A Moonlit Night On The Spring River

In spring the river rises as high as the sea,
And with the river's rise the moon uprises bright.
She follows the rolling waves for ten thousand li,
And where the river flows, there overflows her light.

The river winds around the fragrant islet where
The blooming flowers in her light all look like snow.
You cannot tell her beams from hoar frost in the air,
Nor from white sand upon Farewell Beach below.

No dust has stained the water blending with the skies;
A lonely wheellike moon shines brilliant far and wide.
Who by the riverside first saw the moon arise?
When did the moon first see a man by riverside?

Ah, generations have come and past away;
From year to year the moons look alike, old and new.
We do not know tonight for whom she sheds her ray,
But hear the river say to its water adieu.

Away, away is sailing a single cloud white;
On Farewell Beach pine away maples green.
Where is the wanderer sailing his boat tonight?
Who, pining away, on the moonlit rails would learn?

Alas! The moon is lingering over the tower;
It should have seen the dressing table of the fair.
She rolls the curtain up and light comes in her bower;
She washes but can't wash away the moonbeams there.

She sees the moon, but her beloved is out of sight;
She'd follow it to shine on her beloved one's face.
But message-bearing swans can't fly out of moonlight,
Nor can letter-sending fish leap out of their place.

Last night he dreamed that falling flowers would not stay.
Alas! He can't go home, although half spring has gone.
The running water bearing spring will pass away;
The moon declining over the pool will sink anon.

The moon declining sinks into a heavy mist;
It's a long way between southern rivers and eastern seas.
How many can go home by moonlight who are missed?
The sinking moon sheds yearning o'er riverside trees.

春江花月夜

张若虚

春江潮水连海平，海上明月共潮生。

滟滟随波千万里，何处春江无月明！

江流宛转绕芳甸，月照花林皆似霰；

空里流霜不觉飞，汀上白沙看不见。

江天一色无纤尘，皎皎空中孤月轮。

江畔何人初见月？ 江月何年初照人？

人生代代无穷已，江月年年望相似。

不知江月待何人，但见长江送流水。

白云一片去悠悠，青枫浦上不胜愁。

谁家今夜扁舟子？何处相思明月楼？

可怜楼上月徘徊，应照离人妆镜台。

玉户帘中卷不去，捣衣砧上指还来。

此时相望不相闻，愿逐月华流照君。

鸿雁长飞光不度，鱼龙潜跃水成文。

昨夜闲潭梦落花，可怜春半不还家。

江水流春去欲尽，江潭落月复西斜。

斜月沉沉藏海雾，碣石潇湘无限路。

不知乘月几人归，落月摇情满江树。

张若虚，唐代诗人。扬州(今属江苏)人。曾任兖州兵曹。生卒年、字号均不详。中宗神龙（705～707）中，与贺知章、贺朝、万齐融、邢巨、包融俱以文词俊秀驰名于京都。
《春江花月夜》本为乐府《清商曲辞-吴歌声曲》旧题，在若虚之前，仅存隋代杨广二首及诸葛颖一首，皆以风月之景写男女之情，表现出柔婉的情调和绮丽的风貌；即使后来者如张子容,温庭均,表现的也不过是吴越一带典型的南方文人杏花春雨江南的意境.
而张若虚以仅存的两首诗，站在唐代诗坛的顶峰，正是以其《春江花月夜 》在唐诗发展网络结构中所占的位置而定的。（闻一多先生称：“这是诗中的诗，顶峰的顶峰。”学者王铠运评：“李贺商隐挹其鲜润，宋词元诗尽其支流。”）。一篇诗得到如此高的赞誉，在中国文学史上是绝无仅有的。