Li Bai drinks alone

No. 1: the carnival of the inanimate

Drinking Alone in the Moonlight (1)

Li Bai

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Among the flowers, I have a jug of ale,

But no friends. I'm drinking alone.

I raise my cup and toast the moon,

And with my shadow now we are three.

The moon does not know how to drink.

The shadow dumbly apes me.

But for now, shadow and moon are my partners

Because it's springtime, and we must party!

Sing as the moon sways,

Dance, and the shadow flails –

The fun goes on as long as I'm awake,

But pass out, and we separate.

Perhaps one day, beyond the stars, we'll be together,

And this pantomime of friendship will last forever.

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This great series of drinking poems by Li Bai (701-762) includes two that perfectly embody the ambivalence and irony that define his style. This first entry is no mindless celebration of drunkenness. Li remains perfectly aware of how ridiculous and lonely he is throughout, with his shadow flailing in response to his own dancing. And it ends with a rather grim prophecy: that when he moves on to eternity in the celestial sphere, his only companions will be these dumb, inanimate, pathetic stand-ins for true friends.

To read another good translation of this poem, see AZ Foreman’s blog. Arthur Waley’s translation can be found here.

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李白  月下独酌 其一

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。