与山间之明月

與山間之明月

yǔshānjiānzhīmíngyuè

phrase

Meanings

1 and the bright moon among the mountains
2 (fig.) part of Su Shi's catalogue of things the universe gives freely to whoever will enjoy them
3 (lit.) and mountain-between 's bright-moon

Characters

between (山间 = among the mountains)

之

zhī

possessive particle ('s)

moon (明月 = bright moon)

Examples

惟江上之清风，与山间之明月，耳得之而为声，目遇之而成色。

Wéi jiāng shàng zhī qīng fēng, yǔ shān jiān zhī míng yuè, ěr dé zhī ér wéi shēng, mù yù zhī ér chéng sè.

'Only the clear wind on the river and the bright moon among the mountains — the ear hears them as sound, the eye meets them as color.'

人生如有清风明月，与山间之明月相伴，便是最富有的。

Rénshēng rú yǒu qīngfēng míngyuè, yǔ shān jiān zhī míng yuè xiāng bàn, biàn shì zuì fùyǒu de.

To have breeze and moon in life, 'and the bright moon among the mountains' for company, is true wealth.

Tips

history

From 苏轼《前赤壁赋》(Su Shi, 'Former Red Cliff Rhapsody,' Northern Song, 1082). After the host establishes that we may not take what is not ours (苟非吾之所有，虽一毫而莫取), he consoles his guest with what the world does give: 惟江上之清风，与山间之明月，耳得之而为声，目遇之而成色。取之无禁，用之不竭，是造物者之无尽藏也 (Only the clear wind on the river and the bright moon among the hills — ear receives them as sound, eye meets them as color. Taking them is not forbidden; using them, they do not run out. They are the Creator's inexhaustible storehouse). One of the most cherished passages in Chinese prose.

usage

Always paired with the preceding 惟江上之清风 — the pair gives the full catalogue (wind + moon). 之 here is the classical attributive particle (= modern 的). Best read in full with 耳得之而为声 following.

Stroke Order

与 yǔ

山 shān

间 jiān

之 zhī

明 míng

月 yuè