Descending Zhongnan, Staying with the Hermit Husi and Drinking
English translation and interpretation are being reviewed.
山月随人归。
却顾所来径，
苍苍横翠微。
相携及田家，
童稚开荆扉。
绿竹入幽径，
青萝拂行衣。
欢言得所憩，
美酒聊共挥。
长歌吟松风，
曲尽河星稀。
我醉君复乐，
陶然共忘机。
English translation
At dusk I come down from the green mountains, the mountain moon comes home with me.
Looking back at the path I came by, the dark green spreads across the hillside.
Hand in hand we reach the farmer's house, the children open the bramble gate.
Green bamboo leads into the quiet path, blue creepers brush my traveling clothes.
Talking happily, we find a place to rest, and over fine wine we give ourselves free rein.
We sing a long song to the wind in the pines, the song ends, the river stars are few.
I am drunk and you are happy too, content, together we forget all the world's designs.
Meaning
At evening I came down from Mount Zhongnan, and the mountain moon followed me all the way home.
I turned to look at the path by which I had descended; the woods were a vast expanse of dark green.
By chance I met a hermit named Husi; hand in hand we went to his house, and the children hurried out to open the brushwood gate.
We entered a secluded path through the bamboo; the hanging vines brushed the clothes of those who passed.
With merry talk we rested and were at ease; we drank deep of good wine, host and guest raising cup on cup.
I sang a long song to which the pine wind answered; when the song ended the stars had already grown few.
I grew drunk, and my host was overjoyed; in gladness we forgot the scheming hearts of this world.
Background
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There are two views on the date of this poem. One holds that Li Bai wrote it while serving as a Hanlin Academician in attendance at Chang'an. Li Bai entered Chang'an twice in his life: the first time in 730 (the eighteenth year of the Kaiyuan era of Emperor Xuanzong of Tang), when he was thirty; the second in 742 (the first year of the Tianbao era), when he was forty-two. The poem was written during the period when Li Bai had first come to Chang'an and was living in retirement on Mount Zhongnan. The other holds that it was written in the spring of 752 (the eleventh year of the Tianbao era of Emperor Xuanzong), when Li Bai was fifty-two and likewise living in retirement on Mount Zhongnan.