Song of Flower and Moon
by Tang Yin of Ming Dynasty
It's endless regret to have flowers without the moon,
but the regret is greater to have the moon without flowers.
The flower's pretty like the lady before the mirror of the moon,
The moonlight like the water shines over scented flowers.
Holding a candle under the moon I seek for flowers,
And taking wine I taste it before flowers under the moon.
Such beautiful flowers and such bright moon;
Don't take the moon and flowers as ordinary.
The scent of flowers and the hue of the moon suit each other;
I sleep late being fond of the moon and flowers.
The moon's setting and wine's down the throat with flowers in front;
though flowers faded, there's yet the moon urging me to write poems.
Watching the moon through flowers, there's not much shadow;
Watching the moon with flowers near in peculiar beauty.
How many poets under the moon before flowers
Get drunk among flowers with the moon above every year?
The moon's overlooking the path with flowers, shadows overlap;
Flowers so fragrant and beautiful with the moon so brilliant.
I sleep late being fond of the moon with flowers still in bloom;
I rise early to see flowers and the moon's just past zenith.
The shadow moving in the vast sky like flowers meeting the moon;
I return to the deep courtyard, the moon accompanying flowers.
I admire feelings between flowers and the moon in the human world;
I touch flowers and enjoy the moonlight, drunk with the flowing afterglow.
The moon and flowers in Spring worth a thousand taels of gold;
I love the aroma of flowers and the shadow of the moon.
Flowers blow under the moon while Spring's silent and lonely;
The moon moves above the tips of flowers while the night is deep.
I hold the cup to invite the moon's shadow, drunk before flowers,
While my hands play with flower stems and chant a poem facing the moon.
The moon is easy to wane and flowers to wither;
I must not lose heart and enjoy flowers under the moon.
Flowers in pretty full bloom and the moon in great brilliance;
I love the fragrance of flowers and the shadow of the moon.
The moonbeams come to the courtyard to shine on flowers,
While flowers follow moonbeams casting their shadows on gauze windows.
Flowers defeated by the moon with full brilliance
And the moon lost to flowers for scent all over the path.
The moon and flowers become two beauties in the human world;
To enjoy the moonlight beside flowers needs wine on credit.
A courtyard of flowers and the moonlight in springtime;
Flowers so fragrant and the moon so beautiful.
The wind sways flower stems to search for moon shadow;
Heaven opens the mirror of the moon to shine on the flower fairies.
Slowly beat the flower drums in the moonlight;
The fife played under the moon sounds softly below flowers.
I'm afraid when flowers asleep and the moon setting,
The moon terrace and flower pavilion will be bleak.
The bright moon shines over flowers on high terrace;
I'm in reverie facing the moon and looking at flowers.
The moon's so round and flowers so good tonight;
But the moon waned and flowers sick last year.
I hold up my cup to toast the moon and pour wine on flowers,
While I weave verses to comment on flowers and ask the moon.
I get heavily drunk and will sleep under the moon and flowers,
Fearing the moon and flowers will laugh at me being an idiot.
Flowers blooming on a thousand stems and the moon like a round wheel;
Heaven grants the moon and flowers to a free person,
Who may be the host of the moon or flowers,
Just been the guest of the moon, then the guest of flowers.
Flowers under the moon will detain me for a drink;
The moon before flowers won't detest my poverty.
How many good flowers and the good moon?
How many people who enjoy flowers and chant under the moon?
The moon turns toward the east wall and the flower shadow so dark;
Flowers welcome the soul of the moon for its visage.
The emotional moon shines on the dew among flowers;
The understanding flowers swing in the wind under the moon.
Clouds break and the moon peeps for the beauty of flowers;
Flowers slumber in the deep night under the bright moon.
How many times in a human life can there be flowers and the moon
That the hue of the moon and the scent of flowers are the same everywhere?
When flowers are in full bloom, the moon is so bright;
Flowers resemble gauze and satin while the moon looks silvery.
In a stretch of moon rays there are a thousand flowers;
Before the beautiful blossoming flowers there's a wheel of a moon.
How many thoughts flowers have under the moon?
And how much spirit the moon has among flowers?
Wait for the night when the moon sets and flowers fade,
Which will sadden those to death who seek for flowers and ask for the moon.
Flowers in spring and the moon in autumn suit each other;
The moon vies for brightness and flowers for beauty.
When flowers blow in the moonlight, the aroma loads the trees;
The moonlight envelopes flowers and the bough shadows intertwine.
The moon of the plum that falls in the dream of South of Yangtze River;
The sweet osmanthus flower in the moon conveys the Ci of Chengbei.
How flowers feel and what the moon mean?
I will follow the moon and flowers to float the gold cup.
Beautiful spring flower facing the bright moon;
The bright moon shines clearly over the spring flower.
The flower’s beautiful, the moon’s round.
The graceful moon keeps company of the graceful flower.
The blooming flower shy to face the moon; so the cloud shades the moon.
The full moon’s above the flower and the flower playing with shadows.
The shadows of flowers overlap each other; the screen sifts the moonlight.
The delicate shade of the moon seems to lock the flower behind the fence.
The shadow of the flower and the shade of the moon are not distinguishable.
The moon behind mists glistening at the flower in mists
The invisible floating scent of the flower intoxicates the moon
The intoxicated moon peeps at the flower through the window to steal the scent.
The flower refuses to sleep to show the endearment to the moon;
The moon lingers in return to show its love to the flower.
The flower in new dress smiles to the moon;
The moon in crescent shape stares intently at the flower.
The soul of the flower tours in the sky, close to the moon;
The spirit of the moon descends on earth, near the flower.
The soul of the flower and the spirit of the moon are in contact;
That’s the situation with the flower on earth and the moon in the sky.
The flower put in a pot often thinks of the moon;
The moon in the sky also dreams of the flower.
The flower’s in love and the moon’s in love;
They are far apart, the moon in sky and the flower on earth.
Though the soul of the flower can contact the moon in its dream,
Yet when can the moon touch the flower in reality?
The love of the moon and the flower will at last end in vain;
The languishing moon will face the languishing flower.
When clouds eclipse the moon, the flower is drowsy.
But the moon coming out from broken clouds startles the flower in sleep.
There’s no sorrow for the spring moon and the summer flower,
As the bright moon can watch the flower every night.
But when the moon appears in the autumn sky, the flower begins to grieve;
With the moon behind mists the wind arises; the wind blows the flower off.
The moon’s still beautiful, but the flower fades away.
The beautiful moon facing the withering flower;
Since the dying flower grieves at its departure, the moon is sad.
The sad moon vainly watches the dead flower;
When the moon walks in the cold sky, there’s no more flower.
The winter moon in the sky mourns for the flower in vain.
I comfort the moon thinking of the flower in the chilly sky
That you moon can wait for the flower in the spring of next year.
