静夜思
jìng yè sī
Quiet Night Thought
李白 (Li Bai) · Tang Dynasty · 701–762
Original Text
床前明月光，
chuáng qián míng yuè guāng,
疑是地上霜。
yí shì dì shàng shuāng.
举头望明月，
jǔ tóu wàng míng yuè,
低头思故乡。
dī tóu sī gù xiāng.
English Translation
Before my bed, bright moonlight gleams — I wonder if it's frost upon the ground. I raise my head to gaze at the bright moon, then lower it, thinking of my homeland.
Historical Background
Written around 726 AD, this is perhaps the most famous Chinese poem ever composed. Li Bai wrote it while traveling far from his hometown of Sichuan. The poem captures a universal moment: lying awake at night, seeing moonlight, and feeling the ache of being far from home. Nearly every Chinese person can recite this poem from memory, as it is one of the first poems taught to children.
Literary Analysis
The genius of this poem lies in its simplicity. In just 20 characters, Li Bai creates a complete emotional arc: observation (moonlight), confusion (is it frost?), action (looking up), and feeling (homesickness). The parallel structure of the last two lines — raising and lowering the head — mirrors the movement between the external world (moon) and internal feelings (longing). The moon serves as a bridge between the poet and his distant home, since the same moon shines on both.
Details
Form
Five-character Quatrain (五言绝句)
Theme
Homesickness & Longing
About Li Bai (李白)
Li Bai is one of the most celebrated poets in Chinese history, known as the "Immortal Poet" (诗仙). Born in Central Asia and raised in Sichuan, he was famous for his romantic imagination, love of wine, and Daoist-influenced worldview. His poetry combines grandeur with effortless elegance.
5 poems by Li Bai in our collection
Traditional Chinese
床前明月光，疑是地上霜。舉頭望明月，低頭思故鄉。