Autumn Thoughts
秋 思
网 轩 凉 吹 动 轻 衣
夜 听 更 生 玉 漏 稀。
月 渡 天 河 光 转 湿
鹊 惊 秋 树 叶 频 飞。
Qiu Si
Wang xuan liang chui dong qing yi
Ye ting geng sheng yu lou xi.
Yue du tian he guang zhuan shi
Que jing qiu shu ye pin fei.
Autumn Thoughts
Cool wind blows, moves thin netted curtains and light silk clothes
Evening sounds, almost dry jade water clock marks a two-hour watch.
Moon becomes wet and shiny, wading across the revolving Heavenly River
Magpies startled, autumn tree leaves frequently fly.
Notes:
Two-hour watch: Also throughout the night, drums would beat marking the passage of time, much like the bell towers of European custom.
Heavenly River: The West knows it as the Milky Way.