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Quiet Night Thought (Chinese: 靜夜思) is a famous poem written by the Tang dynasty poet Li Bai (also known as Li Bo or Li Po).^[1]

Text

The text below is a Qing-dynasty version, with Mandarin pronunciation.^[2] It is taught to children in both Taiwanese and Chinese schools.^[3]

《靜夜思》 (Traditional)	《静夜思》 (Simplified)	"Jìng yè sī" (Pinyin)	"Quiet Night Thoughts" (Translation)
床前明月光疑是地上霜舉頭望明月低頭思故鄉	床前明月光疑是地上霜举头望明月低头思故乡	Chuáng qián míngyuè guāng Yí shì dìshang shuāng Jǔtóu wàng míngyuè Dītóu sī gùxiāng	Before my bed lies a pool of moon bright I could imagine that it's frost on the ground I look up and see the bright shining moon Bowing my head I am thinking of home

Variants

There are other versions of this poem that replace "the bright moonlight" (明月光) with "I see the moonlight" (看月光) and/or "gazing at the bright moon" (望明月) with "gazing at the mountain and the moon" (望山月).^[4] The insertion of the character 明 (míng "light/bright") into poetry was common practice during the Ming dynasty (大明), whose Chinese name features this character. For a 17th-century edition of the poem, see the example, with notes, in Rare Book Preservation Society § Li Bai Tang poem.

Background and evaluation

Li drew inspiration for the poem through personal experiences as a Confucian scholar detached from his hometown. In the times of Imperial China, scholars and artisans affiliated with the court were often detached from their hometowns for extended periods of times as part of their duties and loyalties as courtiers or worthy subjects to the Emperor of China. While it was expected in traditional Confucian ritual to remain a loyal subject to the Emperor and abide by the Emperor's wishes, filial piety also formed one of the foundations of Confucian thought, and emphasised upon the importance of embracing and honouring one's ancestry and roots. However, the Emperor was also considered the "Father" of all his subjects, and so his courtiers were also required to express their filial duties to the Emperor. Through the poem, Li Bai fulfils responsibilities of filial piety to both Emperor and his ascendants as he expresses his yearning for his hometown, in accordance with Confucian values, as well as obedience towards the sad obligation of remaining loyal to imperial edict, again in accordance to Confucian values of filial piety. Indeed, the poem alludes to the August moon and therefore the Mid-Autumn Festival. The Mid-Autumn Festival serves as a highly important festival in Chinese culture for its adherence to Chinese family values, and is traditionally associated with family reunion. Li is therefore lamenting over the impossibility of family reunion due to the importance of the imperial edict, yet stresses the importance of valuing one's origin even amidst the impossibility of reunion.

The poem is one of Li's shi poems, structured as a single quatrain in five-character regulated verse with a simple AABA rhyme scheme (at least in its original Middle Chinese dialect as well as the majority of contemporary Chinese dialects). It is short and direct in accordance with the guidelines for shi poetry, and cannot be conceived as purely a personal poem, but as a poem relatable to all those detached from their hometowns out of obligation. Hence, in contrast to Li Bai's longer, more free-form gushi, "Quiet Night Thought" is vague, yet expresses solemnity and yearning through a combination of its night-time imagery and its spare form.

Legacy

Since its conception during the Tang dynasty, "Quiet Night Thought" remains one of Li Bai's most famous and memorable poems. It is featured in classic Chinese poetry anthologies such as the Three Hundred Tang Poems and is popularly taught in Chinese-language schools as part of Chinese literature curricula. It is also commonly taught as one of the earliest works of Chinese poetry in the education of juniors for its relative simplicity and straightforward yet effective use of imagery to provoke basic Confucian values.

References

^ Milford, John; Lau, Joseph (15 April 2002). Classical Chinese Literature - Volume 1. New York: Columbia University Press. ISBN 0231096771.
^ "Top 10 most influential Chinese classical poems". www.chinawhisper.com. China whisper. 13 January 2013. Retrieved 7 June 2018.
^ Milford, John; Lau, Joseph (15 April 2002). Classical Chinese Literature - Volume 1. New York: Columbia University Press. ISBN 0231096771.
^ 静かな夜に『静夜思』を思う p.171.

