year;

wǒ yù chéng fēng guī qù – I wish to fly on wind to return;

yòu kǒng qióng lóu yù yǔ - but afraid jade towers jade mansions;

gāo chù bú shèng hán - high place not bear the cold;

qǐ wǔ nòng qīng yǐng - start dancing, make fun with my shadows;

hé sì zài rén jiān - what like in human world;

zhuǎn zhū gé - the moon turns around red pavilion;

dī qǐ hù - lowers light into the crafted doors and windows;

zhào wú mián – so much light, no sleep;

bú yīng yǒu hèn – should not have hatred;

hé shì zhǎng xiàng bié shí yuan – why is it often full and bright when we are parted;

rén yǒu bēi huān lí hé – humans have sorrows joys departures reunions;

yuè yǒu yīn qíng yuán quē – the moon is cloudy clear wax or wane;

cǐ shì gǔ nán quán – such has been difficult for perfection since ancient times;

dàn yuàn rén zhǎng jiǔ – only wish we have each other for a long time;

qiān lǐ gòng chán juān -thousand li share Chanjuan;

Reference:

1. Our first edition: Blooming Alone in Winter by Gordon Osing, Julia Min, and Huang Haipeng, published by the People's Publication House Henan Province in 1990 (《寒心未肯随春态》戈登.奥赛茵，闵晓红，黄海鹏) --"After Drinking All Night at the Bingchen Autumn Festival":"When was the moon ever so bright? I ask the blue-black empyrean./What year is it in Heaven? What year this evening?/Would that I could be taken there on the wind!/But I fear the cold riches of the jade moon's mansions,/So instead I'll dance a satire to my shadow, like nothing on earth.//The moon alters my red pavilion, threads through the silk door, keeps me awake;/Give-up hating realities, my brother; the moon grows fuller and brighter as we feel losses./ What else is it but sorrows, joys, partings and reunions,/As the moon is clouded or brilliant, empty or brimming./The arrangement is ancient, hardest to those seeking perfection./Now and always, peace to our hearts, sharing the same/far-away Goddess in the One Heaven.//