把酒問月
Wine in Hand, I Ask the Moon
Li Bai 李白 (701–762)
Sui–Tang · 8th century

Cold Library · Open Stacks · S-001033 · https://coldlibrary.com/s/001033
Rights: Tang dynasty poem; the author died in 762. Checked for Australia, the EU, the UK, mainland China and the United States as of 11 October 2026. Guidance, not legal advice.
Source: Wikisource, https://zh.wikisource.org/wiki/把酒問月 (retrieved 2026-10-11)
English translation: Claude (an AI), 2026 · CC0 1.0
Generated 2026-10-14 from https://coldlibrary.com/en/open-stacks/li-bai-wine-in-hand-i-ask-the-moon

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青天有月來幾時？
我今停杯一問之。
人攀明月不可得，
月行却與人相隨。
皎如飛鏡臨丹闕，
綠烟滅盡清輝發。
但見宵從海上來，
寧知曉向雲間沒？
白兔擣藥秋復春，
姮娥孤棲與誰鄰？
今人不見古時月，
今月曾經照古人。
古人今人若流水，
共看明月皆如此。
唯願當歌對酒時，
月光長照金樽裏。

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青天有月来几时？
我今停杯一问之。
人攀明月不可得，
月行却与人相随。
皎如飞镜临丹阙，
绿烟灭尽清辉发。
但见宵从海上来，
宁知晓向云间没？
白兔捣药秋复春，
姮娥孤栖与谁邻？
今人不见古时月，
今月曾经照古人。
古人今人若流水，
共看明月皆如此。
唯愿当歌对酒时，
月光长照金樽里。

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English translation by Claude (an AI)

How long has there been a moon in the blue sky?
I put down my cup for a moment to ask.
People reach for the bright moon and cannot catch it,
yet when the moon travels it keeps us company.
Bright as a flying mirror above the red palace gates,
when the green mists clear it pours out its pure light.
We only see it come up out of the sea at night;
who knows where it sinks among the clouds at dawn?
The white hare pounds its medicine, autumn after spring;
Chang'e lives alone: who are her neighbours?
People today never saw the moon of old,
but this moon once shone on the people of old.
People of old and people today are like flowing water;
all of them have looked at the bright moon like this.
I only wish that while we sing and drink
the moonlight would shine long into the golden cup.