noun
faint moon; hazy moon
Literary or poetic term for a moon that appears dim, pale, or veiled, often by mist or thin clouds.
淡月が雲間からほのかに姿を見せた。
A faint moon showed itself dimly through a break in the clouds.
秋の夜、淡月の下で虫の音を聞く。
On an autumn night, I listen to the insects' chirping under the hazy moon.
Compound of 淡 (faint, pale) and 月 (moon). The variant 澹月 uses a kanji with a similar meaning. The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the word is used in classical and literary contexts.