[updated September 2022]
Spring Moon: (Diminished Tree Peony Flowers)
减 字 木 兰 花： 春 月
春 庭 月 午
摇 荡 香 醪 光 欲 舞。
步 转 回 廊
半 落 梅 花 婉 娩 项。
轻 云 薄 雾
总 是 少 年 行 乐 处。
不 似 秋 光
只 与 离 人 照 断 肠。
Chun Yue: (Jiang Zi Mu Lan Hua)
Chun ting yue wu
Yao dang xiang lao guang yu wu.
Bu zhuan hui lang
Ban luo mei hua wan wan xiang.
Qing yun bo wu
Zong shi shao nian xing le chu.
Bu si qiu guang
Zhi yu li ren zhao duan chang.
Spring Moon: (Diminished Tree Peony Flowers)
Midnight spring moon in the front courtyard
Fragrant, mellow wine, everything moves and sways in a dance.
Walk around the veranda, half of the Chinese plum blossoms have fallen
Giving off a mild and delicate smell.
Light clouds, thin fog
Like the young people, we gather to enjoy this happy time.
Not like the end-of-autumn moon
That can only shine on departing people with broken hearts.
Commentary:
This poem was written during the Lantern Festival day (fifteenth day of the first lunar month) in Yingzhou. The Chinese plum blossoms are just beginning to bloom. Su Dongpo’s wife urged her husband and friends to drink wine and write poetry to the happy spring moon.