Bright Moon in Tang Poetry

Tang Xiaomin

　The bright moon is the most evocative image in ancient Chinese poetry. For example, Zhang Chao in the seventeenth century said in his "Shadow of Dreams": "The ability of things to touch people: in the sky is like the moon, in the music is like the piano, in the animals are like cranes, in the plants are like willows." ”

　　However, Mingyue's attainment of such a position in poetry also has a process. Mingyue, in ancient times, has a close relationship with people's production and life, and it brings convenience to people's night life. The ancients' concern for the moon can be seen from the language, and there are many words in ancient Chinese that are related to the moon, such as fifteen is called "wang", the first one is called "Shuo", the sixteen is called "both hope", twenty-nine or thirty is called "obscure", and even the third day of the first year has a special name, called "胐". It means that the crescent moon begins to glow. The ancients were familiar with the moon, but in ancient times, there seemed to be little depiction of the bright moon in literary works, and there were few stars and few moons in the Book of Poetry. It seems that only "Chen Feng • Moonrise" is written about the moonscape, but there are more astrological ones. Later, Mingyue gradually attracted the attention of poets. Cao Zhi wrote, "The bright moon shines on the tall buildings, and the streamers are wandering." In folk songs, there are more "look up at the bright moon, send a thousand miles of light." "The spring breeze is difficult to believe, and the bright moonlight is cherished." The bright moon becomes the sustenance of the lover's lovesickness.

　　The image of the bright moon did not really shine until the Tang Dynasty. The poets of the early Tang Dynasty had a fondness for the bright moon. Shen Qi's "Miscellaneous Poems" have "poor boudoir in the middle of the moon, growing up in the Han family camp." "And raw color. Zhang Ruoxuan's "Spring River Flower Moon Night" is mainly based on the image of the bright moon, accompanied by the spring river, spring flowers, and spring nights, depicting an incomparably beautiful picture, known as "poetry in poetry, the peak on the peak" (smell a lot).

　　The poets of the Sheng Tang Dynasty also had a deep affection for Mingyue. Kaiyuan XianXiang Zhang Jiuling's "Looking at the Moon and Huaiyuan": "The sea is born with a bright moon, and the end of the world is at this time." The lover complained about the night, and even thought of each other at night. "Write about the lovers' bright moon." And Wang Changling's "Out of the Plug": "Qin Shi Mingyue Han Shi Guan, the Long March people have not returned, but the Dragon City will fly in, do not teach Humadu Yin Mountain." "Wrote the bright moon in the vast history." Wang Wei's "Mountain Residence Autumn Breeze": "Bright moon pine light, Qingquan stone upstream." and "Birdsong Stream": "The moonrise frightens the mountain birds, and when the song is deep in the stream." Then wrote the bright moon of the hermit.

　　Li Bai is the most outstanding Mingyue poet. A quarter of his poems are said to mention or depict the bright moon. "The bright moon rises out of the Heavenly Mountains, between the vast clouds and the sea, the long wind is tens of thousands of miles, blowing across the Jade Gate Pass." Open and desolate. "Drinking Alone Under the Moon": "A pot of wine between flowers, drinking alone without blind dates." Raise a glass to invite Mingyue, and the shadow into three people. "Romantic and lonely." I send my heart and the bright moon, and follow the king until the night LangXi. "Full of imagination and affection." Twilight descends from bishan mountain, and the mountain moon returns with everyone "as innocent as a child." "Quiet Night Thinking": "The bright moonlight in front of the bed, suspected to be frost on the ground, look up at the bright moon, look down at the hometown." "It is the shortest, but most widely circulated poem, and it is also the best poem."

　　In Du Fu's poetry, Mingyue also appears frequently. His bright moon is warm and connected with family affection. For example, "Moon Night", "Tonight in the month of Yanzhou, only look alone in the boudoir." Pity the little children, and do not remember Chang'an. Fragrant mist clouds are wet, and Qinghui jade arms are cold. When to lean on the false pretense, double photo tear stains dry. "Moon night remembrance of the brother": "The drum breaks the pedestrians, and the sound of geese in the autumn." Dew from tonight white, the moon is the hometown of Ming. ”

　　Mingyue, hanging high above the poetry of the Tang Dynasty. It pins on love, affection, nostalgia, couples, relatives, lovers seem to be the only mingyue knows best, mingyue has become the sustenance of the feelings of the two places. Xie Zhuang of the Six Dynasties had already written: "Thousands of miles apart, there is a bright moon." ”

　　The bright moon is also connected to the ancient and modern. Because today's bright moon has also illuminated the ancients. The bright moon is a testimony to historical change. History is changing, but the bright moon seems to be eternal; in the face of the bright moon, the poets feel the brevity of the human world and the infinity of the universe, and they question it. For example, Zhang Ruoxuan's "Spring River Flower Moon Night" asked: "Who on the river bank first saw the moon?" When did Jiang Yue shine at the beginning of the year? Life is infinite from generation to generation, only Jiang Yue is only similar. Li Bai's "Asking the Wine to the Moon" reads: "Today's people do not see the ancient people's moon, and this month once looked at the ancients." If the ancients and today's people flowed water, they all looked at the bright moon together. Liu Yuxi in the Middle Tang Dynasty wrote: "The mountain is surrounded by the homeland, and the tide empties the city and returns to loneliness." Huaishui side of the old time and month, late at night also came over the female wall. ”