The Eternal Moon

On the mid-autumn festival,I drank happily till dawn and wrote this in my cups while thinking of Ziyou.

When did the bright moon first appear?

Wine-cup in hand,I ask the blue sky.

I do not know what time of year It would be tonight in the palace on high.

Riding the wind,there I would fly,

But I'm afraid the crystalline palace would be 

Too high and too cold for me.

I rise and dance,with my shadow I play.

On high as on earth,would it be as gay?

The moon goes round the mansions red 

With gauze windows to shed 

Her light upon the sleepless bed.

Against man she should not have any spite.

Why then when people part is she oft full and bright?

Men have sorrow and joy,they part and meet again;

The moon may be bright or dim,she may wax or wane.

There has been nothing perfect since olden days.

So let us wish that man live as long as he can 

Though miles apart,we'll share the beauty she displays.

The moon rose from the sea,

it's when we both yearned each other.

What a long night we sighed,

just kept thinking of the love we've had.

Turned out the candle light,i walked under the moonshine.

Wore the silky shirt,i felt the dew sleep on my shoulders.

Sorry,baby,i couldn't scissor a piece of moonshine to you,

just wished we could encounter each other in the beautiful dream.

So bright a gleam on the foot of my bed --

Could there have been a frost already?

Lifting myself to look, I found that it was moonlight.

Sinking back again, I thought suddenly of home.

Far off in Fuzhou she is watching the moonlight,

Watching it alone from the window of her chamber-

For our boy and girl, poor little babes,

Are too young to know where the Capital is.

Her cloudy hair is sweet with mist,

Her jade-white shoulder is cold in the moon.

...When shall we lie again, with no more tears,

Watching this bright light on our screen?

From a pot of wine among the flowers

I drank alone. There was no one with me --

Till, raising my cup, I asked the bright moon

To bring me my shadow and make us three.

Alas, the moon was unable to drink

And my shadow tagged me vacantly;

But still for a while I had these friends

To cheer me through the end of spring....

I sang. The moon encouraged me.

I danced. My shadow tumbled after.

As long as I knew, we were boon companions.

And then I was drunk, and we lost one another.

...Shall goodwill ever be secure?

I watch the long road of the River of Stars.