明月几时有？
把酒问清天。
不知天上宫阙，今夕是何年。
我欲乘风归去。
惟恐琼楼玉宇，
高处不胜寒，
起舞弄清影，
何似在人间。
转朱阁，低绮户，照无眠。
不应有恨，何事长向别时圆？
人有悲欢离合，
月有阴晴圆缺，
此事古难全。
但愿人长久，
千里共婵娟。

Although I do not understand entirely the meaning of this poem but I am drawn emotionally by the line ‘高处不胜寒’ in particular. Also, can someone please explain what is ‘但愿人长久，千里共婵娟’?

Someone has translated it as seen on the web:

水调歌头 - 苏轼

明月几时有？把酒问青天①。不知天上宫阙，今夕是何年②。我欲乘风归去，又恐琼楼玉宇③，高处不胜寒④。起舞弄清影⑤，何似在人间。

转朱阁⑥，低绮户⑦，照无眠⑧。不应有恨，何事长向别时圆⑨？人有悲欢离合，月有阴晴圆缺，此事古难全。但愿人长久，千里共婵娟⑩。

英译:

Thinking of You



When will the moon be clear and bright？

With a cup of wine in my hand, I ask the blue sky

I don't know what season it would be in the heavens on this night

I'd like to ride the wind to fly home

Yet I fear the crystal and jade mansions are much too high and cold for me

Dancing with my moon-lit shadow

It does not seem like the human world

The moon rounds the red mansion

Stoops to silk-pad doors

Shines upon the sleepless

Bearing no grudge

Why does the moon tend to be full when people are apart？

People may have sorrow or joy, be near or far apart

The moon may be dim or bright, wax or wane

This has been going on since the beginning of time

May we all be blessed with longevity

Though far apart, we are still able to share the beauty of the moon together



Poem written during the night of the Mid-Autumn Festival of 1076 by Su Tung Po （Translated by Shun-Yi Lee in 1998）



【注释】

①:把酒问青天：李白《把酒问天》：“青天有月来几时？我今停杯一问之。”

②:今夕是何年：牛僧孺《周秦行纪》：“共道人间惆怅事，不知今夕是何年。”

③:琼楼玉宇：神话传说中的月亮宫殿。

④:不胜寒：抵不住寒冷。

⑤:“起舞”句：在月光下舞动优美的影子。　

　⑥:转朱阁：月亮转过了红色的楼阁。

⑦:低绮户：月亮低低的照进雕花的窗户。

⑧:照无眠：照着心事重重的失眠者。

⑨:“何事”句：为什么偏偏老是在人有离愁别恨时才圆？司马光《温公诗话》记石曼卿诗：“月如无恨月长圆。”

⑩:“千里”句：相隔千里，共赏美好的月色。婵娟：指月中的嫦娥，这里指代月亮。



［赏析］

由于作者与当权者政见不合，被排挤到密州去当地方官，心情很抑郁，同时他已七年不见弟弟子由，心里十分怀念，种种思绪通过此词来抒发。

上片望月，既怀逸兴壮思，高接混茫，而又脚踏实地，自具雅量高致。开头四句接连问月问年，一似屈原《天问》，起得奇逸。唐人称李白为“谪仙”，黄庭坚则称苏轼与李白为“两谪仙”，苏轼自已也设想前生是月中人，因而起“乘风归去”之想。但天上和人间，幻想和现实，出世和入世，两方面同时吸引着他。相比之下，他还是立足现实，热恋人世，觉得有兄弟亲朋的人间生活来得温暖亲切。月下起舞，光影清绝的人生境界胜似月地云阶、广寒清虚的天上宫阙。虽在尘凡而胸次超旷，一片光明。

下片怀人。人生并非没有憾事，悲欢离合即为其一。苏轼兄弟情谊甚笃。他与苏辙熙宁四年（1071）颍州分别后已有六年不见了。苏轼原任杭州通判，因苏辙在济南掌书记，特地请求北徙。到了密州还是无缘相会。“咫尺天不相见，实与千里同，人生无离别，谁知恩爱重”（颍州初别子由），但苏轼认为，人有悲欢离合同月有阴晴圆缺一样，两者都是自然常理，无须伤感。终于以理遣情，从共同赏月中互致慰籍，离别这个人生憾事就从友爱的感情中得到了补偿。人生不求长聚，两心相照，明月与共，未尝不是一个美好的境界。这首词上片执着人生，下片善处人生，表现了苏轼热爱生活、情怀旷达的一面。

这首词把宇宙、人生问题融合在一起，把对官场的思考和对弟弟的怀念贯穿到赏月中去，想象瑰丽而又不忘现实生活，是作者的代表作。词中境界高洁，说理通达，情味深厚，并出以潇洒之笔，一片神行， 不假雕琢， 卷舒自如，因此九百年来传诵不衰。《水浒传》第三十回写八月十五“可唱个中秋对月对景的曲儿”，唱的就是这“一支东坡学士中秋《水调歌》。”可见宋元时传唱之盛。宋代胡仔说：“中秋词自东坡《水调歌头》一出，余词尽废。”（《苕溪渔隐丛话》）评价极高。


Source: http://blog.hjenglish.com/DearKnows/archive/2006/10/05/470820.html

Thanks a million Glot.

As I understand it 惟恐琼楼玉宇，高处不胜寒，has more than what it means in:

"Yet I fear the crystal and jade mansions are much too high and cold for me."

Can you please enlighten?

Yes, Geo, you're right.

惟恐琼楼玉宇，高处不胜寒
The sentence also implies that when one is promoted to a high position and lives a wealthy life, he may be isolated by his pals, friends, or colleagues, and no longer feel as warm as during the earlier time in lower position.

Thanks again Glot for the explanation.

Absolutely! I think people are far more socially isolated today than they were say two decades ago, and a sharp growing number of people say they have no one in whom they can confide.

Those ‘higher-ups’ are experiencing that they have no one with whom they can discuss personal troubles.

And believe me; a head of state usually does not have a close friend.