Birthday poem · May 28Grain Buds, the 8th solar term: wheat and barley begin to fill.
Birth character
光 guāng · light
In its oldest form, 光 shows fire above a kneeling person; it means light.
床前明月光
“Before my bed a pool of light” — Li Bai, ‘Quiet Night Thoughts’
Other dates with this poem: August 5
The poem
“At the South Tower of Ezhou” 鄂州南樓書事
- 四顧山光接水光On every side the glow of the hills meets the glow of the water;
- 憑欄十里芰荷香leaning on the rail, ten miles of water-chestnut and lotus scent.
- 清風明月無人管The clear breeze and bright moon belong to no one —
- 併作南樓一味涼together they make the South Tower one pure coolness.
Why this poem
Huang Tingjian enjoying the cool on a tower on a summer night.
This day in the Chinese calendar
Solar term: Grain Buds.