月夜            Moonlit Night

杜甫              By Dufu   Tr. East Sea Fairy

今 夜 鄜 州 月 ，     I’m left alone in Fuzhou tonight,

闺 中 只 独 看 。     Alone in our room she watches moonlight.

遥 怜 小 儿 女 ，     I painfully pity our kids there,

未 解 忆 长 安 。     Memory of Chang-an they can’t share.

香 雾 云 鬟 湿 ，     In floods of tears bathes her black hair.

清 辉 玉 臂 寒 。     The chill brushes her arms in moonlight fair.

何 时 倚 虚 幌 ，     When can we stand by the thin curtain,

双 照 泪 痕 干。       To watch the Moon without tears again?

PoemHunter 版

Tonight at Fu-chou, this moon she watches
Alone in our room. And my little, far-off
Children, too young to understand what keeps me
Away, or even remember Chang'an. By now,

Her hair will be mist-scented, her jade-white
Arms chilled in its clear light. When
Will it find us together again, drapes drawn
Open, light traced where it dries our tears?