將進酒 original text
Stay close to the sentence.
Do you not see the water of the Yellow River, coming from heaven, rushing to the sea never to return?
Do you not see the bright mirror in the high hall grieving over white hair, black silk in the morning and snow by evening?
When life is pleased, one must enjoy it fully; do not let the golden goblet face the moon empty.
Heaven has given me talent, so it must be of use; when a thousand pieces of gold are spent, they return again.
Cook the sheep, slaughter the ox, let us be merry; we must drink three hundred cups in one sitting.
Master Cen, Danqiu, bring in the wine; do not stop.
I will sing you a song; lend me your ears.
Bells, drums, fine food, and jade are not worth much; I only want to stay drunk and never wake.
The sages of old have all been lonely; only drinkers leave their names behind.
The Prince of Chen once feasted at Ping乐, spending ten thousand in wine and laughing freely.
Why does the host say he has little money? Go straight and buy the wine for us to pour together.
Bring out the five-flower horse and the thousand-gold fur; call the boy to exchange them for fine wine, and let us dissolve the sorrow of all ages.
Let the image breathe.
Have you not seen the Yellow River water descend from heaven, rushing to the sea, never turning back?
Have you not seen the high hall mirror mourn white hair, black in the morning and snow by night?
When life gives you joy, take it all; do not leave the golden cup empty beneath the moon.
My talent was made for use. Spend a thousand in gold, and a thousand will return.
Cook the sheep, butcher the ox, make merry; tonight we must drink three hundred cups.
Master Cen, Danqiu, bring the wine. Do not stop.
I will sing a song for you. Lend me your ears.
Bells, drums, delicacies, and jade are nothing to me. I want only to stay drunk and never wake.
The sages of old were lonely. Only the drinkers are remembered.
Think of Prince Chen at Ping乐, spending ten thousand on wine and laughing without restraint.
Why say the host has little money? Go and buy the wine, and pour it for us.
Bring the fine horse and the costly fur. Send the boy to trade them for wine, and let us drink away the sorrow of ages.
What to know
The poem is shaped as a public performance addressed to companions. Its extravagant commands create momentum, while references to talent, sages, and Prince Chen bring questions of recognition and political frustration into the feast.
What to notice
Water and hair make time visible: one rushes away, the other changes colour. Against that loss, the poem builds abundance through gold, food, music, and wine. The excess is both bravado and a defence against the fear that nothing lasts.
Three useful phrases.
- 將進酒
- an invitation to bring in or serve the wine
- 金樽
- a golden wine cup, a sign of wealth and ceremony
- 萬古愁
- the sorrow of all ages, or grief stretched across time