MID-AUTUMN FESTIVAL 中秋 [Contributng Columnists]
劉禹錫: 天將今夜月，一遍洗寰瀛。暑退九霄凈，秋澄萬景清。星辰讓光彩，風露發晶英。能變人間世，翛然是玉京。
Mid-Autumn Festival, also known as Moon Festival, is observed on the fifteenth day of the eighth lunar month in the Chinese calendar. It was originally celebrated to express gratitude for bountiful harvests. The autumn sky is usually clear without a silk of cloud, and at this particular night, the orbit of the moon is at its lowest angle to the horizon, making the moon appear to be the fullest and brightest of the whole year. 暮雲收盡溢清寒。銀漢無聲轉玉盤。 無雲世界秋三五，共看蟾盤上海涯。月到中秋偏皎潔, 中秋佳月最端圓。平分秋色一輪滿，長伴雲衢千里明。秋空明月懸，光彩露沾濕。且喜人間好時節，願得年年，常見中秋月。
According to Chinese mythology, once there were ten suns orbiting over the earth; only one sun illuminated the earth each day. One day, all 10 suns inadvertently emerged together, scorching the earth. Hou Yi 後羿, a dexterous archer efficaciously shot down nine sweltering suns, saving mankind.
Heavenly Queen Mother rewarded Hou with a pouch of elixir of immortality. He handed it to his beautiful wife, Chang Er, and she locked it up in her dresser. One day, when Hou went hunting, Peng Meng 蓬蒙, Hou’s apprentice, forced Chang Er to give him the elixir. She hastily swallowed the elixir. She instantaneously levitated skywards and landed on the moon, turning into a celestial being. 未必素娥無悵恨，玉蟾清冷桂花孤。嫦娥孤棲與誰鄰？
There are two other legends. A rabbit 玉兔 sacrificed himself for the three fairy sages. They permitted him to reside in the Moon Palace. He has been assiduously working to make an elixir of immortality; so that Chang Er and Hou could reunite one day. 白兔搗藥秋複春。 Wu Gang 吳剛, an immortal in Heaven, committed a misdeed; he was banished to the moon. And he was ordered to chop down a lofty cherry bay. However, every time Wu cut it down; it immediately restored itself. He has been chopping ever since. 吳剛伐桂。
People return home for a family reunion and celebration of the Mid-Autumn Festival including a sumptuous dinner. 萬里無雲鏡九州，最團圓夜是中秋。Traditionally, after sunset, people put moon cakes, fruits and incense on a table in the courtyard or balcony for the offerings to the moon deity, Chang Er, and praying for her blessings. 拜月光 However, it is a disappearing custom. While consuming scrumptious moon cakes 小餅如嚼月，中有酥和飴, people delightfully appreciate the poetic and captivating full moon. 賞月 Galileo Galilei: “It is a beautiful and delightful sight to behold the body of the Moon.” 皓魄當空寶鏡升，雲間仙籟寂無聲。月掛中天夜色寒，清光皎皎影團團。翡翠樓邊懸玉鏡，珍珠簾外掛冰盤。皎如飛鏡臨丹闕，綠煙滅盡清輝發。皎皎秋月八月圓，嫦娥端正桂枝鮮；一年無似如今夜，十二峰前看不眠。Children carry colorful lanterns on the streets and in the parks.
For the travelers 游子, the luminous and silent full moon always stirs the memories of home and homesickness as well as the yearning for family reunion. Carl Sandburg: “The moon is a friend for the lonesome to talk to.” 舉頭望明月, 低頭思故鄉。露從今夜白，月是故鄉明。西北望鄉何處是，東南見月幾回圓。故鄉今夜思千里，明月何時照我還？中庭地白樹棲鴉，冷露無聲濕桂花。今夜月明人盡望，不知秋思落誰家。 The moon can offer spiritual connection and happiness for lovers separated by long distance. 明月雖同人別離。海上生明月，天涯共此時。情人怨遙夜，竟夕起相思。滅燭憐光滿，披衣覺露滋。不堪盈手贈，還寢夢佳期。路遙千里隔，難斷相思苦。萬里此情同皎潔，一年今日最分明。明月千里寄相思, 遙寄祝福千萬縷。愿我如星君如月，夜夜流光相皎洁。 They would simultaneously look up at the moon 千里共嬋娟, knowing the others are gazing, receiving reflected, romantic affection. 共看明月應垂淚，一夜鄉心五處同。At that sentimental moment, the lovers may feel that they are not far apart, they are under the same moon. Debasish Mridha: “The moon is the reflection of your heart and moonlight is the twinkle of your love.” Teresa Teng 鄧麗君 sang, “月亮代表我的心 The Moon Represents My Heart.” 圓滿光華不磨瑩，掛在青天是我心。
The moon is, in fact, very significant in Chinese tradition, culture, literature and mythology. For the past thousands of years, Chinese have been associating the vicissitudes of life to the transformation of the moon as it waxes and wanes, happiness and sadness, parting and reunion. Many beautiful poems have been composed regarding the moon and the Mid-Autumn Festival.
蘇軾: 人有悲歡離合，月有陰晴圓缺，此事古難全！但願人長久，千里共嬋娟。
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow: “Nothing that is can pause or stay; The moon will wax, the moon will wane, The mist and cloud will turn to rain, The rain to mist and cloud again, Tomorrow be today.”
About the author:
Dr. Patrick Lau was born in Hong Kong and immigrated to the U.S. after high school. He retired from the VA Northern Indiana Heath Care System where he served as Chief Radiologist and moved to Florida with his wife in 2011. He was an active member & contributor of IACA and ICMA while in Indiana. Dr. Lau is also a scholar of art and literature and a prolific writer, he has been a dedicated columnist for Indy Asian American Times since 2010.