"Night Mooring on the Maple Bridge"

Zhang Ji of the Tang Dynasty

The moon is setting, crows are crying, and the sky is full of frost. The rivers, maples, and fishing fires are facing melancholy.

At Hanshan Temple outside Gusu City, the bell rang at midnight to reach the passenger ship.

Translation

The moon has set, the crows are crows and the sky is filled with cold air. I sleep sadly in front of the maple trees and fishing fires by the river.

In the lonely and quiet Hanshan Ancient Temple outside Gusu City, the sound of ringing bells in the middle of the night reached the passenger ship.

Appreciation of Works

After the Anshi Rebellion in the Tang Dynasty, Zhang Ji wrote this traveling poem while passing by Hanshan Temple. This poem accurately and delicately describes the observation and feelings of a passenger ship berthed at night on the late autumn night scene in the south of the Yangtze River. It outlines the sceneries such as the moonlight and crows, the frosty sky and cold night, the river maples and fishing fires, and the lonely boats and passengers. In addition, this poem also fully expresses the author's thoughts about traveling, worries about home and country, and concerns about being in troubled times and not having a destination. It is a representative work of writing about sorrow.

The whole poem has vivid images that can be felt and painted, the logical relationship between sentences is very clear and reasonable, and the content is clear and easy to understand. Not only has this poem been included in various anthologies of Tang poetry throughout China, but it has also been included in primary school textbooks in some Asian countries.