Li Bai – Let’s Party

Can Li Bai, China’s greatest poet, be translated into frat-boy-ese? Lee tried. 

It is not as crazy as it sounds. Li Bai is an alcoholic poet. Though he has long been translated into a highfalutin English that sounds like a stuffy Shakespere. But Li Bai is just talking about getting drunk. 

Does Lee’s translation work? Stay tuned and decide for yourself.

Lee’s Translation:

Let’s Party

The Yellow River only flows one way,

rushing towards the sea, never turning back. 

Can you not see me in the big hall, reflected in the blinged-out mirror, with my hair turned white, 

it is as if my once-jet black hair has, late in life, become like a cloud.

When people are happy, they should party hard, 

don’t let the gold cup remain empty when facing the moon. 

Barbeque that lamb, slaughter the cow, this is a party, 

We ought to drink three hundred cups of this shit. 

Cen Xun, Yuan Muqiu, let’s party, drink nonstop. 

Sing a song with me, and as I sing, yall listen up. 

Spending cash, having parties, that’s something that everybody does,

but me, I am ready to go on a binge and never sober up. 

From back in the day, all the holy saints were lonely and shunned, 

only the boozers stay famous. 30

In olden times, Cao Zhi partied it up with feasts at Ping Le, 

drinking shit that was worth thousands as much as he liked.

Man, why do you say you are low on cash,

for I should buy the beer and share some of it with you. 

The dappled mane, the fur coat, call the bartender and get them to bring out some more booze, for this is the way we distract ourselves from the worries of the ages. 

Original:

将进酒

君不见黄河之水天上来，奔流到海不复回。

君不见高堂明镜悲白发，朝如青丝暮成雪。

人生得意须尽欢，莫使金樽7空对月。

天生我材必有用，千金散尽还复来。

烹羊宰牛且为乐，会须一饮三百杯。

岑夫子，丹丘生，将进酒，杯莫停。

与君歌一曲，请君为我倾耳听。

钟鼓馔玉不足贵，但愿长醉不复醒。

古来圣贤皆寂寞，惟有饮者留其名。

陈王昔时宴平乐，斗酒十千恣欢谑。

主人何为言少钱，径须沽取对君酌。

五花马、千金裘，呼儿将出换美酒，与尔同销万古愁