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, but behind the wild songs and drunken drinks, there is the melancholy and resentment of “more sorrow and less wine”, which expresses his noble feelings of not being in the same boat with the rulers in a twisted way.
The first four lines: I set up a pot of wine among the flowers, and I poured myself a cup of wine, without a single friend or relative by my side. Raising my cup to the sky and inviting the bright moon, opposite my shadow, I become three.
The poet had wine but no relatives, so he had to invite the bright moon and his own shadow to be his companions. Naturally, the moon will not drink, and the shadow can only follow him silently, but with such two companions, he is not so lonely, so for the time being, accompanied by the moon and the shadow, let's have fun in time!
Sentences 5 to 8: The moon cannot understand the joy of drinking, and the shadow can only follow me silently. For the time being, with the moon and shadow as my companions, I will take advantage of this spring night to have fun in time.
Then the poet writes about the situation of singing, dancing and having fun. The moon is touched by the poet's song, always hovering around and refusing to leave. The shadows are also doing all kinds of 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 still awake, lest they will be scattered after getting drunk.
The last six lines: I recite poetry, the moon wanders with me, I dance with my hands, the shadows limp with me. When I am sober, I share my joy with you; when I am drunk, I go my separate ways. I would like to make a friendship with them forever to forget the hurt and meet by the misty Milky Way.
The moon and shadows are things without sentient emotions, and they also contain the meaning of not being tainted by worldly relations. The poet believes that this kind of interaction, free from interest, 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 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 a unique expression of the poet's technique, and the poet's deep sense of extreme desolation and loneliness jumps out on the paper.
Translated with DeepL.com (free version)
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.
