《水shuǐ调diào歌gē头tóu·明月míng yuè几时jǐ shí有yǒu》 ▸ 

▸ “但愿dàn yuàn人rén长久cháng jiǔ，千里qiān lǐ共gòng婵娟chán juān”。

“May we live long, sharing the beauty of the moon from afar.”

▸ 每měi到dào中秋节zhōng qiū jié，许多xǔ duō中国人zhōng guó rén都dōu会huì想起xiǎng qǐ这zhè句jù词cí。

Every Mid-Autumn Festival, many Chinese people will think of this line.

▸ 它tā出自chū zì宋代sòng dài文学家wén xué jiā苏轼sū shì的de名作míng zuò——《水shuǐ调diào歌gē头tóu・明月míng yuè几时jǐ shí有yǒu》。

It comes from the famous work “Prelude to Water Melody: When Will the Bright Moon Appear?” by the Song Dynasty writer Su Shi.

▸ 《水shuǐ调diào歌gē头tóu・明月míng yuè几时jǐ shí有yǒu》是shì苏轼sū shì在zài中秋节zhōng qiū jié的de时候shí hou写xiě的de。

“Prelude to Water Melody: When Will the Bright Moon Appear?” was written by Su Shi on the Mid-Autumn Festival.

▸ 当时dāng shí，他tā和hé他tā弟弟dì di已经yǐ jīng七qī年nián没méi有yǒu见面jiàn miàn了le。

At that time, he and his younger brother had not seen each other for seven years.

▸ 中秋节zhōng qiū jié团圆tuán yuán之际zhī jì，他tā看kàn着zhe圆圆yuán yuán的de月亮yuè liang，非常fēi cháng想念xiǎng niàn自己zì jǐ远方yuǎn fāng的de弟弟dì di，

On the Mid-Autumn Festival, when families customarily reunite, he gazed at the round moon, greatly missing his younger brother.

▸ 于是yú shì写下xiě xià了le这zhè首shǒu词cí。

Consequently, he wrote this poem.

▸ 这zhè首shǒu词cí分fēn上shàng下xià两liǎng片piàn。

The poem is divided into two stanzas.

▸ 上shàng片piàn是shì：明月míng yuè几时jǐ shí有yǒu？把bǎ酒jiǔ问wèn青天qīng tiān。

The first stanza is: When will the bright moon appear? With a cup of wine in my hand, I ask the clear sky.

▸ 不知bù zhī天上tiān shàng宫阙gōng què，今jīn夕xī是shì何hé年nián。

I wonder what year it is tonight in the celestial palace.

▸ 我wǒ欲yù乘风chéng fēng归去guī qù，又yòu恐kǒng琼楼玉宇qióng lóu yù yǔ，高处gāo chù不胜bù shēng寒hán。

I want to ride the wind to return, yet I fear the palace of the moon is so high that I will not be able to bear the cold.

▸ 起舞qǐ wǔ弄nòng清qīng影yǐng，何hé似sì在zài人间rén jiān。

Rising to dance with my clear shadow, how unlike the human world this is.

▸ 第一dì yī句jù的de“明月míng yuè几时jǐ shí有yǒu？把bǎ酒jiǔ问wèn青天qīng tiān”中zhōng，

In the first line, “When will the bright moon appear? With a cup of wine in my hand, I ask the clear sky,” ..

▸ “几时jǐ shí”意思yì si是shì什么时候shén me shí hou，“把bǎ酒jiǔ”意思yì si是shì手shǒu握wò酒杯jiǔ bēi。

.. “几时” means “when”, and “把酒” means “holding a cup of wine”.

▸ 这zhè一yí句jù写xiě出chū了le作者zuò zhě状态zhuàng tài：手shǒu握wò着zhe酒杯jiǔ bēi问wèn天空tiān kōng“明月míng yuè是shì什么时候shén me shí hou开始kāi shǐ出现chū xiàn的de？”

This sentence describes the author’s state: holding a cup of wine and asking the sky, “When will the bright moon appear?”

▸ 接下来jiē xià lái作者zuò zhě望wàng着zhe明月míng yuè，想象xiǎng xiàng自己zì jǐ飞fēi进jìn了le月宫yuè gōng：

The author then gazes at the bright moon, imagining himself flying into the moon palace:

▸ “不知bù zhī天上tiān shàng宫阙gōng què，今jīn夕xī是shì何hé年nián。

“I wonder what year it is tonight in the celestial palace.

▸ 我wǒ欲yù乘风chéng fēng归去guī qù，又yòu恐kǒng琼楼玉宇qióng lóu yù yǔ，高处gāo chù不胜bù shēng寒hán。”

I want to ride the wind to return, yet I fear the palace of the moon is so high that I will not be able to bear the cold.”

