花間一壺酒,獨酌無相親;
舉杯邀明月,對影成三人。
月既不解飲,影徒隨我身;
暫伴月將影,行樂須及春。
我歌月徘徊,我舞影零亂;
醒時同交歡,醉後各分散。
永結無情遊,相期邈雲漢。
-- by LI BAI (701-762)
-- Translated by Frank C Yue
-- Translated by Frank C Yue
O lonesome bottle of
fine wine among the flowers --
I have no dear one to drink
with (at these wee hours)! I raise my cup to the Moon for her to join me --
With the Moon, my Shadow, and I : We're people three.
But O! She cannot drink, my poor little full Moon!
Quite mindless, too, my Shadow just mimics my move.
I'll keep Moon and
Shadow company, though, for now;
We shall enjoy
ourselves -- for it's Spring, this is how.I sing songs for attentive Moon (and have my fill);
I dance and my Shadow, though confused, follows still.
While sober, let's make merry, be joyful at heart --
For after I am drunk, we three will have to part.
With Platonic love fore'er, long tours we'll devise --
Let's meet again far'way where the Milky Way lies!
Hello Frank, I am doing a translation of an internet novel that includes one line of this poem. I would like to link this page/credit you in the footnotes for that line. Let me know if that's okay. (the translation of the novel will be on a blogger as well, I can provide the link if needed)
ReplyDeleteBtw, very nicely done. One of the better translations of 月下獨酌 that I've seen!