From the balcony he gazed at the night sky, the bright moon over the sea, shared at this moment across the ends of the earth.
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history
Opening line of Zhang Jiuling's Tang poem 《望月怀远》 (Gazing at the Moon, Thinking of the Distant One). Couplet: 海上生明月，天涯共此时, 'Over the sea the bright moon rises; at the ends of the earth we share this moment.' Zhang Jiuling was a Tang chief minister; the poem was likely written after his demotion, longing for a loved one far away.
usage
Paired couplet, almost always spoken with its mate 天涯共此时. Quintessential Mid-Autumn Festival line, used in cards, speeches, and ad copy. 生 here is read shēng (to be born / to rise), not shèng.
