Bring in the Wine
壺蘆居士繙譯
Li Bai of the Tang dynasty
Bring in the Wine
Have you not seen the Yellow River waters flowing from Heaven,
Rushing to the sea, never to return?
Have you not seen parents’ sorrow in their white hair?
Once, it was like black silk at dawn, now at sunset it’s like snow.
A life fulfilled must contain happiness:
Never let the golden vessel go empty, just add the moon!
Born with Heaven’s gifts, I must use them;
I’ve scattered thousands in gold and it all returns to me.
Boil the mutton, butcher the ox, all for joy!
Muster a draught of three hundred cups!
Elder Cen and Master Danqiu,
Bring in the wine, the ceaseless cups.
Just one more song for you,
Please just listen closely.
Bells and drums, delicacies and jade? All nothing!
I just want one long binge, not sobriety!
Old sages and worthies? All forgotten!
Only great drunks leave behind their names.
Prince Chen once feasted in the Temple of Tranquil Joy,
Worth tens of thousands, casks of wine indulged every pleasure.
So how dare I say my money is running out?
Go buy more wine and fill our cups.
My fine dappled horse, my precious furs,
Call over the servant boy, exchange them for rare wines.
Together we’ll wash away ten thousand old sorrows.
君不見黃河之水天上來
奔流到海不復回
君不見高堂明鏡悲白髮
朝如青絲暮成雪
人生得意須盡歡
莫使金樽空對月
天生我才必有用
千金散盡還復來
烹羊宰牛且為樂
會須一飲三百杯
岑夫子丹丘生
將進酒杯莫停
與君歌一曲
請君為我傾耳聽
鍾鼓饌玉不足貴
但願長醉不願醒
古來聖賢皆寂寞
唯有飲者留其名
陳王昔時宴平樂
斗酒十千恣讙謔
主人為何言少錢
徑須沽取對君酌
五花馬千金裘
呼兒將出換美酒
與爾同銷萬古愁
Portrait of Li Bai
Source
Li Bai 李白 (a.k.a. Li Bo, 701-762 A.D.), Jiangjin jiu 將進酒 (Bring in the Wine), Qüan Tangshi 全唐詩 (Complete Poetry of the Tang Dynasty, 1705), juan 卷162. Cf. Ha Jin, The Banished Immortal: A life of Li Bai (New York: Pantheon, 2019), pp. 124-125.
Figure
Liang Kai 梁楷 (ca. 1140-1210)
Li Bai, 13th century
China: Southern Song dynasty
Hanging scroll: ink on paper
Tokyo National Museum
Note
Elder Cen and Master Danqiu are the Daoists Cen Xun 岑勳 (a.k.a. Cen Zheng 岑徵, active 8th century) and Yuan Danqiu 元丹丘 (8th century), who lived as recluses on Mount Song. While in the north, Li Bai met his friend Yuan Danqiu, who urged Li to visit and stay with Yuan at his hermitage on the mountain. On learning that Cen Xun of Nanyang wished to meet him, Li accompanied Yuan to the mountains southeast of Luoyang. When the three met, they spent the night drinking and composing poetry, including Bring in the Wine by Li Bai. Because Li addressed his new friend as Cen fuzi 岑夫子, meaning Senior or Elder Cen, it is thought that Cen Xun was older than Li Bai. The Cen family was renowned, and Li Bai also came to know Cen Can 岑參 (ca. 715-770) and Cen Lun 岑倫 (8th century), relatives of Cen Xun. According to the author Ha Jin, Li Bai later became a Daoist and alchemist, pursuing longevity by ingesting the elixir of immortality.