• Submit Poetry
  • Support SCP
  • About Us
  • Members
  • Join
Saturday, July 18, 2026
Society of Classical Poets
  • Poems
    • Beauty
    • Culture
    • Satire
    • Humor
    • Children’s
    • Art
    • Ekphrastic
    • Epic
    • Epigrams and Proverbs
    • Human Rights in China
    • Music
    • Performing Arts
    • Riddles
    • Science
    • Song Lyrics
    • The Environment
    • The Raven
    • Found Poems
    • High School Poets
    • Terrorism
    • Covid-19
  • Poetry Forms
    • Sonnet
    • Haiku
    • Limerick
    • Villanelle
    • Rondeau
    • Pantoum
    • Sestina
    • Triolet
    • Acrostic
    • Alexandroid
    • Alliterative
    • Blank Verse
    • Chant Royal
    • Clerihew
    • Rhupunt
    • Rondeau Redoublé
    • Rondel
    • Rubaiyat
    • Sapphic Verse
    • Shape Poems
    • Terza Rima
  • Great Poets
    • Geoffrey Chaucer
    • Emily Dickinson
    • Homer
    • Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
    • Dante Alighieri
    • John Keats
    • John Milton
    • Edgar Allan Poe
    • William Shakespeare
    • William Wordsworth
    • William Blake
    • Robert Frost
  • Love Poems
  • Contests
  • SCP Academy
    • Educational
    • Teaching Classical Poetry—A Guide for Educators
    • Poetry Forms
    • The SCP Journal
    • Books
No Result
View All Result
Society of Classical Poets
  • Poems
    • Beauty
    • Culture
    • Satire
    • Humor
    • Children’s
    • Art
    • Ekphrastic
    • Epic
    • Epigrams and Proverbs
    • Human Rights in China
    • Music
    • Performing Arts
    • Riddles
    • Science
    • Song Lyrics
    • The Environment
    • The Raven
    • Found Poems
    • High School Poets
    • Terrorism
    • Covid-19
  • Poetry Forms
    • Sonnet
    • Haiku
    • Limerick
    • Villanelle
    • Rondeau
    • Pantoum
    • Sestina
    • Triolet
    • Acrostic
    • Alexandroid
    • Alliterative
    • Blank Verse
    • Chant Royal
    • Clerihew
    • Rhupunt
    • Rondeau Redoublé
    • Rondel
    • Rubaiyat
    • Sapphic Verse
    • Shape Poems
    • Terza Rima
  • Great Poets
    • Geoffrey Chaucer
    • Emily Dickinson
    • Homer
    • Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
    • Dante Alighieri
    • John Keats
    • John Milton
    • Edgar Allan Poe
    • William Shakespeare
    • William Wordsworth
    • William Blake
    • Robert Frost
  • Love Poems
  • Contests
  • SCP Academy
    • Educational
    • Teaching Classical Poetry—A Guide for Educators
    • Poetry Forms
    • The SCP Journal
    • Books
No Result
View All Result
Society of Classical Poets
No Result
View All Result
Home Poetry Beauty

Translations of ‘Quiet Night Pondering’ by Li Bai and a Nostradamus Quatrain, Dedicated to Hong Kong Protesters, by Evan Mantyk

September 13, 2019
in Beauty, Culture, Poetry, Translation
A A
2
poems Translations of 'Quiet Night Pondering' by Li Bai and a Nostradamus Quatrain, Dedicated to Hong Kong Protesters, by Evan Mantyk

.

Quiet Night Pondering

by Li Bai (701-762)

A bed before the bright moonlight.
Does frost below lie on these halls?
I lift my head: the moon is bright.
I lower it—my homeland calls!

.

Original Chinese

靜夜思
李白
床前明月光
疑是地上霜
舉頭望明月
低頭思故鄉

.

.

Century X Quatrain 74

by Nostradamus (1503-1566)

The year completed of the great seventh number,
Appears at the time of Sacrificial Slaughter,
Not far off from the great millennial age,
When those once buried come out of their grave.

.

Original French

An reuolu du grand nombre septiesme,
Apparoistra au temps ieux d’Hecatombe,
Non esloigné du grand eage milliesme,
Que les entrez sortiront de leur tombe.

.

