Touched by the beauty of the bird’s song, I sigh,
Li Bai, Waking from a Stupor on a Spring Day, third and final verse
Turning to my wine, I pour
Awaiting the moon with a grand song, I sing
Singing to the end, unmoved
Life, a story in three acts
Is this the way life ends, with a song, then silence?
In part one we find our poet lying in a drunken stupor outside the palace door. Morning dawns, he awakes clutching a porch column, to see the beauty of the garden flowers. In part two, he hears the song of a warbler and is entranced. Poets like prostitutes sing and dance when the moon is out, but what does it mean?
In part three, we conclude.
Touched by the beauty of the bird’s song, he turns to his wine and drinks. Awaiting the evening and moon, he sings a great song, until the end, emptied of sentiment, he remains unmoved.
Let this be a poem lesson. Drinking all night will put you outside with what’s left of your wine, a song, and then, nothing.
Hao Ge, 浩歌
Our third verse presages 浩歌 Hao Ge, a poem by the Tang poet Li He (circa. 790–791 – 816–817), who likewise found wine and women irresistible and died at the early age of 26 or 27. Hao Ge, literally means “grand song”, one addressed to the universe. Max Ehrmann’s popular 20th century example “Desiderata” is a comparison that comes to mind.
Li Bai’s life ended, the story is told, when he fell from his boat, alone and drunk, trying to grasp the moon’s reflection in the water.
Notes on translation
感 Gǎn, touched, sensing感之 Gǎn zhī, a sense of it
嘆息 tàn xī, breathe a sigh
酒 Jiǔ, wine, spirits
浩歌 Hao Ge, compound word meaning song of the universe, grand song
歌 ge, sing, song, praise
忘情 wàngqíng, unmoved, lacking sentiment
Chinese and Pinyin
感之欲嘆息 對酒還自傾浩歌待明月 曲盡已忘情
Gǎn zhī yù tànxí duì jiǔ hái zì qīng
hào gē dài míngyuè qū jìn yǐ wàngqíng
100 Tang Poems 