Moon Light over the Tsinghua Lotus Pond

Recently, I felt a bit uneasy. This evening, I sat in the court yard, trying to stay cool from the summer heat. Suddenly, I thought of the Lotus Pond that I passed by everyday. It must look differently under the full moon. The moon rose higher. The laughter from kids playing roadside died down. My wife was rocking my baby Runer, while humming a lullaby. I put on a jacket quietly, and went out.

Along side the Lotus pond, was a narrow winding unpaved path. Few people passed this path even during day time, almost nobody can be seen after the night falls. There were many trees surrounding the Lotus Pond, green and lush. On one side of the path, there were some poplars, some willows, and some other trees I don't recognize. The path looked a bit scary at night when there was no moonlight. Tonight, it looked quite nice, although the moon light was dim.

I was the only one strolling on the path. I kept a leisure pace when I strolled along. I felt that the whole surroundings belonged to me, as if I entered another world. I enjoyed company, but also enjoyed solitude. On a night like this, with the moonlight silently shedding over the world, I felt free to think about anything, or nothing at all. I could temporarily forget about the businesses that I had to take care during the day time, and indulge myself in this quiet night with sweet lotus smell and the beautiful moon light.

The Lotus Pond was filled with lotus leaves. The leaves rose above the water high, like skirts of the dancing ballerinas. Between the leaves, small white flowers blossomed or in bud. Some of them looked like shining gems, some others looked like twinkling stars, yet some looked like beautiful women just came out of bath. The wind carried the sweet smell from the lotus to me. I felt as if hearing faint music came from a distant tower. Suddenly, the wind caused a slight trembling of the lotus leaves and flowers. Like a lightening, the trembling quickly reached the other side of the pond. With the trembling, they green leaves looked like green waves as they rock from side to side. Under that green waves was the water. The water cannot be seen from above, but it made the leaves look more lush than ever.

The moonlight shed to the pond as if it was water pouring down on the leaves and the flowers. Faint mist rose in the pond. The lotus leaves and flowers appeared as if they were washed by the milk. They were like a dream covered with soft silk. Although it was a night of full moon, there were some scattered clouds. I thought that was perfect. Just like although it was good to enjoy a deep night's sleep, it was also good to have a quick nap once in a while. The moon light shone through the trees and the bushes over the highland. It cast jagged-shaped and ghost-look shades on the ground. On the contrast, some of the remote poplars and willows cast a nice shadow over the lotus leaves, as if they were printed there. The moon light was uneven over the pond, but the lights and shadow mixed with rhythm, reminded me of a classic piece of music played on the violin.

Around the lotus pond, densely populated many trees of varying heights, most of which are poplars and willows. Only around the path areas, the trees were sparse, as if those spaces were reserved for the moon light. All the trees have dark colors. Together, they formed dark fog of trees. If you look closer, the nice shape of poplars and willows could still be distinguished. On top of the trees, mountains from afar were vaguely visible. One or two street lights appeared through the tree. They looked like sleepy eyes. The cicadas buzzed and the frogs croaked loudly. While they were partying away, I felt all alone.

Suddenly, I thought of what I read about lotus seed picking. Picking lotus seeds was a tradition south of Yangtze River. It had been done over a thousand years. Ancient poems and songs were written about this activity. The pickers were usually young girls. They row small boats while humming love songs when they worked. Needless to say there were many of pickers when the season comes, also there were spectators just to watch lotus seeds being picked. Those were exciting times, full of love and romances.

The Emperor of the Liang Dynasty said in his poem “Ode to Lotus Picking”, 
Lovely boys and girls, admired each other when rowing the boat together. They looked back slowly, and passed feather cups around. Algae hung on the paddles, the boat moved forward over the duckweed. A slender girl with white belt, moved slowly on the boat. The summer just began, and the spring just ended. Leaves were still light green and flowers just started to blossom. She smiled when avoiding to wet her clothes. She pulled up her skirts in fear of tipping over the boat.

This can give us some idea how it was done by then. It sounded quite fun, but now, we can no longer see it.

Also, I remembered some of the lyrics in Xizhou Song, 
Picking Lotus Seeds in the fall at Nantang, 
The lotus grew taller than men, 
I looked down to play with the lotus seeds, 
The seeds was clear as water.

If ever there were girls picking lotus seeds here, these lotus in the pond were also taller than men. However, the water was not moving fast in this pond. This reminds me of those places I visited south of Yangtze River. While still thinking about this, I looked up, realized I was back to my home. I opened the door softly. It was very quiet inside. My wife had fell asleep for a long time.