Possible Interpretation: This year is the 70th anniversary (“great seventh number”) of the Chinese Communist Party’s take over of China in 1949. Some terrible violence (“Sacrificial Slaughter,” originally “Hecatombe,” meaning literally a tomb for 100 slaughtered in sacrifice) occurs against protesters in Hong Kong or perhaps elsewhere. The “millennial age” line may mean not far into the new millennium, as we would appear now to Nostradamus, or perhaps not far from an age yet to come in the new millennium. The last line indicates that those millions who have been devastated or murdered by the communist regime in its seventy years of nonstop barbarities will return in spirit, perhaps to wreak, or perhaps simply to witness, vengeance destined to be inflicted on the Chinese Communist Party, its members, its leaders, and its enablers.

It’s worth noting that this type of sacrificial slaughter (“hecatomb”) was typically done at the end of the Olympic games in ancient Greece.

translations and interpretation by Evan Mantyk

ShareTweetPin
The Society of Classical Poets does not endorse any views expressed in individual poems or commentary.
Read Our Comments Policy Here

RandomPoems

‘Kant’ by Connor Rosemond
Beauty

‘Kant’ by Connor Rosemond

July 24, 2018

  Out of the crooked timber laid by man, No straight foundation may ever be built. While Reason clinkers on...

‘Mother Nature Is Bipolar’ by Roy E. Peterson
Beauty

‘Mother Nature Is Bipolar’ by Roy E. Peterson

November 9, 2022

. Mother Nature Is Bipolar Mother Nature is bipolar. She needs to take a pill. One minute she's a blowhard....

Next Post
Three Poems for Hong Kong Protesters, Moon Festival, 2019, by Damian Robin

Three Poems for Hong Kong Protesters, Moon Festival, 2019, by Damian Robin

‘Soaplessly in Love’ and Other Poetry by Daniel Galef

'Soaplessly in Love' and Other Poetry by Daniel Galef

poems 'The Miller’s Daughter' by Bob McAfee

'The Miller’s Daughter' by Bob McAfee

Comments 2

  1. Leo Zoutewelle says:
    7 years ago

    Even though I cannot understand it I am fascinated by the (translated) Chinese text. Thank you for contributing this.

    Reply
  2. David Watt says:
    7 years ago

    “Quiet Night Pondering” is succinct, yet still presents a timeless scene.

    At 70 years, the Chinese Communist Party is definitely past its ‘use by’ date. We must wait and see how events unfold.

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

  1. Marguerite on ‘When the Phone Rings’ and Other Short Poems by Russel WinickJuly 18, 2026

    Amen on "Apologies!"

  2. Susan Jarvis Bryant on ‘My Pyjamas!’ and Other Poems by Susan Jarvis BryantJuly 18, 2026

    Jan, thank you very much for your encouraging comment. I'm so glad you enjoyed the poems and especially glad they…

  3. James Sale on ‘The 51st State’: A Poem by James SaleJuly 18, 2026

    Not quite a win, Theresa, but thank you for the thought, and congratulations yourself on your "Finalist' status for your…

  4. Susan Jarvis Bryant on National Poetry Month Limerick ChallengeJuly 18, 2026

    Beautifully written and hilarious, Jan! You have inspired me to have a go. Thank you!

  5. Jan Mennite on ‘My Pyjamas!’ and Other Poems by Susan Jarvis BryantJuly 18, 2026

    Susan, I always feel that my poetic intelligence increases while I read your work. I laughed and learned and felt…