[1] Milford, John; Lau, Joseph (15 April 2002). Classical Chinese Literature - Volume 1. New York: Columbia University Press. ISBN 0231096771.

[2] "Top 10 most influential Chinese classical poems". www.chinawhisper.com. China whisper. 13 January 2013. Retrieved 7 June 2018.

[columbia-3] Milford, John; Lau, Joseph (15 April 2002). Classical Chinese Literature - Volume 1. New York: Columbia University Press. ISBN 0231096771.

[4] 静かな夜に『静夜思』を思う p.171.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 {{short description|Poem by Li Bai}}
 {{Refimprove|date=October 2016}}
-[[File:Libai touxiang.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Li Bai]]
+[[File:李白.png|thumb|right|200px|Li Bai]]
-'''Quiet Night Thought''' ({{zh|靜夜思}}) is a famous poem written by the [[Tang Dynasty]] poet, [[Li Bai]] (also known as Li Bo or Li Po).<ref name="columbia">{{cite book|last1=Milford|first1=John|last2=Lau|first2=Joseph|title=Classical Chinese Literature - Volume 1|date=15 April 2002|publisher=Columbia University Press|location=New York|isbn=0231096771}}</ref>
+'''Quiet Night Thought''' ({{zh|靜夜思}}) is a famous poem written by the [[Tang dynasty]] poet [[Li Bai]] (also known as Li Bo or Li Po).<ref>{{cite book|last1=Milford|first1=John|last2=Lau|first2=Joseph|title=Classical Chinese Literature - Volume 1|date=15 April 2002|publisher=Columbia University Press|location=New York|isbn=0231096771}}</ref>
 ==Text==
-The text below is a [[Qing-dynasty]] version, with [[Mandarin Chinese|Mandarin]] pronunciation.<ref>{{cite web |title=Top 10 most influential Chinese classical poems |url=http://www.chinawhisper.com/top-10-most-influential-chinese-poems-in-history/ |website=www.chinawhisper.com |publisher=China whisper |accessdate=7 June 2018}}</ref> It is taught to children in both [[Taiwan|Taiwanese]] and [[Mainland China|Chinese]]<ref name="columbia" /> schools:
+The text below is a [[Qing-dynasty]] version, with [[Mandarin Chinese|Mandarin]] pronunciation.<ref>{{cite web |title=Top 10 most influential Chinese classical poems |url=http://www.chinawhisper.com/top-10-most-influential-chinese-poems-in-history/ |website=www.chinawhisper.com |date=13 January 2013 |publisher=China whisper |access-date=7 June 2018}}</ref> It is taught to children in both [[Taiwan|Taiwanese]] and [[Mainland China|Chinese]] schools.<ref name="columbia">{{cite book|last1=Milford|first1=John|last2=Lau|first2=Joseph|title=Classical Chinese Literature - Volume 1|date=15 April 2002|publisher=Columbia University Press|location=New York|isbn=0231096771}}</ref>
 {| class="wikitable" style="margin:auto;"
-! 《靜夜思》<br>([[Traditional Chinese|Traditional]]) || 《静夜思》<br>([[Simplified Chinese|Simplified]]) || "Jìng yè sī"<br>([[Pinyin]]) || "Quiet Night Thoughts"<br>([[Rare Book Preservation Society#Li Bai Tang Poem|Translation]])
+! {{lang|zh-Hant|《靜夜思》}}<br>([[Traditional Chinese|Traditional]]) || {{lang|zh-Hans|《静夜思》}}<br>([[Simplified Chinese|Simplified]]) || "Jìng yè sī"<br>([[Pinyin]]) || "Quiet Night Thoughts"<br>([[Rare Book Preservation Society#Li Bai Tang Poem|Translation]])
 |-
-| <poem>床前明月光
+| <poem>{{lang|zh-Hant|床前明月光
 疑是地上霜
 舉頭望明月
-低頭思故鄉</poem>
+低頭思故鄉}}</poem>
 | <poem>
-床前明月光
+{{lang|zh-Hans|床前明月光
 疑是地上霜
 举头望明月
-低头思故乡</poem>
+低头思故乡}}</poem>
 | <poem>Chuáng qián míngyuè guāng
 Yí shì dìshang shuāng
@@ Line 24: / Line 24: @@
 Dītóu sī gùxiāng</poem>
 |<poem>
-Before my bed there's a pool of light
+Before my bed lies a pool of moon bright
-I wonder if it's frost on the ground
+I could imagine that it's frost on the ground
-Looking up, I find the moon bright
+I look up and see the bright shining moon
-Then bowing my head, I drown in homesickness</poem>
+Bowing my head I am thinking of home</poem>
 |}
@@ Line 34: / Line 34: @@
 ===Variants===
 {{expand section|date=April 2017}}
