Chūn YèSpring Night 春夜
Su Shi: a moment of a spring night is worth a thousand in gold.
Original Chinese text with pinyin
春宵一刻值千金
chūn xiāo yī kè zhí qiān jīn
花有清香月有阴
huā yǒu qīng xiāng yuè yǒu yīn
歌管楼台声细细
gē guǎn lóu tái shēng xì xì
秋千院落夜沉沉
qiū qiān yuàn luò yè chén chén
Simplified characters; traditional title: 春夜.
English translation
A moment of spring night is worth a thousand in gold;
Flowers have clear fragrance; the moon casts shade.
From towers, song and pipes sound faint and fine;
In the courtyard with the swing, the night grows deep.
Original translation by Poetune — literal but poetic, written for this site.
Line by line
Meaning and imagery
The first line states the value of a spring night; the rest proves it with scent, moonlight and distant music. The final line moves from celebration to stillness: the swing in the courtyard is empty, the night deep. Some readers sense a gentle criticism of revelers who pass the precious night in noise, while the poet savors the quiet.
Background
An early poem by Su Shi. The opening line is a proverb in both China and Japan.
Key words
- 春宵 chūn xiāo
- a spring night
- 一刻 yī kè
- a moment
- 秋千 qiū qiān
- a swing
About the poet: Su Shi
Su Shi, better known as Su Dongpo, was a poet, essayist, painter, calligrapher and official — the great all-rounder of the Song dynasty. Repeatedly exiled, he met hardship with humor and philosophy, and made the ci (song lyric) a vehicle for grand themes.
Lifetime: 1037–1101. Other famous works: Prelude to Water Melody (When Will the Moon Be Clear?) (水调歌头); Spring Night (春夜); Remembering the Past at Red Cliff (念奴娇·赤壁怀古); Written on the Wall at West Forest Temple (题西林壁); Drinking at West Lake: First Sun, Then Rain (饮湖上初晴后雨); Red Cliff Rhapsody (赤壁赋); Gazing South from Chaoran Terrace (望江南); Drunk at Lake View Tower (六月二十七日望湖楼醉书); Spring River at Dusk (惠崇春江晚景); Crabapple (海棠); Silk-Washing Stream (浣溪沙); Silk-Washing Stream: Dragon Boat Festival (浣溪沙); Eating Lychees (食荔枝); On the Road to Xincheng (新城道中); Calming the Waves (定风波); For Liu Jingwen (赠刘景文).
Names from this poem
More by Su Shi
- Written on the Wall at West Forest Temple题西林壁
- Drinking at West Lake: First Sun, Then Rain饮湖上初晴后雨
- Prelude to Water Melody (When Will the Moon Be Clear?)水调歌头
- Remembering the Past at Red Cliff念奴娇·赤壁怀古
- Gazing South from Chaoran Terrace望江南
- Drunk at Lake View Tower六月二十七日望湖楼醉书
- Spring River at Dusk惠崇春江晚景
- Crabapple海棠