Li Bai (李白) poem: "Drinking Alone by Moonlight" (月下獨酌)

Li Bai's poem "Drinking Alone by Moonlight" (月下獨酌), translated by Arthur Waley,

花間一壺酒。 A pot of wine, under the flowering trees;
獨酌無相親。 I drink alone, for no friend is near.
舉杯邀明月。 Raising my cup I beckon the bright moon,
對影成三人。 For her, with my shadow, will make three people.

月既不解飲。 The moon, alas, is no drinker of wine;
影徒隨我身。 Listless, my shadow creeps about at my side.
暫伴月將影。 Yet with the moon as friend and the shadow as slave
行樂須及春。 I must make merry before the Spring is spent.

我歌月徘徊。 To the songs I sing the moon flickers her beams;
我舞影零亂。 In the dance I weave my shadow tangles and breaks.
醒時同交歡。 While we were sober, three shared the fun;
醉後各分散。 Now we are drunk, each goes their way.
永結無情遊。 May we long share our eternal friendship,
相期邈雲漢。 And meet at last on the paradise.

Li Bai drunk at court

Tang dynasty poet Li Bai (李白; see xx) was asked to compose poems at the court of Emperor Xuan Zong (玄宗, r. 712~756) but turned up drunk and had to be supported by two eunuchs, as shown in this temple bas relief entitled “The Great Bai drunk on alcohol” (太白醉酒).
Despite his condition he managed to compose a dozen or more poems off the cuff, which pleased and impressed the emperor.
Subsequently, however, Li failed to secure permanent position at court. Some accounts say he applied to leave the capital at Chang’an (長安; today’s Xi’an 西安, Shaanxi 陝西); others that he was kicked out for angering the emperor by gossiping and revealing court secrets.






Text and photos © Jiyue Publications