sake with friends
the moon and my shadow
three drunkards
Frogpond, 37:2, Summer 2014
Doug D'Elia
Chinese Translation (Traditional)
與朋友喝日本清酒
月亮和我的影子
三個酒鬼
Chinese Translation (Simplified)
与朋友喝日本清酒
月亮和我的影子
叁个酒鬼
Bio Sketch
Doug
D'Elia was born in Massachusetts. He is a graduate of the University of
Central Florida where he majored in Philosophy and Religion, and he
served as a medic during the Vietnam War. He is the author of 4 books.
A list of his published work and projects can be found at dougdelia.com
The "hai" aspect of this allusive haiku about a man drinking alone under the moon is enhanced by L3, "three drunkards" -- the moon, the speaker, and his shadow.
ReplyDeleteBelow is "Drinking Alone by Moonlight" by Li Bai ( also known as Li Po; he was famous for his drinking, but he was no simple-minded drunk. Here drinking is linked to longing for absent friends):
A cup of wine, under the flowering trees;
I drink alone, for no friend is near.
Raising my cup I beckon the bright moon,
For he, with my shadow, will make three men.
The moon, alas, is no drinker of wine;
Listless, my shadow creeps about at my side.
Yet with the moon as friend and the shadow as slave
I must make merry before the Spring is spent.
To the songs I sing the moon flickers her beams;
In the dance I weave my shadow tangles and breaks.
While we were sober, three shared the fun;
Now we are drunk, each goes his way.
May we long share our odd, inanimate feast,
And meet at last on the Cloudy River of the sky.