[updated October 2022]
Drinking Alone Under the Moon: Four Poems
月 下 独 酌：四 首
(1)
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 凌 乱。
醒 时 同 交 欢
醉 后 名 分 散。
永 结 无 情 游
相 期 邈 云 汉。
(2)
天 若 不 爱 酒
酒 星 不 在 天。
地 若 不 爱 酒
地 应 无 酒 泉。
天 地 既 爱 酒
爱 酒 不 愧 天。
已 闻 清 比 圣
复 道 浊 如 贤。
贤 圣 既 已 饮
何 必 求 神 仙？
三 杯 通 大 道
一 斗 合 自 然。
但 得 醉 中 趣
勿 为 醒 者 传。
Yue Xia Du Zhuo: Si Shou
(1)
Hua jian yi hu jiu
Du zhuo wu xiang qin.
Ju bei yao ming yue
Dui ying cheng san ren.
Yue ji bu jie yin
Ying tu sui wo shen.
Zan ban yue jiang ying
Xing le xu ji chun.
Wo ge yue pai huai
Wo wu ying ling luan.
Xing shi tong jiao huan
Zui hou ming fen san.
Yong jie wu qing you
Xiang qi miao yun han.
(2)
Tian ruo bu ai jiu
Jiu xing bu zai tian
Di ruo bu zi jiu
Di ying wu jiu quan
Tian di ji ai jiu
Ai jiubu kui tian.
Yi wen qing bi sheng
Fu dao zhuo ru xian.
Xian sheng ji yi yin
Hebi qiu shen xian?
San bei tong da dao
Yi dou he zi ran.
Dan de zui zhong qu
Wu wei xing zhe zhuan.
Drinking Alone Under the Moon: Four Poems
(1)
Among the flowers, one pot of wine
Drinking alone without friends or relatives.
Lifting my cup, I invite the bright moonlight
Facing its reflection, we become three.
The moon and its reflection do not know how to drink
Reflection can only follow me around.
For now, satisfied with their friendship
Joys of travel includes the springtime.
I sing, the moon follows my moving back and forth
I dance, the reflections broken and disordered.
Wake up, the season and my friend remain the same
After getting drunk, my guests scatter away.
Forever we travel together without emotions
Await for each other far away in the Milky Way.
(2)
If heavenly immortals are not fond of wine
Why did they make the Wine Star constellation.
If earthlings are not fond of wine
Could they carry on without the springheads of wines.
The whole Universe is fond of wine
Love of wine does not shame heaven.
Already heard clear wine compares well with the sacred
Talk about again that murky wine like the able and virtuous.
All of the people do not stop drinking
Why should one ask the immortals?
After three cups one opens up the pathway to the Dao
After one cup one can join ziran.
Still get drunk to enter amusement and delight
Don’t want to sober up to write about my contemporaries
Notes:
The Wine Star constellation: The western constellation of Scorpio.
Ziran: It is Nature with a capital “N”. More details can be found in the category “Artistic and Philosophical Foundations” on this website.