Thoughts In A Tranquil Night Poem by Li Po

Thoughts In A Tranquil Night

Rating: 2.7


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!

COMMENTS OF THE POEM
Stanton Hager 01 September 2006

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!

2 2 Reply
Ramesh T A 10 September 2015

Thoughts are kindled seeing Moon in the night and they turn to the status of the nation too then!

2 2 Reply
Rahman Henry 10 September 2015

Lovely Poem. Patriotic. I like it. I've translated this poem into Bengali for my native readers.

2 2 Reply
Charity Nduhiu 10 September 2015

And sink to dreams of thee my Fatherland, of thee i like this bit. Nice write

1 2 Reply
* Sunprincess * 10 September 2015

..............wonderful poem...adding to my favorites ★

2 1 Reply
Sriranji Aratisankar 14 September 2016

wonderful poem, vivid picture drawn...

1 1 Reply
Alpeshkumar Natubhai Makvana 11 September 2015

nice poem, a good one.

1 1 Reply
Stephen W 10 September 2015

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

1 1 Reply
Kim Barney 10 September 2015

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!)

2 1 Reply
Kay Staley 10 September 2015

Not my favorite but has goo imagery for sure.

1 1 Reply
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