Journey to the East

Here’s a small cultural experience to share with all of you: In my Chinese class this week, I learned this poem. It’s by Li Bai, a poet and courtesan of the Tang Dynasty, roughly around 700 A.D. Apparently, every Chinese school child learns how to recite this during grade school, and therefore everyone knows it by heart. Also, because of its references to family and home, its strongly associated with Mid-Autumn Day. I thought it was kind of cool, so I’ll post it here. The translation in English is in italics below:

静夜思 Jìng yè sī  – 李白Li Bai

床前明月光， Chuáng qián míng yuè guāng,
疑是地上霜。 Yí shì dì shàng shuāng.
举头望明月， Jŭ tóu wàng míng yuè,
低头思故乡。 Dī tóu sī gù xiāng.

“Thinking in the Quiet Night”- Li Bai

A shaft of moonlight falls across my bed, 

and I believe that it is frost on the ground. 

I raise my head to gaze up at the moon, 

then put my head down in memory of home.  

I’ll upload pictures from Tai Shan soon… a full weekend of work awaits.  Stay tuned for more later.