— Li Bai
The crescent moon looks like old Autumn’s golden brow;
Its deep reflection flows with limpid water blue.
I’ll leave the town on Clear Stream for the Three Gorges now.
O Moon, how I miss you when you are out of view!
峨眉山月歌
–[唐]李白
峨眉山月半轮秋，
影入平羌江水流。
夜发清溪向三峡，
思君不见下渝州。
Note
Ode to the Moon over Mount Emei is included in Volume 8 of the Complete Works of Li Bai. Composed during his youth, Mount Emei—a renowned peak in Shu (modern Sichuan)—serves as a symbolic representation of the region. As a native of Shu, Li Bai infused the poem with profound nostalgia for his homeland, rendering the “Emei Mountain Moon” an embodiment of his longing for his birthplace.
Written in autumn 724 CE during his first departure from Shu, the poem intertwines his aspirations for the future with lingering attachment to his hometown.
Leave a Reply