Drinking Alone by Moonlight by Li Bai [w/ Audio]

A pot of wine, under blossoms.
   I drink alone, no friends in sight.
 I raise a cup to lustrous Moon:
   Me, Moon, and Shadow will make three.
 But Moon is a teetotaler.
   And Shadow just skulks at my feet.
 Still, Moon & Shadow are my chums.
   We need a bash before Spring's end.
 But my singing makes Moon recoil.
   And Shadow flops hard when I dance.
 At first, we have a grand old time,
   But we part ways when I drift off.
 We should keep this epic friendship rolling,
   and meet again in the River of Stars.

NOTE: I produced this “translation” / arrangement, using translations by Arthur Waley, Ezra Pound, and that of “The Anchor Book of Chinese Poetry” [ed. by Tony Barnstone and Chou Ping] to get varied takes on the source poem.

Shadow Valley [Haiku]

from valley shadow,
 the sun-warmed mountain
  glows more brightly.

Shape Shift [Haiku]

in waning sunlight,
 the shapes of shadows shift
  as boats drift.

Long Shadow [Haiku]

summer evening:
long shadows climb steps
their source won’t reach.

Algae Pond [Haiku]

algae-covered pond:
provides a blank-slate
for shadow art.

DAILY PHOTO: Sunlight Crawls Up the Valley

Image

Shadow of Night [Haiku]

a park at night.
the shadows are darker
because of the light

The Sprawl [Tanka]

the rain tree sprawl
endomes the whole street.
folks miss the light show
and its leafy glory,
while enjoying coolness.