Yè ZhíNight Duty 夜直
Wang Anshi on night duty, watching moonlight move flower shadows up the railing.
Original Chinese text with pinyin
金炉香尽漏声残
jīn lú xiāng jǐn lòu shēng cán
翦翦轻风阵阵寒
jiǎn jiǎn qīng fēng zhèn zhèn hán
春色恼人眠不得
chūn sè nǎo rén mián bù dé
月移花影上栏干
yuè yí huā yǐng shàng lán gān
Simplified characters; traditional title: 夜直.
English translation
In the gold censer the incense is gone; the water clock nearly done;
gust after gust of light breeze brings a chill.
The spring colours trouble me — I can't sleep;
the moon moves the flower shadows up the railing.
Original translation by Poetune — literal but poetic, written for this site.
Line by line
Meaning and imagery
Wang Anshi on night duty, watching moonlight move flower shadows up the railing. The scene stays with you.
Background
Wang Anshi on night duty, watching moonlight move flower shadows up the railing.
Key words
- 漏声残 lòu shēng cán
- the clepsydra's drip nearly spent — late night
- 翦翦 jiǎn jiǎn
- cuttingly cold; sharp (of wind)
About the poet: Wang Anshi
Wang Anshi was a chief minister of the Northern Song who pushed through the sweeping "New Policies" reforms. Out of office he retired to Nanjing and wrote compact, finely polished quatrains. He is one of the "Eight Great Prose Masters of the Tang and Song."
Lifetime: 1021–1086. Other famous works: Mooring at Guazhou (泊船瓜洲); Plum Blossoms (梅花); Climbing Feilai Peak (登飞来峰); New Year's Day (元日); Apricot Blossom by the North Pond (北陂杏花); Written on the Wall of Mr Huyin (书湖阴先生壁); Early Summer (初夏即事); At Zhongshan (钟山即事); Night Duty (夜直).
More by Wang Anshi
- Climbing Feilai Peak登飞来峰
- Mooring at Guazhou泊船瓜洲
- Plum Blossoms梅花
- New Year's Day元日
- Apricot Blossom by the North Pond北陂杏花
- Written on the Wall of Mr Huyin书湖阴先生壁
- Early Summer初夏即事
- At Zhongshan钟山即事