▸ 在zài中国zhōng guó传统chuán tǒng文化wén huà中zhōng，人们rén men认为rèn wéi月亮yuè liang上shang有yǒu漂亮piào liang的de宫殿gōng diàn和hé仙女xiān nǚ。

In traditional Chinese culture, it is believed that there are beautiful palaces and fairies on the moon.

▸ 这zhè句jù词cí的de意思yì si是shì：不bù知道zhī dào天上tiān shàng的de宫殿gōng diàn，此时cǐ shí是shì何hé年nián何hé月yuè。

The meaning of this line is: I don’t know which year or month it is in the heavenly palace right now.

▸ 我wǒ想xiǎng乘chéng着zhe风fēng飞fēi到dào天上tiān shàng去qù，

I want to ride the wind and fly up to the heavens, ..

▸ 但dàn又yòu害怕hài pà那里nà lǐ美丽měi lì的de宫殿gōng diàn太tài高gāo了le，自己zì jǐ受不了shòu bù liǎo寒冷hán lěng。

.. but I’m afraid that the beautiful palace there is too high up and I won’t be able to withstand the cold.

▸ 最后zuì hòu，作者zuò zhě从cóng幻想huàn xiǎng回到huí dào现实xiàn shí：“起舞qǐ wǔ弄nòng清qīng影yǐng，何hé似sì在zài人间rén jiān。”

Finally, the author returns from fantasy to reality: “Rising to dance with my clear shadow, how unlike the human world this is.”

▸ 他tā想象xiǎng xiàng自己zì jǐ在zài月光yuè guāng下xià跳舞tiào wǔ，看kàn着zhe自己zì jǐ的de影子yǐng zi，他tā觉得jué de：

He imagines himself dancing in the moonlight, looking at his own shadow, and thinks:

▸ 享受xiǎng shòu人间rén jiān，这zhè不bú是shì比bǐ在zài天上tiān shàng更gèng好hǎo吗ma？

Isn’t enjoying life on earth better than being in the heavens?

▸ 上shàng片piàn描绘miáo huì了le苏轼sū shì对duì月亮yuè liang的de遐想xiá xiǎng，并bìng表现biǎo xiàn了le他tā对duì现实xiàn shí生活shēng huó的de珍惜zhēn xī。

The first stanza depicts Su Shi’s fantasy of the moon and expresses his appreciation for real life.

▸ 下xià片piàn则zé由yóu月光yuè guāng的de移动yí dòng写xiě起qǐ，

The second stanza begins with the movement of the moonlight.

▸ 逐渐zhú jiàn引yǐn出chū作者zuò zhě对duì人生rén shēng聚散jù sàn的de思考sī kǎo。

Then, it gradually leads to the author’s reflections on life’s partings and reunions.

▸ 下xià片piàn词cí是shì：转zhuàn朱zhū阁gé，低dī绮户qǐ hù，照zhào无wú眠mián。

The second stanza is: Rounding the red pavilion, lowering into the latticed window, shining on the sleepless.

▸ 不bù应yīng有yǒu恨hèn，何hé事shì长cháng向xiàng别bié时shí圆yuán？

Bearing no grudge, why does the moon always seem to be full when people are apart?

▸ 人rén有yǒu悲欢离合bēi huān lí hé，月yuè有yǒu阴晴圆缺yīn qíng yuán quē，

People have joys and sorrows, partings and reunions. The moon is sometimes dim and sometimes bright, sometimes waxing and sometimes waning.

▸ 此cǐ事shì古gǔ难nán全quán。

In this matter, perfection has been impossible to achieve since ancient times.

▸ 但愿dàn yuàn人rén长久cháng jiǔ，千里qiān lǐ共gòng婵娟chán juān。

May we live long, sharing the beauty of the moon from afar.

▸ “转zhuàn朱zhū阁gé，低dī绮户qǐ hù，照zhào无wú眠mián”中zhōng，

In the line “Rounding the red pavilion, lowering into the latticed window, shining on the sleepless”, ..

▸ “朱zhū阁gé”是shì红色hóng sè的de楼lóu，“绮户qǐ hù”是shì雕花diāo huā的de窗户chuāng hu，“无wú眠mián”是shì失眠shī mián的de人rén，

.. “朱阁” refers to a red pavilion, “绮户” refers to carved latticed windows, and “无眠” refers to those who cannot sleep.

▸ 意思yì si是shì：月亮yuè liang转zhuàn过guò红hóng楼lóu和hé雕花diāo huā窗chuāng，照zhào在zài失眠shī mián的de人rén脸liǎn上shang。

The meaning is: the moon revolves around the red pavilion and the latticed windows, shining on the face of those who cannot sleep.

