Saturday, May 3, 2008

Li Po: Drinking Alone in the Moonlight by Shigeyoshi Obata

         Chinese Painting After the poem by a contemporary artist


       《月下獨酌》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


 Three with the Moon and his Shadow
        tr. Shigeyoshi Obata (1922)
With a jar of wine I sit by the flowering trees.
I drink alone, and where are my friends?
Ah, the moon above looks down on me;
I call and lift my cup to his brightness.
And see, there goes my shadow before me.
Ho! We’re a party of three, I say,–
Though the poor moon can’t drink,
And my shadow but dances around me,
We’re all friends to-night,
The drinker, the moon and the shadow.
Let our revelry be suited to the spring!
I sing, the wild moon wanders the sky.
I dance, my shadow goes tumbling about.
While we’re awake, let us join in carousal;
Only sweet drunkenness shall ever part us.
Let us pledge a friendship no mortals know,
And often hail each other at evening
Far across the vast and vaporous space!

back-translation

  与月亮和自己的影子成为三个

         小畑薰良 英译(1922)
带着一壶酒,我坐在开花的树丛下。
独自饮着,我的朋友在何处?
啊,天上的月亮俯瞰着我;
我喊它,为它的明亮而举杯。
可是,看啊,我的影子在我眼前。
呵!我们这就三人成众了,我说——
虽然可怜的月亮并不会饮酒,
而我的影子也就是围着我舞动,
今夜,我们都是好友,
饮者、月亮与这影子。
让我们的欢宴不辱春光!
我唱,狂乱的月亮便在天上游走。
我舞,我的影子在周围晃荡。
趁着清醒,我们一起加入狂欢;
只有甜美的沉醉才可将我们分离。
让我们誓言永葆人间不识的友谊,
常在黄昏彼此呼唤,
隔着烟霭缥缈的杳阔苍天!

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