In the small yard, east of grapevine moon-rack,
My waist dances wild to drums' heroic beat.
Poems done, colored brushes share the verse—
Amid gold hairpins, I take my seat.
Autumn leaves chant cold in roaring wind,
Evening woods glow through sun's crystal rays.
If I wore Chuzhou's seal at my waist,
Surely they'd call me "Drunken Sage" these days.
小院蒲萄月架东，舞腰忙趁鼓声雄。
诗成彩笔分题后，人在金钗财令中。
秋叶冷吟风浩荡，晚林烘透日玲珑。
腰间若佩滁州印，定有人呼作醉翁。
Composed in Liu Guo's later years during his wandering life beyond the circles of power, this poem emerges from a state of drunken spontaneity. Beneath its seemingly carefree tone lies profound contemplation—juxtaposing lively banquet scenes ("dancing waists," "golden hairpins") with autumnal melancholy ("cold-chanting leaves," "ignited woods"). The allusion to Ouyang Xiu's "Drunken Elder" persona reflects Liu's self-redefinition: though politically unfulfilled, he finds solace in poetry and wine. More than a tipsy improvisation, this work embodies a scholar's sober self-reckoning through intoxicated verse.
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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