Meaning:

“山川” means “mountains and rivers,” “异

域” means “foreign lands,” “风月” means “winds and the moon,” and “同天” means “under the same sky.” This sentence can be translated as “Although mountains and rivers set us apart, we share winds and the same moon in the sky.” The idea of this sentence is that distance won’t be a barrier between friends. Part of a poem knitted in the cassocks sent by Japanese prince Nagaya of the Nara period (710-784) to Tang Dynasty (618-907) as gifts, it was written on the packages of masks and infrared thermometers Japan recently donated to Hubei Province hit by the COVID-19 outbreak. Impressed by the beauty of the language, many Chinese netizens share this poem on social media. It’s said that Monk Jianzhen of Tang Dynasty went on his epic journeys to teach Buddhism in Japan after reading the poem, moved by the prince’s sincerity.

Example:

A: 这次别后，不知什么时候才能再见？

Zhècì biéhòu，bùzhī shénme shíhòu cái néng zàijiàn？

Now we have to part. When will we meet again?

B: 山川异域，风月同天，我会时常想念你。

Shānchuān yìyù，fēngyuè tóngtiān，wǒ huì shícháng xiǎngniàn nǐ。

Although mountains and rivers set us apart, we share winds and the same moon in the sky. I will miss you.