The poem Su Shi wrote to his younger brother Su Che is as follows:
"Shui Diao Ge Tou·When Will the Bright Moon Come?" Shui Diao Ge Tou·When Will the Bright Moon Come? Song Dynasty: Su Shi
< p>Bingchen was drinking happily until the end of the Mid-Autumn Festival, and was very drunk. I wrote this article because I was pregnant with my son. When will the bright moon appear? Ask the sky for wine. I don’t know what year it is today in the palace in the sky. I want to ride the wind back home, but I'm afraid it's too cold in the high places. Dance and clear the shadow, how can it be like being in the human world?Turn to the Zhu Pavilion, where the Qihu is low and the light shines without sleep. There shouldn't be any hatred, so what's the point of saying goodbye? People have joys and sorrows, separations and reunions, and the moon waxes and wanes. This is a difficult thing in ancient times. I hope that people will live long and travel thousands of miles to meet Chanjuan.
Translation:
On the Mid-Autumn Festival of the Bingchen year, I drank happily until the next morning. I got drunk and wrote this poem. At the same time, I missed my younger brother Su Che.
When did the bright moon begin to appear?
I picked up my wine glass and asked the sky. I don’t know what year or month it is in the palace in the sky. I want to ride the cool breeze back to the sky, but I'm afraid I can't stand the cold for nine days in a building made of beautiful jade.
Dancing gracefully and admiring the clear shadows under the moon, it doesn’t feel like you are in the human world.
The moon turned around the vermilion pavilion and hung low on the carved windows, illuminating myself who was not sleepy. The bright moon shouldn't have any resentment towards people. Why does it become full only when people leave?
People undergo changes in joys and sorrows, and the moon waxes and wanes. This kind of thing has been difficult to understand since ancient times. I just hope that all the relatives in this world can be safe and healthy, and can enjoy this beautiful moonlight even if they are thousands of miles apart.
Creative background:
This poem was written by the author when he was in Mizhou during the Mid-Autumn Festival in 1076 AD (the ninth year of Xining, Shenzong of the Song Dynasty). The small preface before the words explains the process of writing the words: "Bingchen Mid-Autumn Festival, drinking happily until the end of the year, and getting drunk. I wrote this article because I was pregnant with my son." Because Su Shi had different political views from Wang Anshi, the reformer in power, and others, he asked for help. Fang, moved around as an official.
He once asked to be transferred to a place closer to Su Che as an official so that his brothers could gather more often. In 1074 AD (the seventh year of Xining), Su Shi sent a mission to Mizhou. After arriving in Michigan, this wish still could not be realized.
In the Mid-Autumn Festival of 1076 AD, the bright moon was in the sky and silver was everywhere. After the poet and his younger brother Su Che separated, they had not been reunited for seven years. At this moment, the poet faced a bright moon, his heart was ups and downs, so he took advantage of the wine and wrote this famous poem.