-There are other versions of this poem that replace "the bright moonlight" ({{zh|明月光|labels=no}}) with "I see the moonlight" ({{zh|看月光|labels=no}}) and/or with "the mountain and the moon" ({{zh|山月|labels=no}}).<ref>[http://reposit.sun.ac.jp/dspace/bitstream/10561/467/1/v30n4p169_hada.pdf 静かな夜に『静夜思』を思う] p.171.</ref><!-- Until April 2017 this had only Baidu Encyclopedia with an "unreliable source?" tag. However, while source was not the best as it was not detailed enough, it was certainly correct in saying that there are different versions that read differently in this manner, and so was reliable as a source for OUR making this correct claim. I checked it against a Japanese dissertation by Koji Hada (秦耕司). This does, however, still need to be updated to include more detailed information. User:Hijiri88, April 2017. --> The insertion of the character {{linktext|明|lang=zh}} (''míng'' "light/bright") into poetry was common practice during the Ming dynasty ({{linktext|大明|lang=zh}}), whose Chinese name features this character. For a 17th-century edition of the poem, see the example, with notes, in "[[Rare Book Preservation Society#Li Bai Tang Poem]]".
+There are other versions of this poem that replace "the bright moonlight" ({{zh|明月光|labels=no}}) with "I see the moonlight" ({{zh|看月光|labels=no}}) and/or "gazing at the bright moon" ({{zh|望明月|labels=no}}) with "gazing at the mountain and the moon" ({{zh|望山月|labels=no}}).<ref>[http://reposit.sun.ac.jp/dspace/bitstream/10561/467/1/v30n4p169_hada.pdf 静かな夜に『静夜思』を思う] p.171.</ref><!-- Until April 2017 this had only Baidu Encyclopedia with an "unreliable source?" tag. However, while source was not the best as it was not detailed enough, it was certainly correct in saying that there are different versions that read differently in this manner, and so was reliable as a source for OUR making this correct claim. I checked it against a Japanese dissertation by Koji Hada (秦耕司). This does, however, still need to be updated to include more detailed information. User:Hijiri88, April 2017. --> The insertion of the character {{linktext|明|lang=zh}} (''míng'' "light/bright") into poetry was common practice during the Ming dynasty ({{linktext|大明|lang=zh}}), whose Chinese name features this character. For a 17th-century edition of the poem, see the example, with notes, in {{section link|Rare Book Preservation Society#Li Bai Tang poem}}.
 ==Background and evaluation==
-Li drew inspiration for the poem through personal experiences as a [[Confucian]] scholar detached from his hometown. In the times of [[Imperial China]], scholars and artisans affiliated with the [[court]] were often detached from their hometowns for extended periods of times as part of their duties and loyalties as [[courtiers]] or worthy subjects to the [[Emperor of China]]. While it was expected in traditional Confucian [[ritual]] to remain a loyal subject to the Emperor and abide by the Emperor's wishes, [[filial piety]] also formed one of the foundations of Confucian thought, and emphasised upon the importance of embracing and honouring one's ancestry and roots. However, the Emperor was also considered the "Father" of all his subjects, and so his courtiers were also required to express their filial duties to the Emperor. Through the poem, Li Bai fulfils responsibilities of filial piety to both Emperor and his ascendants as he expresses his yearning for his hometown, in accordance with Confucian values, as well as obedience towards the obligation of remaining loyal to imperial edict, again in accordance to Confucian values of filial piety. Indeed, the poem alludes to the August moon and therefore the [[Mid-Autumn Festival]]. The Mid-Autumn Festival serves as a highly important festival in [[Chinese culture]] for its adherence to Chinese family values, and is traditionally associated with [[family reunion]]. Li is therefore lamenting over the impossibility of family reunion due to  the importance of imperial edict, yet stresses the importance of valuing one's origin even amidst the impossibility of reunion.
