Now he knows that the dew tonight will be frost.

"He knows that the dew will be frost tonight, and how bright the moonlight is at home!" It's a five-character poem written by Du Fu in the Tang Dynasty-recalling brothers on a moonlit night. This poem means: I officially entered the Millennium solar term from tonight, and the moon in my hometown is still the brightest and clearest.

In the poem, the two brothers were separated because of the war, living without a fixed place, no news, and life and death are uncertain. At the turn of the Millennium, the poet's anxiety and yearning for his brother, against the backdrop of the drums guarding the building and the wailing of the lonely geese, became deeper and stronger. The first two couplets of this poem focus on scenery writing, while the last two couplets focus on lyricism, scene blending, rigorous structure and echo from beginning to end. The words used in couplets are simple, implying new vigilance, and the sentence structure revealed by the premise of "moon", "white" and "bright" is reversed. The whole poem is exquisite in language, gloomy and sad in style, sincere and touching.

Original text:

The drums of the defenders cut off people's communication, and a lonely goose was singing in autumn in the frontier.

The dew turns to frost tonight, and the moonlight at home is bright!

Brothers are scattered, and no one can ask about life and death.

Letters sent to Luoyang city are often not delivered, and wars often do not stop.

Translation:

The drums on the garrison building cut off people's communication. In autumn, a lonely goose is whining.

Starting from tonight, we will officially enter the Millennium solar terms, and the moon in my hometown is still the brightest.

Although I have brothers, they were all separated in the war. I am homeless and can't ask my brother if he is alive or dead.

Letters from my family to Luoyang are often not delivered, not to mention the war of An Shi Rebellion has not stopped.