From a pot of wine among the flowers
I drank alone. There was no one with me -
Till, raising my cup, I asked the bright moon
To bring me my shadow and make us three.
Alas, the moon was unable to drink
And my shadow tagged me vacantly;
But still for a while I had these friends
To cheer me through the end of spring.
I sang. The moon encouraged me.
I danced. My shadow tumbled after.
As long as I knew, we were boon companions.
And then I was drunk, and we lost one another.
...Shall goodwill ever be secure?
I watch the long road of the River of Stars.
Original Poem:
「月下独酌 · 其一」
李白
花间一壶酒，独酌无相亲。
举杯邀明月，对影成三人。
月既不解饮，影徒随我身。
暂伴月将影，行乐须及春。
我歌月徘徊，我舞影零乱。
醒时同交欢，醉后各分散。
永结无情游，相期邈云汉。
Interpretation:
This is the first of a group of four poems, which expresses the poet’s bitter feelings of loneliness and loneliness, and of pouring out his sorrows with wine.
Li Bai had ambition and talent, and wanted to do something, but when he was in politics, he was in the period when Li Linfu, Yang Guozhong, and the royal family and noble eunuchs were in power, so he could not get the appreciation and support of the rulers, and he could not find many confidants and friends, and he often fell into the surroundings of loneliness. Although this poem is about drinking wine and enjoying the moon, the melancholy and resentment hidden behind the wild songs and drunken drinking show his noble feelings of not being in the same boat with the rulers in a twisted way.
At the beginning of the poem, the poet has wine but no relatives, so he has to invite the bright moon and his own shadow to be his companions. The moon naturally does not drink, and the shadow can only follow him silently. But with these two companions, he is not so lonely, so let’s have some fun with the moon and shadow for the time being!
Then the poet writes about the situation of singing and dancing. The moon is touched by the poet’s song and always lingers around, refusing to leave. The shadows are also doing various irregular dances with their own bodies. At this point, the poet and them have reached a point of emotional communion. Therefore, the poet hopes that the three of them will become good friends while they are awake, fearing that they will be dispersed when they are drunk.
Lonely poet further wrote: “emotionless” both because the moon, shadow, etc. is no perceptual emotions, but also contains the meaning of not stained with worldly relations, the poet believes that this kind of free from the relationship between the interests of the interaction, is the purest and most sincere. He could not find this kind of friendship in the world, so he had to meet with the moon and the shadow.
On the surface of this poem, inviting the moon to the shadow and having fun in time seem to be some negative thoughts, but this is the poet’s unique way of expression. Through the lines, the poet’s deep feeling of extreme desolation and loneliness jumps out on the paper.
Poem translator:
Kiang Kanghu
About the poet:
Li Bai (李白), 701 ~ 762 A.D., whose ancestral home was in Gansu, was preceded by Li Guang, a general of the Han Dynasty. Tang poetry is one of the brightest constellations in the history of Chinese literature, and one of the brightest stars is Li Bai.
