枫桥夜泊楓橋夜泊
yuè月là落wū乌tí啼shuāng霜mǎn tiān满天，
jiāng江fēng枫yú渔huǒ火duì对chóu愁mián眠。
Gū sū姑苏chéng wài城外hán寒shān山sì寺，
yè bàn夜半zhōng shēng钟声dào到kè chuán客船。
The poet & the story
Zhang Ji (mid-8th century) is remembered for this single night moored near Suzhou, supposedly after failing the imperial examinations — though the story may be later embroidery. Hanshan Temple still rings its bell every New Year’s Eve, and visitors from across East Asia queue to hear the sound this poem made famous.
Interpretation
The moon sets, crows cry, frost fills the sky; river maples and fishing lamps face a sleepless traveller. Then, from Hanshan Temple outside Suzhou, the midnight bell carries across the water to his boat. The poem layers sound, light and cold into a single sleepless moment — melancholy made beautiful enough to last twelve centuries.