Moonlit Night
Late at night, moonlight falls on half the house;
The Northern Dipper lies across the sky, the Southern Dipper slants.
Tonight, unexpectedly, I notice spring’s warmth:
Fresh insect sounds pass through the green window gauze.
Notes
Gēngshēn means late at night; the night was divided into watches. The Northern and Southern Dippers are groups of stars. Lángān describes a slanting position. Xīn suggests a newly noticed sound, and the window gauze lets the insect song through.
Meaning
Moonlight falls across part of a home as stars tilt in the night sky. A newly heard insect song lets the speaker notice spring’s warmth.
Appreciation
Moonlight and stars lead to the small sound through which the speaker notices a change of season.
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The half-lit home is placed against the distant night sky.
Rather than showing flowers, the poem lets an insect’s newly heard song make spring audible.
Listen quietly near a window and talk about sounds associated with spring.
About the poet
Liu Fangping was a Tang poet associated with the Luoyang area. Reliable details of his life and dates are limited.
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His surviving poems include Moonlit Night and Spring Sorrow.
His precise dates are not established by a complete surviving record.