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Jiǔ Rì Lóng Shān YǐnDrinking on Dragon Mountain on the Ninth 九日龙山饮

Li Bai (李白, also known as Li Po, Li Taibai)|High Tang|five-character quatrain

Li Bai drinks on Dragon Mountain at Double Ninth, admiring chrysanthemums.

Original Chinese text with pinyin

九日龙山饮
jiǔ rì lóng shān yǐn

黄花笑逐臣
huáng huā xiào zhú chén

醉看风落帽
zuì kàn fēng luò mào

舞爱月留人
wǔ ài yuè liú rén

Simplified characters; traditional title: 九日龍山飲.

English translation

On the Ninth Day, drinking on Dragon Mountain,

the yellow flowers smile at an exiled official.

Drunk, I watch the wind blow off my hat;

dancing, I love how the moon makes me stay.

Original translation by Poetune — literal but poetic, written for this site.

Line by line

九日龙山饮 · jiǔ rì lóng shān yǐn — On the Ninth Day, drinking on Dragon Mountain,
黄花笑逐臣 · huáng huā xiào zhú chén — the yellow flowers smile at an exiled official.
醉看风落帽 · zuì kàn fēng luò mào — Drunk, I watch the wind blow off my hat;
舞爱月留人 · wǔ ài yuè liú rén — dancing, I love how the moon makes me stay.

Meaning and imagery

Li Bai drinks on Dragon Mountain at Double Ninth, admiring chrysanthemums. The scene stays with you.

Background

Li Bai drinks on Dragon Mountain at Double Ninth, admiring chrysanthemums.

Key words

九日 jiǔ rì
key word in the poem
龙山 lóng shān
key word in the poem
黄花 huáng huā
key word in the poem

About the poet: Li Bai

Li Bai (also romanized Li Po; courtesy name Taibai) is celebrated as the "Immortal of Poetry." Raised in Sichuan, he spent much of his life wandering, briefly served at the court of Emperor Xuanzong in Chang'an, and is remembered for his love of wine, the moon and untamed nature. He and Du Fu are regarded as the two greatest poets of the Tang dynasty.

Lifetime: 701–762. Other famous works: Farewell to a Friend (送友人); Song of Qiupu (White Hair) (秋浦歌); Midnight Song of Wu (Autumn) (子夜吴歌); Question and Answer in the Mountains (山中问答); For Wang Lun (赠汪伦); The Road Is Hard (行路难); Sitting Alone Facing Jingting Mountain (独坐敬亭山); Written as a Traveler (客中作); Song of the Moon over Mount Emei (峨眉山月歌); Resentment (怨情); Farewell to Meng Haoran at Yellow Crane Tower (黄鹤楼送孟浩然之广陵); Quiet Night Thoughts (静夜思); Bring In the Wine (将进酒); Drinking Alone Under the Moon (月下独酌); Viewing the Waterfall at Mount Lu (望庐山瀑布); Leaving Baidi City at Dawn (早发白帝城); The Hard Road to Shu (蜀道难); Gazing at Tianmen Mountain (望天门山); Song of Changgan (长干行); Boating on Dongting Lake (陪族叔刑部侍郞晔及中书贾舎人至游洞庭); Song of the Yue Girl (越女词); Visiting a Taoist on Mount Daitian (访戴天山道士不遇); Easing My Heart (自遣); A Summer Day in the Mountains (夏日山中); Farewell at a Jinling Tavern (金陵酒肆留别); Song of the Bright Moon (古朗月行); Drinking on Dragon Mountain on the Ninth (九日龙山饮); Drinking with a Hermit in the Mountains (山中与幽人对酌); Song of Pure Peace (清平调 其一); Song of Pure Peace III (清平调 其三); Song of Youth (少年行); Down Through Jingmen in Autumn (秋下荆门); Crossing Jingmen (渡荆门送别); Staying the Night at a Mountain Temple (夜宿山寺); For Meng Haoran (赠孟浩然).

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日本語版(書き下し文・現代語訳) · 繁體中文版