Li Bai: Forsaking Me, Yesterday Could Never Stay 李白 抽刀斷水水更流 舉杯銷愁愁更愁 Poem by Frank Yue

A Farewell Banquet For Uncle Yun at the Xia Tiao Mansion in Sunzhou
- Li Bai

Forsaking me, yesterday could never stay,
Confounding me, today is not going my way.
For ten thousand miles the Autumn geese wild
Are escorted by the long, long winds mild;
With such scenery fine,
On this tall mansion you and I are enjoying our wine.

In charge of the royal library,
Your literary style is elegant and robust,
Whilst mine, inspiring and free.
With high aspirations
And great ambitions,
We both want to take flight,
Go up the blue, and embrace the Moon bright.

I unsheathe my sword and cut the water flowing,
But the water flows all the more;
I drown m'self in wine to drain my sorrows gnawing,
But sorrows come back all the more.
In this secular world, I can't follow my true me -
Tomorrow, I will quit, untie my hair, hop on
A small boat on the Yangtze, I will be free!


(2020.11.19)


《宣州謝脁樓餞別校書叔雲》唐 李白

棄我去者， 昨日之日不可留；
亂我心者， 今日之日多煩憂。
長風萬里送秋雁， 對此可以酣高樓。
蓬萊文章建安骨， 中間小謝又清發。
俱懷逸興壯思飛， 欲上青天覽攬明月。
抽刀斷水水更流， 舉杯銷愁愁更愁。
人生在世不稱意， 明朝散發弄扁舟。