Subscribe to Daily Poems

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 1,594 other subscribers

Recent Poems

  • Winners and Rankings of The Great American Poetry Competition
  • ‘The Gold Star Mother’: A Poem by Gerard Maritato
  • ‘An American Dash’: A Poem by Linda Ellis
  • ‘The Anonymous Soldier’: A Poem by Lucy Lind
  • ‘For Those We Never Meet’: A Poem by Aneesh Agarwal
  • ‘Ben Franklin’s Copper Fugio Cent’: A Poem by Geoffrey Smagacz
  • Three Brief Poems by Luxorius, Translated by Joseph S. Salemi
  • ‘The American Spirit’: A Poem by Dusty Grein
  • ‘The Ballad of Zebulon Pike’: A Poem by M.D. Skeen
  • ‘We Are the Ones’ and Other Poetry by Cheryl Corey
  • ‘My Pyjamas!’ and Other Poems by Susan Jarvis Bryant
  • ‘A Snowy Egret’: A Poem by Bruce Dale Wise
  • ‘The Swearing-in of Calvin Coolidge’: A Sonnet by Robert W. Crawford
  • ‘Ballad of the Sequoia’: A Poem by Lauren V. Leon
  • ‘The 51st State’: A Poem by James Sale
  • ‘La Uva’ (The Grape): A Poem by Michael Pietrack
  • ‘There’s Blood that Flows Within the Stripes’: A Poem by Lauren V. Leon
  • ‘Birdsong’: A Poem by Jeffrey Essmann
  • ‘The Melody That Lingers On’ and Other Poetry by John McPherson
  • ‘American Dreams’: A Poem by Adam Sedia
  • ‘An American Fabius’: A Poem by John Hernandez
  • ‘Vernal Clinic’ and Other Poetry by C.B. Anderson
  • ‘Omaha Beach’ and Other Poetry by Bradford Skow
  • ‘Music to Part the Veil’: A Poem by T.M. Moore
  • ‘A Gentleman’s Guide to Losing a War’ and Other Poetry by Arnon Peterson
  • ‘Black Shuck’: A Poem by Martin Briggs
  • ‘When the Last World War II Veteran Passes Away’: A Poem by N.S. Boone
  • ‘A Fallow Year at Worthy Farm’: A Poem by Paul A. Freeman
  • ‘Outstanding in Afghanistan’: A Poem by Jared S. Chang
  • ‘250 More’: A Poem by Miguel Moreno

Categories

  • Acrostic
  • Alexandroid
  • Alliterative
  • Art
  • Best Poems
  • Blank Verse
  • Chant Royal
  • Classical Poets Live
  • Clerihew
  • Covid-19
  • Deconstructing Communism
  • Educational
  • Epic
  • Epigrams and Proverbs
  • Essays
    • Interviews with Poets
    • Poetry Reviews
  • Featured
  • From the Society
  • Great Poets
    • Dante Alighieri
    • Edgar Allan Poe
    • Emily Dickinson
    • Geoffrey Chaucer
    • Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
    • Homer
    • John Keats
    • John Milton
    • Robert Frost
    • William Blake
    • William Shakespeare
    • William Wordsworth
  • Human Rights in China
  • Limerick
  • Love Poems
  • Music
  • Pantoum
  • Performing Arts
  • Poetry
    • Beauty
    • Children's Poems
    • Culture
    • Ekphrastic
    • Found Poems
    • High School Poets
    • Humor
    • Riddles
  • Poetry Challenge
  • Poetry Contests
  • Poetry Forms
    • Curtal Sonnet
    • Haiku
  • Poetry Readings
  • Rhupunt
  • Rondeau
  • Rondeau Redoublé
  • Rondel
  • Rubaiyat
  • Sapphic Verse
  • Satire
  • Science
  • Sestina
  • Shape Poems
  • Short Stories
  • Song Lyrics
  • Sonnet
  • Symposium
  • Terrorism
  • Terza Rima
  • The Environment
  • Translation
  • Triolet
  • Video
  • Villanelle

Quick Links

  • About Us
  • Submit Poetry
  • Become a Member
  • Members List
  • Support the Society
  • Advertisement Placement
  • Comments Policy
  • Terms of Use

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
No Result
View All Result
  • Poems
    • Beauty
    • Culture
    • Satire
    • Humor
    • Children’s
    • Art
    • Ekphrastic
    • Epic
    • Epigrams and Proverbs
    • Human Rights in China
    • Music
    • Performing Arts
    • Riddles
    • Science
    • Song Lyrics
    • The Environment
    • The Raven
    • Found Poems
    • High School Poets
    • Terrorism
    • Covid-19
  • Poetry Forms
    • Sonnet
    • Haiku
    • Limerick
    • Villanelle
    • Rondeau
    • Pantoum
    • Sestina
    • Triolet
    • Acrostic
    • Alexandroid
    • Alliterative
    • Blank Verse
    • Chant Royal
    • Clerihew
    • Rhupunt
    • Rondeau Redoublé
    • Rondel
    • Rubaiyat
    • Sapphic Verse
    • Shape Poems
    • Terza Rima
  • Great Poets
    • Geoffrey Chaucer
    • Emily Dickinson
    • Homer
    • Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
    • Dante Alighieri
    • John Keats
    • John Milton
    • Edgar Allan Poe
    • William Shakespeare
    • William Wordsworth
    • William Blake
    • Robert Frost
  • Love Poems
  • Contests
  • SCP Academy
    • Educational
    • Teaching Classical Poetry—A Guide for Educators
    • Poetry Forms
    • The SCP Journal
    • Books

© 2025 SCP. WebDesign by CODEC Prime.