Last night, around 8:30pm, the full moon was so big and bright. It was a really beautiful sight, and I was reminded of Li Bai's "Jing Ye Si" ("Quiet Night Thoughts"). Then all of a sudden, tears started to flow... We had to memorize this poem back in Chinese school around 4th grade, but it took me 10 whole years to begin to appreciate what Li Bai was saying.
I am definitely not an expert in Chinese poetry, but from my understanding, the moon is a symbol of family -- no matter how far you are from your family, everyone sees the same moon up in the night sky. The moon has an important role not just in Li Bai's poem, but many other ones (such as Shui Diao Ge Tou, by Su Shi).
I talked to my family over the internet and told them how I was reminded of the poem, and I started crying again. And now, as I am currently writing this, I feel a little saddened yet again. I have tried to tell myself that this feeling will eventually pass, but that doesn't really make me feel much better.
I wonder if Li Bai felt a lot more homesick than I do now. At least I have the internet, so if I want to see my family (over the computer screen), it is not a problem at all. But I find it amazing that this poem, written over a thousand years ago, still moves people today.
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