Night of the Full Moon
From the West-Eastern Divan
Night of the Full Moon - meaning Summary
Longing Under the Full Moon
This short lyric stages a moonlit moment of yearning between separated lovers. A woman murmurs a repeated desire to kiss while the evening glows with luminous branches and stars. The poem frames longing as bittersweet: both partners honor a vow to meet under the full moon, so physical absence is offset by shared promise and imagined nearness. The recurring refrain intensifies the mood of urgent, gentle desire.
Read Complete AnalysesLady, say, what do you whisper? What so softly moves your lips? To yourself you’re murmuring, Sweeter than the wine in sips! Would you think to those twin sisters To summon up another twin? ‘I would kiss! Would kiss! I say.’ Look! In the uncertain eve Every branch is glowing, flowering, Star is shining down on star: And a thousand gems are glowing Emerald throughout the leaves: Yet your spirit travels far. ‘I would kiss! Would kiss! I say.’ Your beloved, feels likewise The bittersweet, far distant now, Filled with a sad happiness. You both swore a sacred vow, To greet each other at the rise Of the full moon, which it is. ‘I would kiss! Would kiss! I say.’
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