Drinking
Alone in the Moonlight
by Li Po (or Li Bai)
Under the flowering trees, with a bottle of
wine,
I drink alone, for no friend is near.
Raising my cup I call the bright moon,
For he, with my shadow, make us three.
The moon is no drinker of wine;
Listless, my shadow only follows me.
With the moon and shadow as friends
We are joyful in the late Spring night.
I sing my songs to the moon and she dances in beams;
In the dance I weave my shadow tangles and breaks.
While we were sober, three shared the fun;
Now we are drunk, each goes his way.
May we long share our odd, inanimate feast,
And meet again at last on in the Milky Way.
I drink alone, for no friend is near.
Raising my cup I call the bright moon,
For he, with my shadow, make us three.
The moon is no drinker of wine;
Listless, my shadow only follows me.
With the moon and shadow as friends
We are joyful in the late Spring night.
I sing my songs to the moon and she dances in beams;
In the dance I weave my shadow tangles and breaks.
While we were sober, three shared the fun;
Now we are drunk, each goes his way.
May we long share our odd, inanimate feast,
And meet again at last on in the Milky Way.
