Thoughts In A Tranquil Night Poem by Li Po
Thoughts In A Tranquil Night
Athwart the bed
I watch the moonbeams cast a trail
So bright, so cold, so frail,
That for a space it gleams
Like hoar-frost on the margin of my dreams.
I raise my head, --
The splendid moon I see:
Then droop my head,
And sink to dreams of thee --
My Fatherland, of thee!
Thoughts are kindled seeing Moon in the night and they turn to the status of the nation too then!
Read the 10X BETTER translation of this SAME poem at poemhunter's Li Po #41 (Quiet Night Thoughts) . Try to scrub this version out of your memory!
And sink to dreams of thee my Fatherland, of thee i like this bit. Nice write
There seem to be many translations of this poem. Here's one from Wikipedia, which seems less fanciful: Quiet night thought at the foot of the bed bright moonlight I imagine frost on the floor raising my head, I gaze at the bright moon lowering my head, I think of the old village
Thank you, Fabrizio Frosini, for the better translation of the same poem. (How many of us knew what 'athwart' meant? I certainly didn't. Thanks to Fabrizio, now I don't have to look it up!)
Delivering Poems Around The World
Poems are the property of their respective owners. All information has been reproduced here for educational and informational purposes to benefit site visitors, and is provided at no charge...
12/5/2025 2:55:38 AM # 1.0.0
Lovely Poem. Patriotic. I like it. I've translated this poem into Bengali for my native readers.