古朗月行
An Old Ballad of the Moon
Original
小时不识月，
呼作白玉盘。
又疑瑶台镜，
飞在青云端。
仙人垂两足，
桂树何团团。
白兔捣药成，
问言与谁餐？
蟾蜍蚀圆影，
大明夜已残。
羿昔落九乌，
天人清且安。
阴精此沦惑，
去去不足观。
忧来其如何？
凄怆摧心肝。
Translation
When I was small, I knew not the moon,
I called it a white jade plate.
I also took it for a fairy terrace mirror,
Floating high above the blue cloud peaks.
The immortal hangs his two feet down,
How round the cassia tree does loom!
The white rabbit pounds out magic pills,
I ask, for whom are they meant to consume?
A toad gnaws the moon’s round glow,
The bright light fades, the night grows dim and low.
Once Yi shot down the nine sun-birds,
Heaven and earth were peaceful, pure, and stirred.
Now the moon’s essence is lost in chaos,
Gone, gone—no longer worth a gaze.
What can I do when sorrow overwhelms?
Grief cuts my heart, and woe my soul engulfs.
Line by Line Analysis
About This Poem
This poem, *An Old Ballad of the Moon*, transitions seamlessly from a child’s innocent wonder at the moon to an adult’s profound sorrow over its perceived corruption. Composed amid the An Lushan Rebellion, which shattered the Tang Dynasty’s prosperity, Li Bai first paints a vivid picture of childhood naivety—mistaking the moon for a jade plate or a fairy’s mirror—before weaving in mythic imagery of immortals, cassia trees, and moon rabbits. The shift to the moon’s eclipse by a toad symbolizes the fading of imperial glory and social order, contrasting pure, untainted imagination with the harsh reality of a crumbling world, and voicing Li Bai’s deep anxiety for his nation and disillusionment with turbulent times.
About the Poet
李白
Lǐ Bái
Lǐ Bái (701–762), widely celebrated as the 'Poet Immortal', was a towering figure of the High Tang Dynasty’s poetic golden age. Together with Du Fu, he formed the revered 'Li-Du' duo, representing the pinnacle of Chinese classical poetry. Renowned for his bold, unconstrained style and vivid, fantastical imagery, he drew inspiration from nature, folklore, and his roving life, crafting works that blend profound emotion with boundless imagination, influencing generations of poets globally.
Cultural & Historical Context
Historically, this poem emerged during the An Lushan Rebellion (755–763), a catastrophic conflict that ended the High Tang’s golden age and plunged the empire into chaos. Culturally, it draws heavily on core Chinese moon myths: the Yao Terrace (a celestial palace for immortals), the ever-round cassia tree, the rabbit pounding immortality elixir, the toad as an eclipse omen, and Yi shooting nine suns to restore cosmic order, all deeply rooted in traditional Chinese cosmology. Socially, the rebellion brought widespread war, famine, and political corruption, leaving ordinary people destitute and imperial authority weakened. Personally, Li Bai was in exile and wandering at this time, his lifelong political ideals unfulfilled as he witnessed the empire’s decline firsthand. His创作目的是 to critique the corrupt ruling class and express profound concern for the nation, using the moon’s transformation from a pure, bright symbol to an eclipsed, dimmed orb as a powerful metaphor. Artistically, the work masterfully contrasts childlike innocence with adult despair, blending rich mythic imagery with raw emotional honesty, and adopts the ballad form to create a flowing, rhythmic narrative that amplifies its thematic weight, merging romantic fantasy with sharp social commentary.
More by 李白
独坐敬亭山
Sitting Alone on Mount Jingting
众鸟高飞尽，
黄鹤楼送孟浩然之广陵
Seeing Meng Haoran Off to Guangling at Yellow Crane Tower
故人西辞黄鹤楼，
静夜思
Thoughts on a Quiet Night
床前明月光，
秋浦歌
Song of Qiupu (No. 15)
白发三千丈，
望庐山瀑布
Viewing the Waterfall at Mount Lu
日照香炉生紫烟，
望天门山
Viewing Tianmen Mountain
天门中断楚江开，
早发白帝城
Departing from Baidi City at Dawn
朝辞白帝彩云间，
赠汪伦
To Wang Lun
李白乘舟将欲行，