Our life is but a dream,
Why should one toil in vain?
I’m therefore drunk all day
And lie prostrate at the porch.
Awake, I look at the courtyard green;
A bird sings amid flowers fair.
When I ask spring how old it is,
It says I am as old as my song.
I’d sigh, but soon I check my breath;
I drink my cup of wine instead.
I sing until the moon rises bright;
My song over, I forget the feeling.
处世若大梦，胡为劳其生？
所以终日醉，颓然卧前楹。
觉来眄庭前，一鸟花间鸣。
借问此何时？春风语流莺。
感之欲叹息，对酒还自倾。
浩歌待明月，曲尽已忘情。
Composed after Li Bai's dismissal from court ("golden dismissal"), this work reflects profound soul-searching following his fall from political prominence. In 744 CE, the poet left Chang'an with spiritual wounds, his ideals of governance shattered. This poem typifies his later philosophy—beneath seemingly unrestrained drunkenness lies serious inquiry into life's value and resolute detachment from worldly pursuits.
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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