Master, I hail you from my heart,
And your fame arisen to the skies....
Renouncing in ruddy youth the importance of hat and chariot,
You chose pine-trees and clouds; and now, whitehaired,
Drunk with the moon, a sage of dreams,
Flower- bewitched, you are deaf to the Emperor....
High mountain, how I long to reach you,
Breathing your sweetness even here!
吾爱孟夫子，风流天下闻。
红颜弃轩冕，白首卧松云。
醉月频中圣，迷花不事君。
高山安可仰，徒此揖清芬。
Five-character-regular-verse
This poem was likely composed during Li Bai's residence in Anlu, Hubei (727-736 AD), where he befriended Meng Haoran and developed a profound camaraderie. The work passionately celebrates Meng's indifference to fame and wealth, his noble self-possession, while expressing the poet's admiration and reflecting his own pursuit of spiritual freedom beyond worldly concerns.
Classical Chinese poetry thrives on Concision and Ambiguity. Without tense or number, the words create a timeless space where the reader becomes the co-creator of the poem's meaning.
Look for Contrasts: light and shadow, movement and stillness. Don't just translate the words; feel the Yijing (artistic conception) that lingers long after the last character.
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