It is an ancient prose written by Su Shi, a writer in the Song Dynasty. The article gives a wonderful description of the moonlit scenery and truly records the author's life when he was relegated to Huangzhou. This also reflects his deep friendship with Zhang Huaimin and his infinite affection for a few intimate friends. At the same time, he also expressed his depression and self-abandonment, and showed his optimistic attitude towards life.
The original text is as follows:
Genpox, on the night of October 12, 2006, took off his clothes and went to bed. He just saw the moonlight on the door and got up happily for a walk. Thinking that there was no one to play with, I went to the Tianhou Palace to find Zhang Huaimin. People didn't sleep, so we walked in the yard together. The courtyard is as empty as water, and the water is interlaced with algae and covered with bamboo and cypress. What night is there no moonlight? Where is there no bamboo and cypress? But there are few idle people like us.
The translation is as follows:
On the evening of 20061October 12, I was undressing and getting ready for bed. I accidentally saw the moonlight coming in from the portal, which made me interested in night travel, so I got up and went out happily. Thinking that no one was playing, I went to Chengtian Temple to find Zhang Huaimin.
Zhang Huaimin didn't sleep either, so we walked in the yard together. The moonlight in the yard is as clear and transparent as water. Seaweed and aquatic plants crisscross, which turned out to be the shadows of bamboo and pine and cypress branches in the yard. When is there no moon? Where is there no bamboo and cypress? It's just the lack of idle people like us.
Extended data:
This article was written in Song Shenzong Yuanfeng for six years (1083), and the author has been demoted to Huangzhou for four years. In July of the second year of Yuanfeng, the famous "Wutai Poetry Case" in history, Li Ding picked out Su Shi's poems about the new law and said that he slandered them. In August, he was arrested and imprisoned. After a long trial and torture, he was almost killed.
1February, the author was released from prison and demoted to Huangzhou to be an assistant forever, but he was not allowed to "sign books to do business", that is to say, he was an idle official with positions but no rights. In this case, the author is almost exiled and depressed; However, he is still enterprising, so he wrote this essay.
"What night without a month? Where is there no bamboo and cypress? But few idle people are like my ears. " It contains the sad feelings of the ups and downs of the author's official career and the philosophy of life realized from it, and gets some comfort in the pain.
The last sentence has two meanings: first, for those who seek fame and gain, they are eager to follow the trend and are trapped in the vast sea of officials. How can they enjoy this wonderland in Leng Yue? Secondly, it shows the author's carefree and comfortable state of mind, and of course it also reveals his complaint about not being loyal to the court.
Baidu Encyclopedia-Night Tour of Chengtian Temple