I knew your name many years ago.
You are Li po the great poet of Chinese ancient time.
Your poems were full of drunkenness.
You drank all the time, from morning to night.
You wrote a lot of poems.
Your poems were filled with sadness
Just like afternoons being filled with dark clouds.
You traveled around, carrying winds and dusts
You borrowed the earth for your bed and pillows
You covered yourself with blankets of clouds.
Looking up the sky while your senses were out
The mighty Tian Shan peak invited you to drink even more
You lay there dreaming of clouds and winds
Of the flower garden and of the filled wine jar
Of the boat carrying you and the moon downstream.
Nights after nights, you looked up the sky
Pouring down your throat with a jar full of wine.
You sat and embraced the Moon with your heart.
That Lady Moon is your friend
Your own Shadow is your dearest part.
You invited the Moon to drink with you
The Moon couldn't drink but agreed to dance.
Your Shadow always drank and danced with you.
Embracing the Moon, you danced,
Your Shadow followed your steps.
Three of you stayed close when you were lucid.
When you were deep in your drunken stupor
Three of you departed in three different ways.
You promised to meet your friends in the Milky Way
After getting lost by your own drunkenness.
12/31/2014
NHIEN NGUYEN
Translation of
TƯỞNG NIỆM THI HÀO LÝ-BẠCH - Poem by NHIEN NGUYEN MD
Tên ông tôi biết đã lâu
Ông là Lý Bạch nước Tầu xa xưa.
Thơ ông đầy những men say
Rượu thì ông uống sáng trưa tối chiều.
Thơ ông viết cũng khá nhiều
Nỗi buồn vương vấn như chiều nhiều mây.
Ngược xuôi, gió bụi phong trần
Đất là giường gối, đắp chăn mây trời
Khi say ông ngó đỉnh trời
Thái Sơn cao vút càng mời ông say.
Ông nằm mơ gió cùng mây
Vườn hoa hũ rượu, thuyền trăng xuôi dòng.
Đêm đêm ngửa cổ nhìn trời
Hũ rượu ông uống, ông ngồi ôm trăng.
Bạn ông, một ả Hằng Nga
Bóng hình ông nữa, bạn vàng của ông.
Ông mời Trăng uống với ông
Trăng không thể uống, đồng lòng nhẩy chung.
Bóng ông vẫn uống nhẩy cùng
Ôm trăng ông nhẩy, Bóng mình nhẩy chung.
Chưa say, ba bạn ở cùng
Khi say chếnh choáng ba đường chia tay.
Hẹn nhau nơi giải Ngân Hà
Sau khi đã lạc tìm nhau chỗ này
12/31/2014
NHIEN NGUYEN
This poem has not been translated into any other language yet.
I would like to translate this poem
Indeed, Li Po, the great Chinese poet. I am so glad that you are able to translate his poem!