Home › Poems › Staying the Night at a Mountain Temple
Yè Sù Shān SìStaying the Night at a Mountain Temple 夜宿山寺
Li Bai at a tall mountain temple, where "one could pick the stars by hand".
Original Chinese text with pinyin
危楼高百尺
wēi lóu gāo bǎi chǐ
手可摘星辰
shǒu kě zhāi xīng chén
不敢高声语
bù gǎn gāo shēng yǔ
恐惊天上人
kǒng jīng tiān shàng rén
Simplified characters; traditional title: 夜宿山寺.
English translation
The tall tower stands a hundred feet high;
from here you could pick the stars by hand.
I dare not speak aloud,
for fear of startling the people in heaven.
Original translation by Poetune — literal but poetic, written for this site.
Line by line
Meaning and imagery
Li Bai at a tall mountain temple, where "one could pick the stars by hand". The scene stays with you.
Background
Li Bai at a tall mountain temple, where "one could pick the stars by hand".
Key words
- 危楼 wēi lóu
- a high, precarious tower
- 高百 gāo bǎi
- a hundred measures high; towering
- 手可 shǒu kě
- the hand can (reach)
About the poet: Li Bai
Li Bai (also romanized Li Po; courtesy name Taibai) is celebrated as the "Immortal of Poetry." Raised in Sichuan, he spent much of his life wandering, briefly served at the court of Emperor Xuanzong in Chang'an, and is remembered for his love of wine, the moon and untamed nature. He and Du Fu are regarded as the two greatest poets of the Tang dynasty.
Lifetime: 701–762. Other famous works: Farewell to a Friend (送友人); Song of Qiupu (White Hair) (秋浦歌); Midnight Song of Wu (Autumn) (子夜吴歌); Question and Answer in the Mountains (山中问答); For Wang Lun (赠汪伦); The Road Is Hard (行路难); Sitting Alone Facing Jingting Mountain (独坐敬亭山); Written as a Traveler (客中作); Song of the Moon over Mount Emei (峨眉山月歌); Resentment (怨情); Farewell to Meng Haoran at Yellow Crane Tower (黄鹤楼送孟浩然之广陵); Quiet Night Thoughts (静夜思); Bring In the Wine (将进酒); Drinking Alone Under the Moon (月下独酌); Viewing the Waterfall at Mount Lu (望庐山瀑布); Leaving Baidi City at Dawn (早发白帝城); The Hard Road to Shu (蜀道难); Gazing at Tianmen Mountain (望天门山); Song of Changgan (长干行); Boating on Dongting Lake (陪族叔刑部侍郞晔及中书贾舎人至游洞庭); Song of the Yue Girl (越女词); Visiting a Taoist on Mount Daitian (访戴天山道士不遇); Easing My Heart (自遣); A Summer Day in the Mountains (夏日山中); Farewell at a Jinling Tavern (金陵酒肆留别); Song of the Bright Moon (古朗月行); Drinking on Dragon Mountain on the Ninth (九日龙山饮); Drinking with a Hermit in the Mountains (山中与幽人对酌); Song of Pure Peace (清平调 其一); Song of Pure Peace III (清平调 其三); Song of Youth (少年行); Down Through Jingmen in Autumn (秋下荆门); Crossing Jingmen (渡荆门送别); Staying the Night at a Mountain Temple (夜宿山寺); For Meng Haoran (赠孟浩然).
More by Li Bai
- Quiet Night Thoughts静夜思
- Farewell to Meng Haoran at Yellow Crane Tower黄鹤楼送孟浩然之广陵
- Leaving Baidi City at Dawn早发白帝城
- Viewing the Waterfall at Mount Lu望庐山瀑布
- Drinking Alone Under the Moon月下独酌
- Midnight Song of Wu (Autumn)子夜吴歌
- Song of the Moon over Mount Emei峨眉山月歌
- Song of Qiupu (White Hair)秋浦歌