張繼（大約750 年）
月落烏啼霜滿天，
江楓漁火對愁眠。
姑蘇城外寒山寺，
夜半鐘聲到客船。
MOORING BY THE MAPLE BRIDGE AT NIGHT
Zhang Ji (around 750)
The moon's setting amid the caws of crows,
the sky frosted over in whole;
Fronting riverside maples
and fishing fires1 lies a sad soul.
The Cold Mountain Temple
is outside the Gusu City2 -
To the guest boat comes its midnight toll.
1 Fishermen in the old days lit fires when they fished at night time to lure fish into the net.
2 The old name of Suzhou City in Jiangsu Province.
Background:
The poet fled his home during the An Lushan Rebellion (安史之亂 A.D.755-A.D.763). He spent a night in a boat by a river in Suzhou City while he was on his way to Central Wu (吳中) in today's Jiangsu Province. Worrying about his war-torn country, he felt sad and had a sleepless night.
書籍簡介︰
首創按原詩韻律押韻，以英語及插畫重塑唐詩之美，有助讀者輕鬆踏出接觸唐詩的第一步。■商務印書局