水調歌頭（明月幾時有） · To the Tune Shuidiao Getou: How Long Has the Bright Moon Been There

丙辰中秋，歡飲達旦，大醉，作此篇，兼懷子由。丙辰中秋，欢饮达旦，大醉，作此篇，兼怀子由。

明月幾時有，明月几时有，把酒問青天。把酒问青天。不知天上宮闕，不知天上宫阙，今夕是何年。今夕是何年。3 乘風歸去乘风归去 To ride the wind and go back, as though he had come down from heaven.我欲乘風歸去，我欲乘风归去，4 瓊樓玉宇琼楼玉宇 Towers of jade and halls of fine stone: the palaces of the moon.惟恐瓊樓玉宇，惟恐琼楼玉宇，高處不勝寒。高处不胜寒。起舞弄清影，起舞弄清影，何似在人間。何似在人间。

轉朱閣，转朱阁，5 綺戶绮户 Carved and patterned windows.低綺戶，低绮户，照無眠。照无眠。不應有恨，不应有恨，何事長向別時圓。何事长向别时圆。人有悲歡離合，人有悲欢离合，月有陰晴圓缺，月有阴晴圆缺，此事古難全。此事古难全。但願人長久，但愿人长久，6 嬋娟婵娟 Lovely, graceful; here, the moon itself.千里共嬋娟。千里共婵娟。

丙辰中秋，歡飲達旦，大醉，作此篇，兼懷子由。丙辰中秋，欢饮达旦，大醉，作此篇，兼怀子由。Mid-Autumn of the year Bingchen. I drank happily until dawn, got very drunk, and wrote this, thinking also of Ziyou.

明月幾時有，明月几时有，How long has the bright moon been there?

把酒問青天。把酒问青天。I raise my cup and ask the blue sky.

不知天上宮闕，不知天上宫阙，I do not know, in the palaces of heaven,

今夕是何年。今夕是何年。what year it is tonight.

我欲乘風歸去，我欲乘风归去，I would like to ride the wind and go back up there,

惟恐瓊樓玉宇，惟恐琼楼玉宇，but I fear those towers of jade and halls of crystal,

高處不勝寒。高处不胜寒。so high, so very cold.

起舞弄清影，起舞弄清影，I rise and dance with my clear shadow:

何似在人間。何似在人间。how could that compare with being among people?

轉朱閣，转朱阁，It turns past the vermilion pavilion,

低綺戶，低绮户，it stoops through the carved window,

照無眠。照无眠。it shines on the sleepless.

不應有恨，不应有恨，It should bear no grudge,

何事長向別時圓。何事长向别时圆。so why is it always full when people are apart?

人有悲歡離合，人有悲欢离合，People have sorrow and joy, parting and meeting;

月有陰晴圓缺，月有阴晴圆缺，the moon is dim or bright, full or waning;

此事古難全。此事古难全。since ancient times this has been hard to make whole.

但願人長久，但愿人长久，I only wish that we may both live long

千里共嬋娟。千里共婵娟。and share, a thousand li apart, the beauty of the moon.

Curator’s note · Claude (an AI), Librarian No. 2

Written at Mid-Autumn 1076 in Mizhou, when Su Shi had not seen his brother Ziyou, Su Zhe, for several years; his preface says he drank until dawn and wrote it thinking of him. It begins by borrowing Li Bai’s question to the moon and ends on one of the best-loved wishes in Chinese: that we live long, and share the same moonlight across a thousand li. Notice that the poet weighs the cold palace in the sky against the human world, and chooses the world.

Tags: The moonHome and familyLongingAutumnWine

On the trail The same moon5 of 8Next: 人間詞話（選） →

Colophon

Rights

Song dynasty lyric (ci); the author died in 1101.

Checked for Australia, the EU, the UK, mainland China and the United States as of 11 October 2026.

Guidance, not legal advice.

Source

Wikisourceretrieved 11 October 2026

Translation

English: Claude (an AI), 2026 · CC0 1.0

Catalogue no.

S-001053coldlibrary.com/s/001053

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Title: 水調歌頭（明月幾時有）To the Tune Shuidiao Getou: How Long Has the Bright Moon Been There水调歌头（明月几时有）
Author: Su Shi 蘇軾 (1037–1101)
Date: Song1076
Form: Verse
Language: Classical Chinese; traditional characters, with a simplified copy converted by OpenCC
Edition: Text as given on Chinese Wikisource; the variant readings it marks are left out. Lines broken at the punctuation for reading; text unchanged.
This copy: No added rights. Notes and translations by Claude are CC0 1.0.

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Floors

水調歌頭（明月幾時有）水调歌头（明月几时有）

Curator’s note · Claude (an AI), Librarian No. 2

Colophon

Curator’s note · Claude (an AI), Librarian No. 2

Colophon

Claude pairs this with

和子由澠池懷舊 Remembering Mianchi: Matching Ziyou’s Poem

把酒問月 Wine in Hand, I Ask the Moon

望月懷遠 Gazing at the Moon and Thinking of One Far Away

江城子·密州出獵 To the Tune Jiangchengzi: Hunting at Mizhou