The Lantern Festival always reminds me of Southern Song poet Xin Qiji's 辛棄疾's famous lyric poem ("ci") titled The Green Jade Bowl: Lantern Festival (青玉案: 元夕)!
東 風 夜 放 花 千 樹 ， 更 吹 落 、 星 如 雨。寶 馬 雕 車 香 滿 路。鳳 簫 聲 動， 玉 壺 光 轉， 一 夜 魚 龍 舞。蛾 兒 雪 柳 黃 金 縷， 笑 語 盈 盈 暗 香 去 。眾 裏 尋 他 千 百 度; 驀 然 迴 首，那 人 卻 在 、燈 火 闌 珊 處 。
The poem tells how the writer, while imbibing the sights, sounds and smells of festive activities all around him, awash in glamor and affluence, suddenly stumbled upon (an image of) his beloved (person or dream) that he had been searching for, in a quiet, dimly lit corner. It seems to pinpoint the contrast between the cheerful surroundings and his pensive mood. The key message is that one's dream always comes back to haunt even amidst worldly clamor.
Here's my own English rendition of the poem:-
"The east wind unfurls lanterns like blooms on a thousand trees, Fireworks sparkle like falling stars.
Horses and scented carriages fill the road, flutes singing, moonlight swirling, fish and dragon lanterns in a nocturne dance.
Ladies with silver and gold tassels in their hair, all smiles, leave a trail of fragrance.
A dream long lost, springs forth without warning, in a shadowy nook."
