Chinese idiom · 成语
月明星稀
Meaning
A bright moon and sparse visible stars; a clear, quiet moonlit night.
Character by character
Origin and story
Poetic expressionThese words occur in Cao Cao's Short Song, not a poem by his son Cao Zhi. The poem moves from thoughts about life's brevity to longing for worthy guests and talented people. In its night scene, the moon shines brightly, few stars are visible, and birds fly south and circle a tree, searching for a branch on which to settle.
The closing appeal invokes the Duke of Zhou's eagerness to receive talent. Within that larger poem, the unsettled birds contribute to its theme of finding a welcome. As a standalone expression, 月明星稀 primarily describes a clear moonlit night with sparse visible stars; it need not imply that a powerful leader eclipses lesser people.
Sources and further reading
In everyday life
露营那晚月明星稀，我们坐在帐篷外，静静地听着虫鸣。
On our camping night, the moon was bright and few stars were visible; we sat outside the tent listening quietly to the insects.
A literary description of a moonlit night, suitable for travel writing or personal recollection.