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Moonbeams dance upon my bed,
Mistaken for a frosty spread.
Eyes raised to the lunar glow,
My thoughts drift to home, it flows.
The writing time of Li Bai’s “Quiet Night Thoughts” was around September 15th of the lunar calendar in 726 AD (the fourteenth year of Emperor Xuanzong’s Kaiyuan reign). Li Bai was 26 years old at the time, and his writing location was at the Yangzhou Hotel at that time. His poem “Journey in Autumn Evening” should be the sequel to “Thoughts in a Quiet Night”, and it was also written at the same time and in the same place. On a night with few stars, the poet looked up at the bright moon in the sky, feeling homesick, and wrote this famous poem “Thoughts at a Quiet Night”, which has been passed down through the ages and is well-known both at home and abroad.
床前明月光，疑是地上霜。
舉頭望明月，低頭思故鄉。
Li Bai (701-762), considered one of China’s greatest poets alongside Du Fu, lived during the Tang Dynasty’s golden age of poetry. Known for his vivid imagery and deep emotion, Li Bai’s work spans about 1,000 poems on themes like nature, friendship, and existential reflections. Celebrated for his spontaneous verse and exploration of Taoist ideals, Li Bai’s poetry also deeply admires the natural world and ancient times, often challenging life’s ordinary constraints. His depiction of China’s landscapes combines natural beauty with personal sentiment. Earning the title ‘Poetry Immortal,’ Li Bai’s influential poetry is globally admired for its artistic and philosophical depth.
Image: MidJourney/DALL-E 2