The Qilu "Returning at Night" was written when Bai Juyi was appointed governor of Hangzhou. These two sentences mean that there is a lush pine forest under the green mountains; the bright moon is in the sky, and the pure white light shines on the ten-mile sand embankment. The words are rigorous, the dialogues are neat, fresh and bright, and the scenery is charming.
Returning at night
Author Bai Juyi
Dynasty Tang Dynasty
Half drunk, I was walking leisurely on the east bank of the lake, my horsewhip beating the stirrup and bridle.
Ten thousand pine trees on the green hills, ten miles of sand embankment in the bright moon.
The corner of the building gradually moves into the shadow of the road, and the tide is about to cross the river.
The music and songs were not played when I returned, and the painted halberd door was opened with red candles.
"Returning at Night" is a seven-character quatrain composed by Song Dynasty poet Zhou Mi.
Returning at night
Zhou Mi? [Song Dynasty]
Guests returning home late at night follow the firefly, and the cold fire gathers in the earth according to the fireflies.
The mud path of the village shop is slippery in the dim moonlight, and the bamboo window leaks a mending lamp.
Translation
When it gets dark at night, you need to hold on to a bamboo stick while walking. Fortunately, phosphorus fire and fireflies gather on the field ridges to emit a faint light, allowing people to pass smoothly.
When we arrived at the village store, it was very difficult to walk due to the dim moonlight, no lights, and slippery mud roads. Fortunately, the bamboo windows of the village store shined with the light of lamps for reading and mending clothes, illuminating people as they continued to move forward.
Notes
Qiong (qióng): a kind of bamboo. It is solid and has high joints, making it suitable for use as a crutch. This refers to the cane.
Tucheng (chéng): the soil bank in the field.
"Returning at Night" is a five-character poem written by Zhong Xing, a poet of the Ming Dynasty. This five-character poem describes the scene of returning home late at night.
Original text
When the moon goes down the mountain path, the people in the thatched cottage have not returned.
Building insects weep in the cool dew, and fence dogs bark in the lingering light.
The frost is still and the moon is brighter, and the smoke is growing fainter.
As soon as autumn comes, I know how many days there will be.