明轩

「床前明月光，疑是地上霜」

Before my bed, a pool of moonlight; I wonder if it is frost upon the ground

— Li Bai, 'Quiet Night Thoughts'

Moonlight spills before my bed like a layer of frost — the most widely known Chinese poem of all time.

「明月几时有？把酒问青天」

When did the bright moon first appear? I raise my cup and ask the blue sky

— Su Shi, 'Water Melody'

When did the bright moon first arise? I raise my wine cup to ask the heavens — the eternal masterpiece for the Mid-Autumn Festival.

「山重水复疑无路，柳暗花明又一村」

Through endless mountains and winding rivers, I fear there is no way ahead; then through dark willows and bright flowers, another village appears

— Lu You, 'Visiting a Village West of the Mountain'

Just when the mountains and streams seem to block all paths, a village suddenly appears beyond the willows and flowers — hope found in the darkest moment.

「气宇轩昂，声如洪钟」

An imposing presence, a voice like a resonant bell

— Chinese Idiom

A commanding presence and a voice as powerful as a great bell — describing someone full of vigor and dignified bearing.

「开轩面场圃，把酒话桑麻」

Opening the window to face the fields and gardens, I raise my cup and chat about crops and mulberry trees

— Meng Haoran, 'Visiting an Old Friend's Farmhouse'

Opening the window to look out over threshing floors and vegetable plots, raising a cup of wine to talk of crops — the contentment of rural life.