水调歌头.明月几时有

明月几时有？把酒问青天。不知天上宫阙，今夕是何年。我欲乘风归去，又恐琼楼玉宇，高处不胜寒。起舞弄清影，何似在人间。

转朱阁，低绮户，照无眠。不应有恨，何事长向别时圆？人有悲欢离合，月有阴晴圆缺，此事古难全。但愿人长久，千里共婵娟。

"Prelude to Water Melody" - When will the moon be clear and bright?

When will the moon be clear and bright?

With a cup of wine in hand, I ask the azure sky.

I wonder in the celestial palaces high,

What year it is tonight?

I long to ride the wind and return there,

Yet fear the crystal towers and jade houses,

So high above, too cold for my cares.

I rise and dance, playing with my shadow,

How unlike the mortal world's affairs.

The moon rounds the crimson pavilion,

Dips through the silk-curtained windows,

Shines on the sleepless.

It should not be a cause for sorrow,

Yet why does it wax full when we part?

People have their grief and joy, their meetings and farewells,

The moon its dark and bright, its waxings and wanings.

Such things have been since ancient times, never complete.

May we all be blessed with longevity,

And share the moon's beauty, though a thousand miles apart.

This translation aims to capture the essence and poetic beauty of the original Chinese poem while maintaining its lyrical and philosophical depth.