Li Po (701-762) was probably the greatest Chinese poets of premorden times. It is generally agreed that he and Tu Fu raised in the shih form to its highest level of powerand expressiveness; later poets at times approached but never surpassed them.
Li Po's distinctionlies in the fact that he brought an unparalleled grace and eloquence to his treament of the traditional themes,a flow and grandeur that lift his work far above of mere immitation of the past. Another characteristic of his poetry is the air of playfulness, hyperbole and outright fantasy that infuses much of it.
Li Po grew up in Szechwan in western China and later traveled extensively in the eastern and central regions.Around 742 he gained recognition from emperor Hsuan-tsung (Xuan Zong) and was appointed to a post in the Hanlin Academy, but a few years later he was exiled from the capital as a result of slanders. He fled south at the time of the rebellion in 755 and entered the service of Prince Yung. The Prince's downfall involved Li Po in a second exile, though he was eventuallypardoned and resumed his life of wandering.
--from the Columbia Book of Chinese Poetry

Drinking Alone with the Moon

From a pot of wine among the flowers
I drank alone.There was no one with me --
Till raising my cup, I ask the bright moon
To bring me my shadow and make us three.
Alas, the moon was unable to drink
And my shadow tagged me vacantly;
But still for a while I had these friends
To cheer me through the end of spring....
I sang. The moon encouraged me
I danced. My shadow tumbled after.
As long as I knew, we were born companions.
And then I was drunk, and we lost one another.
....Shall goodwill ever be secure?
I watch the long road of the River of Stars.

月下独酌

花间一壶酒
独酌无相亲
举杯邀明月
对影成三人
月既不解饮
影徒随我身
暂伴月将影
行乐须及春
我歌月徘徊
我舞影零乱
醒时同交欢
醉後各分散
永结无情游
相期邈云汉

A Farewell to Secretary Shu-yun
at the Hsieh Tiao Villa in Hsuan-Chou

Since yesterday had thrown me and bolt,

Today has hurt my heart even more.

The autumn wildgeese have a long wing for escort
As I face them from this villa, drinking my wine.
The bones of great writers are your brushes, in the school of heaven,
And I am Lesser Hsieh growing up by your side.
We both are exalted to distant thought,
Aspiring to the sky and the bright moon.
But since water still flows, though we cut it with our swords,
And sorrow return,though we drown them with wine,
Since the world can in no way answer our craving,
I will loosen my hair tomorrow and take to a fishing-boat.

宣州谢眺楼饯
别校书叔云

弃我去者
昨日之日不可留
乱我心者
今日之日多烦忧
长风万里送秋雁
对此可以酣高楼
蓬莱文章建安骨
中间小谢又清发
俱怀逸兴壮思飞
欲上青天览明月
抽刀断水水更流
举杯销愁愁更愁
人生在世不称意
明朝散发弄扁舟

The Hard Road

Pure wine costs, for the golden cup, ten thousand coppers a flagon,
And a jade plate of dainty food calls for million coins.
I fling aside my food-sticks and cup, I cannot eat nor drink...
I pull out my dagger, I peer four ways in vain.
I would cross the Yellow River, but ice chokes the ferry;
I would climb the Tai-hang Mountains, but the sky is blind with snow..
I would sit and poise a fishing-pole, lazy by a brook --
But I suddenly dream of riding a boat, sailing for the sun...
Journeying is hard,
Journeying is hard.
There are many turings --
Which am I to follow?...
I will mount a long wind some day and break the heavy waves
And set my cloudy sail straight and bridge the deep, deep sea.

行路难

金樽清酒斗十千
玉盘珍羞值万钱
停杯投箸不能食
拔剑四顾心茫然
欲渡黄河冰塞川
将登太行雪满山
闲来垂钓碧溪上
忽复乘舟梦日边
行路难
行路难
多歧路
今安在
长风破浪会有时
直挂云帆济沧海

Bringing in the Wine

See how the Yellow River's water move out of heaven.
Entering the ocean,never to return.

See how lovely locks in bright mirrors in high chambers,
Though silken-black at morning, have changed by night to snow.

... Oh, let a man of spirit venture where he pleases
And never tip his golden cup empty towards the moon!
Since heaven gave the talent, let it be employed!
Spin a thousand of pieces of silver, all of them come back!
Cook a sheep, kill a cow, whet the appetite,
And make me, of three hundred bowls, one long drink!
... To the old master, Tsen,
And the young scholar, Tan-chiu,
Bring in the wine!
Let your cups never rest!
Let me sing you a song!
Let your ears attend!
What are bell and drum, rare dishes and treasure?
Let me be forever drunk and never come to reason!
Sober men of olden days and sages are forgotten,
And only the great drinkers are famous for all time.
... Prince Chen paid at a banquet in the Palace of Perfection
Ten thousand coins for a cask of wine, with many a laugh and quip.
Why say, my host, that your money is gone?
Go and buy wine and we'll drink it together!
My flower-dappled horse,
My furs worth a thousand,
Hand them to the boy to exchange for good wine,
And we'll drown away the woes of ten thousand generation!

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
君莫停
与君歌一曲
请君为我侧耳听
钟鼓馔玉不足贵
但愿长醉不愿醒
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
与尔同消万古愁

Parting at a Wine-shop in Nan-king

A wind, bringing willow-cotton, sweetens the shop,
And a girl from Wu, pouring wine, urges me to share it.
With my comrades of the city who are here to see me off;
And as each of them drains his cup, I say to him in parting,
Oh, go and ask this river running to the east
If it can travel farther than a friend's love!

金陵酒肆留别

风吹柳花满店香
吴姬压酒唤客尝
金陵子弟来相送
欲行不行各尽觞
请君试问东流水
别意与之谁短长

Tzu-yeh Song

Chang-an -- one slip of moon;
in ten thousand houses, the sound of fulling mallets.
Autumn winds keep on blowing,
all things make me think of Jade Pass!
When will they put down the barbarians
and my good man come home from his far campaign?

子夜歌

长安一片月
万户捣衣声
秋风吹不尽
总是玉关情
何日平胡虏
良人罢远征

Spring Night in Lo-yang Hearing a Flute

In what house, the jade flute that sends these dark notes drifting,
scattering on the spring wind that fills Lo-yang?
Tonight if we should hear the willow-breaking song,
who could help but long for the gardens of home?

春夜洛阳闻笛

谁家玉笛暗飞声
散入东风满洛城
此夜曲中闻折柳
谁人不起故园情

On Climbing in Nan-king to the Terrace of Phoenixes

Phoenixes that play here once, so that the place was named for them,
Have abandoned it now to this desolated river;
The paths of Wu Palace are crooked with weeds;
The garments of Chin are ancient dust.
...Like this green horizon halving the Three Peaks,
Like this Island of White Egrets dividing the river,
A cloud has risen between the Light of Heaven and me,
To hide his city from my melancholy heart.

登金陵凤凰台

凤凰台上凤凰游
凤去台空江自流
吴宫花草埋幽径
晋代衣冠成古丘
三山半落青天外
二水中分白鹭洲
总为浮云能蔽日
长安不见使人愁