这首小令以“秋夜吟”为题，全曲意在抒发诗人秋夜中一段相思感情。开头两句说：佛寺中晚钟响了，意味着薄暮降临，秋夜就要到来，一种苍茫、孤独之感暗暗产生。第三句写落日时，秋日的蝉声一阵阵传来，点明秋令。接下来写秋夜典型的景色：半轮凉月升起，半帘夜风吹来，自然触发起诗人的满怀愁绪；写作者自己头发花白，已成黑白二毛，还孤独地守在漫漫秋夜中，心中充满了隐痛。
《朝天子·秋夜吟》 李致远
梵宫，
晚钟，
落日蝉声送。
半规凉月半帘风，
骚客情尤重。
何处楼台，
笛声悲动？
二毛斑，
秋夜永。
楚峰，
几重，
遮不断相思梦。
A Chant at Autumn Night—To the tune of Paying Homage to a Sovereign
Li Zhiyuan
The Buddhist temple,
The evening bell.
In the setting sun cicadas yell.
Beyond the curtain half raised by the wind is the crescent cool,
How sentimental feelings the poet rule!
Where are the towers that send
The melancholy sound of the lute with no end?
My hair now is grey,
The autumn night is long,
The bleak wind wails in dismay,
Gusts of it so strong
Yet break not my dream of love far away.
