---
title: "水调歌头 (Prelude to Water Melody) by Su Shi: Pinyin, English and Audio"
description: "水调歌头 (Prelude to Water Melody) by Su Shi, Song dynasty, whole: 明月几时有 … Pinyin over every character, the English line by line, and Play to hear it read."
canonical: "https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-poems/prelude-to-water-melody"
author: "Mandarin The Wild"
---

[Chinese poems](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-poems) · 苏轼 Su Shi · Song dynasty

# 水调歌头 Prelude to Water Melody (When Will the Moon Be Clear and Bright?)

Written at the Mid-Autumn Festival of 1076, drunk and missing his brother: the moon has its phases as people have their partings, so may we live long and share the moon a thousand miles apart.

Speed

míng明yuè月jǐ几shí时yǒu有？

When did the bright moon first appear?

bǎ把jiǔ酒wèn问qīng青tiān天。

Cup in hand, I ask the blue sky.

bù不zhī知tiān天shàng上gōng宫què阙，

I wonder in the palaces of heaven

jīn今xī夕shì是hé何nián年。

what year it is tonight.

wǒ我yù欲chéng乘fēng风guī归qù去，

I would ride the wind back there,

yòu又kǒng恐qióng琼lóu楼yù玉yǔ宇，

yet fear those towers of jade

gāo高chù处bù不shèng胜hán寒。

are too cold, so high up.

qǐ起wǔ舞nòng弄qīng清yǐng影，

I rise and dance with my clear shadow:

hé何sì似zài在rén人jiān间。

how could it be like this up there?

zhuǎn转zhū朱gé阁，

The moon turns round the red pavilion,

dī低qǐ绮hù户，

dips to the silk-curtained door,

zhào照wú无mián眠。

and shines on the sleepless.

bù不yīng应yǒu有hèn恨，

It should bear us no grudge,

hé何shì事cháng长xiàng向bié别shí时yuán圆？

so why is it always full when people are apart?

rén人yǒu有bēi悲huān欢lí离hé合，

People have sorrow and joy, partings and meetings;

yuè月yǒu有yīn阴qíng晴yuán圆quē缺，

the moon is dim or bright, full or waning;

cǐ此shì事gǔ古nán难quán全。

since long ago, nothing has been whole.

dàn但yuàn愿rén人cháng长jiǔ久，

I only wish we may live long

qiān千lǐ里gòng共chán婵juān娟。

and share the moon’s beauty a thousand miles apart.

[Print as flashcards](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-flashcards?level=mine&words=%E5%87%A0%E6%97%B6%20%E9%9D%92%E5%A4%A9%20%E5%A4%A9%E4%B8%8A%20%E4%BB%8A%E5%A4%95%20%E4%B9%98%E9%A3%8E%20%E5%8F%88%20%E9%AB%98%E5%A4%84%20%E8%B5%B7%E8%88%9E%20%E4%BA%BA%E9%97%B4%20%E6%97%A0%E7%9C%A0%20%E6%81%A8%20%E5%9C%86%20%E6%82%B2%E6%AC%A2%E7%A6%BB%E5%90%88%20%E9%98%B4%E6%99%B4%E5%9C%86%E7%BC%BA%20%E9%9A%BE%20%E4%BD%86%E6%84%BF%20%E5%A9%B5%E5%A8%9F)

## What does 水调歌头 mean?

水调歌头 is “Prelude to Water Melody”. Written at the Mid-Autumn Festival of 1076, drunk and missing his brother: the moon has its phases as people have their partings, so may we live long and share the moon a thousand miles apart.

## What is the pinyin of 水调歌头?

míng yuè jǐ shí yǒu / bǎ jiǔ wèn qīng tiān / bù zhī tiān shàng gōng què / jīn xī shì hé nián / wǒ yù chéng fēng guī qù / yòu kǒng qióng lóu yù yǔ / gāo chù bù shèng hán / qǐ wǔ nòng qīng yǐng / hé sì zài rén jiān / zhuǎn zhū gé / dī qǐ hù / zhào wú mián / bù yīng yǒu hèn / hé shì cháng xiàng bié shí yuán / rén yǒu bēi huān lí hé / yuè yǒu yīn qíng yuán quē / cǐ shì gǔ nán quán / dàn yuàn rén cháng jiǔ / qiān lǐ gòng chán juān.

## Who wrote 水调歌头?

Su Shi (苏轼), a poet of the Song dynasty.

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Poems over a thousand years old; the English and pinyin are ours, the pinyin as Chinese schools teach it.