July 1927, at Tsinghua University, Beijing

荷塘月色

作者: 朱自清

　 　　这几天心里颇不宁静。今晚在院子里坐着乘凉，忽然想起日日走过的荷塘，在这满月的光里，总该另有一番样子吧。月亮渐渐地升高了，墙外马路上孩子们的欢笑，已经听不见了；妻在屋里拍着闰儿，迷迷糊糊地哼着眠歌。我悄悄地披了大衫，带上门出去。

　　沿着荷塘，是一条曲折的小煤屑路。这是一条幽僻的路；白天也少人走，夜晚更加寂寞。荷塘四面，长着许多树，蓊蓊郁郁的。路的一旁，是些杨柳，和一些不知道名字的树。没有月光的晚上，这路上阴森森的，有些怕人。今晚却很好，虽然月光也还是淡淡的。

　　路上只我一个人，背着手踱着。这一片天地好像是我的；我也像超出了平常的自己，到了另一世界里。我爱热闹，也爱冷静；爱群居，也爱独处。像今晚上，一个人在这苍茫的月下，什么都可以想，什么都可以不想，便觉是个自由的人。白天里一定要做的事，一定要说的话，现在都可不理。这是独处的妙处，我且受用这无边的荷香月色好了。

　　曲曲折折的荷塘上面，弥望的是田田的叶子。叶子出水很高，像亭亭的舞女的裙。层层的叶子中间，零星地点缀着些白花，有袅娜地开着的，有羞涩地打着朵儿的；正如一粒粒的明珠，又如碧天里的星星，又如刚出浴的美人。微风过处，送来缕缕清香，仿佛远处高楼上渺茫的歌声似的。这时候叶子与花也有一丝的颤动，像闪电般，霎时传过荷塘的那边去了。叶子本是肩并肩密密地挨着，这便宛然有了一道凝碧的波痕。叶子底下是脉脉的流水，遮住了，不能见一些颜色；而叶子却更见风致了。

　　月光如流水一般，静静地泻在这一片叶子和花上。薄薄的青雾浮起在荷塘里。叶子和花仿佛在牛乳中洗过一样；又像笼着轻纱的梦。虽然是满月，天上却有一层淡淡的云，所以不能朗照；但我以为这恰是到了好处——酣眠固不可少，小睡也别有风味的。月光是隔了树照过来的，高处丛生的灌木，落下参差的斑驳的黑影，峭楞楞如鬼一般；弯弯的杨柳的稀疏的倩影，却又像是画在荷叶上。塘中的月色并不均匀；但光与影有着和谐的旋律，如梵婀玲上奏着的名曲。

　　荷塘的四面，远远近近，高高低低都是树，而杨柳最多。这些树将一片荷塘重重围住；只在小路一旁，漏着几段空隙，像是特为月光留下的。树色一例是阴阴的，乍看像一团烟雾；但杨柳的丰姿，便在烟雾里也辨得出。树梢上隐隐约约的是一带远山，只有些大意罢了。树缝里也漏着一两点路灯光，没精打采的，是渴睡人的眼。这时候最热闹的，要数树上的蝉声与水里的蛙声；但热闹是它们的，我什么也没有。

　　忽然想起采莲的事情来了。采莲是江南的旧俗，似乎很早就有，而六朝时为盛；从诗歌里可以约略知道。采莲的是少年的女子，她们是荡着小船，唱着艳歌去的。采莲人不用说很多，还有看采莲的人。那是一个热闹的季节，也是一个风流的季节。梁元帝《采莲赋》里说得好：

　　于是妖童媛女，荡舟心许；鷁首徐回，兼传羽杯；欋将移而藻挂，船欲动而萍开。尔其纤腰束素，迁延顾步；夏始春余，叶嫩花初，恐沾裳而浅笑，畏倾船而敛裾。

　　可见当时嬉游的光景了。这真是有趣的事，可惜我们现在早已无福消受了。

　　于是又记起《西洲曲》里的句子：

　　采莲南塘秋，莲花过人头；低头弄莲子，莲子清如水。今晚若有采莲人，这儿的莲花也算得“过人头”了；只不见一些流水的影子，是不行的。这令我到底惦着江南了。——这样想着，猛一抬头，不觉已是自己的门前；轻轻地推门进去，什么声息也没有，妻已睡熟好久了。

　 　　1927年7月，北京清华园