Xiǎoxuéshēng yī tí dào Lǐ Bái, mǎshàng xiǎng dào chuáng qián míngyuè guāng, yí shì dì shàng shuāng.
Mention Li Bai to a primary-school kid and instantly they think of 'bright moonlight before my bed, I took it for frost on the ground.'
Tips
history
From Li Bai's (李白) 《静夜思》 (Quiet Night Thoughts), possibly the single best-known quatrain in the Chinese language. Full poem: 『床前明月光，疑是地上霜。举头望明月，低头思故乡』— 'bright moonlight before my bed, I took it for frost on the ground. I raise my head and gaze at the bright moon; I lower it and think of home.' Four lines learned by nearly every Chinese child.
usage
Almost always pairs with 『床前明月光』. Used any time moonlight creates a silvery illusion on a floor or road — or, more broadly, for any moment of quiet homesickness.
