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.
Tips
history
Opening line of Zhang Jiuling's (张九龄) 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.