+Li drew inspiration for the poem through personal experiences as a [[Confucian]] scholar detached from his hometown. In the times of [[Imperial China]], scholars and artisans affiliated with the [[court]] were often detached from their hometowns for extended periods of times as part of their duties and loyalties as [[courtiers]] or worthy subjects to the [[Emperor of China]]. While it was expected in traditional Confucian [[ritual]] to remain a loyal subject to the Emperor and abide by the Emperor's wishes, [[filial piety]] also formed one of the foundations of Confucian thought, and emphasised upon the importance of embracing and honouring one's ancestry and roots. However, the Emperor was also considered the "Father" of all his subjects, and so his courtiers were also required to express their filial duties to the Emperor. Through the poem, Li Bai fulfils responsibilities of filial piety to both Emperor and his ascendants as he expresses his yearning for his hometown, in accordance with Confucian values, as well as obedience towards the sad obligation of remaining loyal to imperial edict, again in accordance to Confucian values of filial piety. Indeed, the poem alludes to the August moon and therefore the [[Mid-Autumn Festival]]. The Mid-Autumn Festival serves as a highly important festival in [[Chinese culture]] for its adherence to Chinese family values, and is traditionally associated with [[family reunion]]. Li is therefore lamenting over the impossibility of family reunion due to  the importance of the imperial edict, yet stresses the importance of valuing one's origin even amidst the impossibility of reunion.
 The poem is one of Li's [[shi (poetry)|shi]] poems, structured as a single quatrain in five-character [[regulated verse]] with a simple AABA [[rhyme scheme]] (at least in its original [[Middle Chinese]] dialect as well as the majority of contemporary [[Chinese dialects]]). It is short and direct in accordance with the guidelines for shi poetry, and cannot be conceived as purely a personal poem, but as a poem relatable to all those detached from their hometowns out of obligation. Hence, in contrast to Li Bai's longer, more free-form [[gushi (poetry)|gushi]], "Quiet Night Thought" is vague, yet expresses solemnity and yearning through a combination of its night-time imagery and its spare form.
 ==Legacy==
-Since its conception during the [[Tang Dynasty]], "Quiet Night Thought" remains one of Li Bai's most famous and memorable poems. It is featured in classic Chinese poetry [[anthologies]] such as the ''[[Three Hundred Tang Poems]]'' and is popularly taught in Chinese-language [[schools]] as part of [[Chinese literature]] curricula. It is also commonly taught as one of the earliest works of Chinese [[poetry]] in the education of juniors for its relative simplicity and straightforward yet effective use of imagery to provoke basic Confucian values.
+Since its conception during the [[Tang dynasty]], "Quiet Night Thought" remains one of Li Bai's most famous and memorable poems. It is featured in classic Chinese poetry [[anthologies]] such as the ''[[Three Hundred Tang Poems]]'' and is popularly taught in Chinese-language [[schools]] as part of [[Chinese literature]] curricula. It is also commonly taught as one of the earliest works of Chinese [[poetry]] in the education of juniors for its relative simplicity and straightforward yet effective use of imagery to provoke basic Confucian values.
 ==See also==
@@ Line 55: / Line 55: @@
 [[Category:Tang dynasty poetry]]
 [[Category:Chinese poems]]
+[[Category:Li Bai]]

v t e Chinese poetry
Major eras	Classical Chinese poetry Modern Chinese poetry
Poetry by dynasty	Han poetry Jian'an poetry Six Dynasties poetry Tang poetry Song poetry Yuan poetry Ming poetry Qing poetry
Poetry works and collections	Classic of Poetry Chu Ci New Songs from the Jade Terrace Nineteen Old Poems Poems of a Thousand Masters Complete Tang Poems Three Hundred Tang Poems Wangchuan ji Wen Xuan Zhuying ji
Major forms	Antithetical couplet ci fu shi qu yuefu
Individual poems list	Chinese poems (category list) List of poems (article)
Modern compilations	Sunflower Splendor: Three Thousand Years of Chinese Poetry The Columbia Anthology of Modern Chinese Literature
Regional styles	Cantonese poetry