Birthday poem · April 25Grain Rain, the 6th solar term: more rain, good for the young crops.
Birth character
酒 jiǔ · wine
酒 puts 水 "water" beside 酉, a wine jar; it means wine.
勸君更盡一杯酒
“I urge you to drink another cup of wine again” — Wang Wei, ‘Farewell to Yuan Er on His Mission to Anxi’
The poem
“Drinking Alone Under the Moon” 月下獨酌
- 花間一壺酒huā jiān yī hú jiǔFrom a pot of wine among the flowers
- 獨酌無相親dú zhuó wú xiāng qīnI drank alone. There was no one with me—
- 舉杯邀明月jǔ bēi yāo míng yuèTill, raising my cup, I asked the bright moon
- 對影成三人duì yǐng chéng sān rénTo bring me my shadow and make us three.
- 月既不解飲yuè jì bù jiě yǐnAlas, the moon was unable to drink
- 影徒隨我身yǐng tú suí wǒ shēnAnd my shadow tagged me vacantly;
- 暫伴月將影zàn bàn yuè jiāng yǐngBut still for a while I had these friends
- 行樂須及春xíng lè xū jí chūnTo cheer me through the end of spring…
- 我歌月徘徊wǒ gē yuè pái huáiI sang. The moon encouraged me.
- 我舞影零亂wǒ wǔ yǐng líng luànI danced. My shadow tumbled after.
- 醒時同交歡xǐng shí tóng jiāo huānAs long as I knew, we were boon companions.
- 醉後各分散zuì hòu gè fēn sànAnd then I was drunk, and we lost one another…
- 永結無情遊yǒng jié wú qíng yóuShall goodwill ever be secure?
- 相期邈雲漢xiāng qī miǎo yún hànI watch the long road of the River of Stars.
Why this poem
Li Bai drinking alone among flowers, inviting the moon and his shadow.
This day in the Chinese calendar
Solar term: Grain Rain.