▸ “不bù应yīng有yǒu恨hèn，何hé事shì长cháng向xiàng别bié时shí圆yuán？”意思yì si是shì：

“Bearing no grudge, why does the moon always seem to be full when people are apart?” means:

▸ 我wǒ不bù应该yīng gāi有yǒu恨意hèn yì，但是dàn shì为什么wèi shén me月亮yuè liang总zǒng在zài离别lí bié的de时候shí hou这么zhè me圆yuán呢ne？

I shouldn’t feel resentment, but why is the moon always so full at times of parting?

▸ 这zhè让ràng作者zuò zhě想到xiǎng dào人生rén shēng的de聚散jù sàn无常wú cháng，于是yú shì写下xiě xià了le这zhè首shǒu词cí中zhōng最zuì著名zhù míng的de句子jù zi：

This made the author think of the impermanence of life’s partings and reunions, and so he wrote the most famous lines of this poem:

▸ “人rén有yǒu悲欢离合bēi huān lí hé，

“People have joys and sorrows, partings and reunions.

▸ 月yuè有yǒu阴晴圆缺yīn qíng yuán quē，

The moon is sometimes dim and sometimes bright, sometimes waxing and sometimes waning.

▸ 此cǐ事shì古gǔ难nán全quán。

In this matter, perfection has been impossible to achieve since ancient times.

▸ 但愿dàn yuàn人rén长久cháng jiǔ，千里qiān lǐ共gòng婵娟chán juān。”

May we live long, sharing the beauty of the moon from afar.”

▸ “婵娟chán juān”在zài汉语hàn yǔ中zhōng是shì月亮yuè liang的de雅称yǎ chēng，这zhè句jù话huà的de意思yì si是shì：

“婵娟” is an elegant term for the moon in Chinese. This sentence means:

▸ 人生rén shēng中zhōng有yǒu高兴gāo xìng和hé伤心shāng xīn，有yǒu相聚xiāng jù和hé分别fēn bié；

In life, there are joys and sorrows, partings and reunions, ..

▸ 月亮yuè liang也yě有yǒu阴晴圆缺yīn qíng yuán quē。

.. just like the moon is sometimes dim and sometimes bright, sometimes waxing and sometimes waning.

▸ 这zhè些xiē事情shì qing，自古以来zì gǔ yǐ lái就jiù没méi有yǒu完美wán měi的de答案dá àn。

These matters have never had a perfect answer since ancient times.

▸ 我wǒ只zhǐ希望xī wàng亲人qīn rén们men长久cháng jiǔ健康jiàn kāng，

I only hope that my loved ones remain healthy for a long time.

▸ 虽然suī rán相隔xiāng gé千里qiān lǐ，但dàn都dōu能néng一起yì qǐ欣赏xīn shǎng这zhè美丽měi lì的de月光yuè guāng。

Even though we are separated by a great distance, we can all enjoy this beautiful moonlight together.

▸ 这zhè首shǒu词cí表达biǎo dá了le作者zuò zhě对duì亲人qīn rén的de思念sī niàn，也yě思考sī kǎo了le人生rén shēng的de聚散jù sàn。

This poem expresses the author’s longing for his loved ones and reflects on life’s partings and reunions.

▸ 作者zuò zhě用yòng月亮yuè liang来lái比喻bǐ yù人生rén shēng，

The author uses the moon as a metaphor for life.

▸ 告诉gào su我们wǒ men世界shì jiè上shang很hěn多duō事情shì qing无法wú fǎ控制kòng zhì，但dàn最zuì重要zhòng yào的de是shì珍惜zhēn xī现在xiàn zài。

He tells us that many things in the world are beyond our control, but the most important thing is to cherish the present.

▸ 希望xī wàng大家dà jiā都dōu能néng健康jiàn kāng平安píng ān，即使jí shǐ相隔xiāng gé很hěn远yuǎn，也yě能néng在zài同一tóng yī轮lún明月míng yuè下xià思念sī niàn彼此bǐ cǐ。

He hopes that we can all be healthy and safe, and even if we are far apart, we can still think of each other under the same bright moon.

▸ 这zhè种zhǒng对duì亲人qīn rén的de思念sī niàn，是shì人类rén lèi共同gòng tóng的de情感qíng gǎn，也yě让ràng这zhè首shǒu词cí至今zhì jīn仍réng充满chōng mǎn生命力shēng mìng lì。

This longing for loved ones is a universal human emotion, which is why this poem still remains full of vitality today.

▸ 现代xiàn dài作曲zuò qǔ家jiā根据gēn jù这zhè首shǒu词cí谱曲pǔ qǔ，由yóu王菲wáng fēi演唱yǎn chàng，歌名gē míng为wéi《但愿dàn yuàn人rén长久cháng jiǔ》，

A modern composer set this poem to music, performed by Faye Wong. The song is titled “Wishing We Last Forever”.

▸ 是shì一yì首shǒu家喻户晓jiā yù hù xiǎo的de中秋zhōng qiū经典jīng diǎn。

It is a Mid-Autumn Festival classic that everyone knows.

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