To My Brothers Sisters Adrift in Troubled Times This Poem of the Moon by Bai Juyi (772–846). His poem is introduced by way of a long explanation. The trouble is the An Luhan Rebellion. The moon a metaphor for shared feelings.

“It’s war in Henan (the location of Luoyang, the eastern capital of the Tang dynasty), there‘ has been a famine in there’s hunger, the passes are all blocked, I and my brothers are separated, each in his place. Gazing at the moon, I here are my thoughts I sent via the moon (to his large family in four different places), to Fuliang (in Jiangsi province) the eldest brother, Yuqian (maybe Hangzhou, Zhejiang), the seventh, Wujiang (Suzhou, Jiangsu province), fifteenth, and also to Fuli (possibly southern China, near Guilin), together with his brothers and sisters in Xiagui (likely in Shaanxi province).

“自河南经乱，关内阻饥，兄弟离散，各在一处。因望月有感，聊书所怀，寄上浮梁大兄、於潜七兄、乌江十五兄，兼示符离及下邽弟妹。”

In Times of Trouble
Times are tough, with no food, no rest,
My brothers are scattered east and west.
It’s war, and the land is deserted,
Flesh and bone, wandering the streets.

In darkness, wandering like a goose in flight,
Or an autumn water plant torn from its root.
Gazing at the moon, streaming tears down my cheeks,
Tonight, we are homesick, in all five places.

Bai Juyi

The Poet

Bai Juyi’s life spanned the years 772 to 846. During this time, a series of rebellions broke out in northeastern Henan, Hebei, and Shandong provinces. These disturbance continued until the end of the Tang dynasty in 907. Bai seems to have weathered most of these disturbances until 815 when a rebellious warlord in Henan province assassinated the prime minister of the Tang dynasty. Although Bai had a relatively minor position in the Imperial Government, he decides to make a public comment, which was a breach of protocol. Bai was exiled for two years before being recalled to the capital of Chang’an. More troubles broke out and again Bai wrote a remonstrance.

时难年荒世业空，
弟兄羁旅各西东。
田园寥落干戈后，
骨肉流离道路中。

吊影分为千里雁，
辞根散作九秋蓬。
共看明月应垂泪，
一夜乡心五处同。

Shí nán nián huāng shì yè kōng,
dìxiōng jīlǚ gè xī dōng.
Tiányuán liáoluò gāngē hòu,
gǔròu liúlí dàolù zhōng.

Diào yǐng fēn wéi qiānlǐ yàn,
cí gēn sàn zuò jiǔ qiū péng.
Gòng kàn míngyuè yīng chuí lèi,
yīyè xiāng xīn wǔ chù tóng.

Notes on Translation

One always takes a few liberties with translation, and yours may differ. One thing we will all agree on is that when we are lost and weary, separated by war, that it is nice to look up at the moon, and feel a connection.