High Moon ascends,
Full and resplendent,
Sky ablaze,
Orange, red, a haze,
Year anew.
Moonbeams dance,
Over the mountains,
Valley aglow,
River reflects low,
Moonlit scene.
Lanterns alight,
Candles flicker bright,
Villagers throng,
Honoring the long,
Yearned-for peace.
Riddles abound,
Joyful sounds resound,
Notes on the stream,
Ancestors' dream,
Lanterns gleam.
Currents so mild,
Gifts drift wild,
Spirits guide,
Down the tide,
Protected all.
Water roars loud,
Mist shrouds the crowd,
River descends,
Spirit extends,
Power revealed.
Over the fall,
Lanterns enthrall,
Updraft takes hold,
Celestial fold,
Spirit ascends.
Soaring high,
Heavenward journey,
Serpentine flight,
Guardian of light,
Palace awaits.
Duty complete,
Spirit retreats,
River's domain,
Pure and serene,
Sleep descends, rain.
The Lantern Festival, also known as the Yuanxiao Festival, boasts a rich history dating back to the Han Dynasty (206 BC – 220 AD).
With the New Year looming tomorrow, I dug up this old poem of mine.
In some regions it is a celebration where riddles are written upon lanterns.
In other regions they are floating tributes and prayers.
In others, it is a lantern that takes to the sky like a tiny hot air balloon taking those prayers to heaven for their ancestors.
In this poem, I tried to touch on all three as a unique festival, in which the celebration flows from the village to the river, and over the falls taking flight. I hope it conveys my thoughts and wishes of prosperity to those of us sending prayers to our loved ones.
