Alone And Drinking Under The Moon
Li Po
(aka Li Bai, 701–762, Tang Dynasty))
(aka Li Bai, 701–762, Tang Dynasty))
- 花間一壺酒。 A pot of wine under the flowering trees;
- 獨酌無相親。 I drink alone, for no friends are near me.
- 舉杯邀明月。 Lifting my cup, I ask the moon to drink a toast.
- 對影成三人。 The moon reflected in my cup, my shadow, and me make three.
- 月既不解飲。 Then I sigh for the moon cannot drink,
- 影徒隨我身。 And my shadow, never saying a word, just goes along with me;
- 暫伴月將影。 With no other friends here, I can but use these two for company.
- 行樂須及春。 In this happy time of Spring, I too must be happy with all around me;
- 我歌月徘徊。 I sit and sing. and it is as if the moon accompanies me;
- 我舞影零亂。 Then if I dance, it is my shadow that dances along with me.
- 醒時同交歡。 While still not drunk, I am glad to make Moon and Shadow into friends,
- 醉後各分散。 But when I have drunk too much, we all part; yet we remain friends.
- 永結無情遊。 Though they have no emotion whatsoever; I can always count on them;
- 相期邈雲漢。 I hope that one day we three will meet again, deep in the Milky Way.
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