Originally in Chinese

A pot of wine under the flowering trees;

I drink alone, for no friends are near me.

Lifting my cup, I ask the moon to drink a toast.

The moon reflected in my cup, my shadow, and me make three.

Then I sigh for the moon cannot drink,

And my shadow, never saying a word, just goes along with me;

With no other friends here, I can but use these two for company.

In this happy time of Spring, I too must be happy with all around me;

I sit and sing. and it is as if the moon accompanies me;

Then if I dance, it is my shadow that dances along with me.

While still not drunk, I am glad to make Moon and Shadow into friends,

But when I have drunk too much, we all part; yet we remain friends.

Though they have no emotion whatsoever; I can always count on them;

I hope that one day we three will meet again, deep in the Milky Way.