DRINKING ALONE IN THE MOONLIGHT (Tang Dynasty/Li Bai)

(Translated by Capella Cao)

A bottle of wine in the garden,

I drink alone, not accompanied by any friend or relative.

A toast to the bright moon,

The moon, my shadow, and myself three.

Dear moon, you can't drink,

Dear shadow, you follow me around quietly.

Yet the moon and shadow are my companions for tonight,

Enjoy it while we can in this beautiful spring night.

As I sing, the moon wanders by my side,

As I dance, the shadow and I tangled.

When I am awake, we share joyous moments,

When I am drunk, you are all gone.

Let us pledge to be forever revelry friends,

To meet again in the vast cloudy sky.

Notes:

1. Tang Dynasty: 618 A.D - 906 A.D

2. Li Bai: 701 A.D. - 762 A.D

3. River in the sky is the idea of milky way.

4. The format of this poem is five-character verse, meaning five characters each line, but not the five-character four-line quatrain.

月下独斟

- 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

注释：

本诗为五言古诗

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