Friday 15 March 2013

李白 舉杯邀明月,對影成三人。I raise my cup to the Moon for her to join me --

【月下獨酌 唐 • 李白 
 
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。             


BENEATH THE MOON DRINKING ALONE  
-- by LI BAI (701-762)
-- 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! 

1 comment:

  1. 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)

    Btw, very nicely done. One of the better translations of 月下獨酌 that I've seen!

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