月明星稀 Yuè míng xīng xī Bright moon, sparse stars

Explanation

月亮很明亮，星星就显得稀疏了。形容月夜的景色。

When the moon is bright, the stars appear sparse. Describes the scenery of a moonlit night.

Origin Story

唐朝诗人李白的《静夜思》中写道：床前明月光，疑是地上霜。举头望明月，低头思故乡。诗中描绘的正是月明星稀的景象，那皎洁的月光照亮了床前，仿佛地上铺了一层霜。诗人抬头望月，不禁思念起了远方的家乡。 而这景色也并非仅限于诗歌中，在古代，人们常常会在月明星稀的夜晚，进行各种活动。比如，文人墨客会借着月光吟诗作画，情侣们会漫步在月光下，诉说着情意绵绵。而农夫们则会看着这美丽的夜空，默默地期盼着明天的丰收。月明星稀的夜晚，不仅是美丽的，也是宁静的，它带给人们的是一种祥和与安宁。

táng cháo shī rén lǐ bái de jìng yè sī zhōng xiě dào: chuáng qián míng yuè guāng, yí shì dì shàng shuāng. jǔ tóu wàng míng yuè, dī tóu sī gù xiāng. shī zhōng miáo huì de zhèngshì yuè míng xīng xī de jǐng xiàng, nà jiǎo jié de yuè guāng zhào liàng le chuáng qián, fǎng fú dì shàng pū le yī céng shuāng. shī rén tái tóu wàng yuè, bù jīn sī niàn qǐ le yuǎn fāng de gù xiāng. ér zhè jǐng sè yě bìng fēi jǐn xiàn yú shī gē zhōng, zài gǔ dài, rén men cháng cháng huì zài yuè míng xīng xī de yè wǎn, jìnxíng gè zhǒng huó dòng. bì rú, wén rén mò kè huì jiè zhe yuè guāng yín shī zuò huà, qíng lǚ men huì màn bù zài yuè guāng xià, sù shuō zhe qíng yì mián mián. ér nóng fū men zé huì kàn zhe zhè měilì de yè kōng, mò mò de qī pàn zhe míng tiān de fēng shōu. yuè míng xīng xī de yè wǎn, bù jǐn shì měilì de, yě shì nìng jìng de, tā dài gěi rén men de shì yī zhǒng xiáng hé yǔ ān níng.

Li Bai, a Tang Dynasty poet, wrote in his poem "Quiet Night Thoughts": Moonlight in front of my bed, I suspect it's frost on the ground. Raising my head, I gaze at the bright moon, lowering my head, I think of my home. The poem depicts the scene of a bright moon and few stars. The bright moonlight illuminates the front of the bed, as if there's frost on the ground. The poet raises his head to gaze at the moon and cannot help but miss his distant hometown.This scenery is not limited to poetry, however. In ancient times, people would often engage in various activities during nights when the moon is bright and stars are few. For example, scholars and artists would write poems and paint under the moonlight, couples would stroll in the moonlight and express their tender feelings, while farmers would look at the beautiful night sky and silently hope for tomorrow's harvest. Nights with a bright moon and few stars are not only beautiful, but also serene, bringing people a sense of harmony and peace.

Usage

常用来描写夜景，或比喻事物对比鲜明。

cháng yòng lái miáo xiě yè jǐng, huò bǐ yù shì wù duì bǐ xiān míng

Often used to describe night scenes or to illustrate a striking contrast between things.

Examples

• 中秋夜，月明星稀，凉风习习。

  zhōngqiū yè, yuè míng xīng xī, liángfēng xí xí

  On the Mid-Autumn Festival night, the moon is bright and the stars are few.

• 月明星稀，正是赏月的好时候。

  yuè míng xīng xī, zhèngshì shǎng yuè de hǎo shíhòu

  The moon is bright and the stars are few, it's the perfect time to admire the moon.

Related Idioms

• 月朗星稀

• 星光点点

Opposite Idioms

• 月黑星沉