沉沉更鼓急
Deep in the night the watch-drums quicken;
渐渐人声绝
Little by little, human voices cease.
吹灯窗更明
I put out the lamp; the window seems brighter,
月照一天雪
As moonlight shines across the snowy world.
What the poem means
As late-night voices fade, the lamp is put out and the window seems brighter. Moonlight on snow becomes more noticeable when indoor light disappears. The lamp does not create new light by going out.
Meet the poet
Yuan Mei was a Qing poet. Drums, fading voices and lamplight lead into a quiet view of moonlit snow.
Yuan Mei · More poems →