Thursday, September 19, 2013

Mid autumn Festival

Here in Taiwan, the mid autumn festival aka mooncake festival is celebrated very heavily like as though it is Chinese New Year...
almost a 4 days holiday. Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Today Thursday 19 Sep is THE day.

Here's a nice chinese literature (poem) by Su Shi aka Dong Po during the Song Dynasty.

Title: 水调歌头 明月几时有 When will the moon be clear and bright?

When will the moon be clear and bright?
With a cup of wine in my hand, I ask the blue sky
what season it would be up the heaven for tonight.

Oh Moon, how I wish to get closer
By riding on the breeze.
Yet I fear your crystal and jade chateau,
Are much too high and cold.
So, let me just dance here with my moonlight shadow.

Rounds and rounds, my red mansion, till you shine on my silk pillow,
Sleepless, but bearing no regrets
Blame not the full moon when people has to apart
Sorrow or joy, be near or far,
Things happen like that, and we still believe in fate.

Toast to you, we are all be blessed
Though distant away, we look at the same moon
And in that way, we have never been apart.
Su Shi (translated by Charles Hartman) [8]


And here's a song about the moon, originally by Teresa Teng..but this is the Faye Wong version.

When will a bright moon be coming?
I hold up the wine to ask the sky not knowing the mansions in heaven
how is it up there tonight?

chorus:
I desire to ride the wind there however i am concerned about the  jade chambers
the higher one goes the colder it gets, flirting with the clear shadow as the dance begin
can anything in  the world of mortals compare?
turn around the red roof, close down the pavilion, shine through my insomnia
I should have no regrets but must the moon be full when we part?
People have sorrow, joy, parting and coming together
The moon can be shady, clear, full or deficient? (the moon has dark cloudless circle lacking
this matter has never been perfect
I long for us to achieve longevity, A thousand miles apart yet we see the same moon

Below is another translation which is more literal.

Life is about parting and coming together
The moon has times when it is not round
Nothing is perfect [It is an entirely difficult thing](It has ever been difficult to manage this)
Only wishing for eternity
No matter how far apart, it is happiness to see the same moon

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