"The Moon over the River on a Spring Night" is a yuefu title originally created by the last emperor of the Chen dynasty. Emperor Chen's work did not survive, and the earliest extant works are two poems under the same title by Emperor Yang of Sui, both in the form of five-syllable Jueju.
The most famous work under the title "The Moon over the River on a Spring Night" is a seven-syllable yuefu style long poem by Tang dynasty poet Zhang Ruoxu. It is one of the only two poems by Zhang that preserve. The poem depicts the scenery of the moonlit riverside on a spring night, with elegant wording, a lofty rhythm, and a sophisticated undertone. This poem did not receive much attention during the Tang, Song, and Yuan dynasties. Since Li Panlong of the Ming dynasty included it in the Selected Tang Poems, its reputation has been greatly enhanced. Wang Kaiyun of the Qing dynasty praised it as "a unique piece, ultimately becoming a masterpiece". The influential 20th-century poet Wen Yiduo was especially enthusiastic in his praise, calling it "the poem of all poems, the summit of all summits."[1]
- ^ Wen, Yiduo (1941). 唐诗杂论 (Tang Shi Za Lun) [Discussions on Tang Poetry] (in Chinese). Shanxiguji Chubanshe (published 2001). pp. 15–16. ISBN 9787805984667.