Prelude to Water Melody · Gazing at the Moon, Thinking of Afar

Prelude to Water Melody · Gazing at the Moon, Thinking of Afar

On an autumn night, I think of those far away; the bright moon hangs above the blue-green hills.

So many eventful years, yet they seem to have passed in but an instant.

Just as I recall Lian, Tang, Yao, and Zheng, there were also Sun, Xiong, Li, and Hao— meeting and parting have always been ruled by fate.

Where Wang Lun once stamped his feet and sang his farewell, the boat has gone, and never returned.

Seize the moment, cherish what is before you, and do not idle your time away.

The years slip by; before one knows it, white hair has replaced a youthful face.

I would like to give free rein to my wildness and drink myself drunk, but singing alone over wine has no savor; so I invite the moon to keep me company through a sleepless night.

Yet the moon cannot drink, and says nothing, as it watches the rippling waves.