Thoughts on a quiet night

I'm sitting alone with a bottle of wine and my Macbook for friends.   The 3 of us are drinking and thinking about Li Bai (aka Li Po).   Together with Du Fu, he is one of china's greatest ever poets, and also, alongside Omar Khayyám  one of the world's great poets of drinking (of which more anon).

Thoughts on a quiet night is Li Bai's most famous poem.  Many, many school-children have been required to memorize it, long before they can drink.

So bright a gleam on the foot of my bed – 

Could there have been a frost already? 
Lifting myself to look, I found that it was moonlight. 
Sinking back again, I thought suddenly of home.

Sources :  here and here.    To hear it recited in chinese click here.  

I like it but, to be honest, I don't get why this is super famous.   It reminds me somewhat of  Japans most well known poem, the haiku by Matsuo Bashō, which I also don't really 'get':

古池  蛙飛び込む  水の音
furu ike ya / kawazu tobikomu / mizu no oto
ancient pond / frog jumps in / splash of water [1686]

I wonder if we could bring them together, to promote peace in Asia:

So bright a gleam on the foot of my bed – 

Could the old pond by frosty already? 
Lifting myself to look, I found a frog
Splashing back again, I thought suddenly of wine.