愁人知夜长。
While sad men know how long nights may last.
摄衣步前庭，
When I pace the yard in dim twilight,
仰观南雁翔。
I see above wild geese in southward flight.
玄景随形运，
Their movements are distinct though night may fall;
流响归空房。
Their crows are echoed in the empty hall.
清风何飘摇，
When a gentle breeze blows at my chest,
微月出西方。
A tiny moon arises in the west.
繁星依青天，
While myriad stars begin to dot the sky,
列宿自成行。
The Milky Way glistens bright on high.
蝉鸣高树间，
Cicadas sing amid the towering trees
野鸟号东厢。
And wild birds on the roofs crow in the breeze.
纤云时仿佛，
The cloudy moon is all the more remote;
濯露沾我裳。
Wet dewdrops then condense upon my coat.
良时无停景，
As happy hours lessen from their birth,
北斗忽低昂。
Now the Plough is pointing to the earth.
常恐寒节至，
When cold dawn comes and happy hours are lost,
凝气结为霜。
The dews are frozen into a heavy frost.
落叶随风摧，
As leaves will fall whenever strong wind blows,
一绝如流光。
So time elapses like the stream in flows.