明 Ming · 诗 Poem
把酒对月歌
Song of Wine and Moon
李白前时原有月，惟有李白诗能说。
李白如今已仙去，月在青天几圆缺？
今人犹歌李白诗，明月还如李白时。
我学李白对明月，月与李白安能知！
李白能诗复能酒，我今百杯复千首。
我愧虽无李白才，料应月不嫌我丑。
我也不登天子船，我也不上长安眠。
姑苏城外一茅屋，万树梅花月满天。
Now Li Bai has become immortal, how many times has the moon waxed and waned in the blue sky?
Today people still sing Li Bai's poems, the bright moon is as it was in Li Bai's time.
I learn from Li Bai to face the bright moon, but how can the moon and Li Bai know me!
Li Bai could write poems and also drink wine; now I drink a hundred cups and compose a thousand poems.
I am ashamed I lack Li Bai's talent, yet I expect the moon won't despise my ugliness.
I do not board the emperor's boat, nor do I sleep in Chang'an.
Outside Suzhou city, a thatched cottage, ten thousand plum trees, and the moon fills the sky.
Meaning
The poet admires Li Bai's poetic skill in capturing the moon, laments Li Bai's passing, and emulates his free-spirited lifestyle, ultimately asserting indifference to official glory and contentment with a simple life among nature.
李白生前原有明月，只有李白的诗能把月写尽。李白如今已然成仙离去，明月在青天之上经历了几度圆缺？今人仍在吟唱李白的诗，明月也还像李白当年所见。我学着李白对着明月痛饮，明月与李白又怎会知晓！李白既能写诗又能饮酒，我如今也饮百杯吟千首。我虽惭愧没有李白的才华，想来明月应不会嫌我丑陋。我也不愿登上天子的船，也不愿到长安去安眠。姑苏城外一间茅屋，万树梅花与满天明月相伴。
Appreciation
Tang Yin's poem boldly parallels himself with Li Bai, wittily self-deprecating while proudly declaring his independence from imperial favor. The final image of a thatched cottage surrounded by plum trees under a full moon encapsulates a transcendent, carefree spirit.
【白话串讲】 “李白前时原有月，惟有李白诗能说”——唐寅举杯对月：李白写过月亮。“我学李白对明月，月与李白安能知”——他学李白对月。“我也不登天子船，我也不上长安眠”——“姑苏城外一茅屋，万树梅花月满天”——唐伯虎的狂放，写在诗里。 【意象与手法】 诗以“李白—月—我”三者往复对举为结构核心。前六句推倒群月诗、独尊李白，气概兀傲 【情感与主旨】 唐寅，字伯虎，一字子畏，号六如居士、桃花庵主，南直隶苏州吴县人 【名句点睛】 常考“借古人自况的抒情方式”“化用典故”“人物形象”。命题示例
Background
Tang Yin (1470–1523), courtesy name Bohu, was a talented scholar from Suzhou who suffered a career-ending scandal. Afterward, he built the Peach Blossom Hut and lived as a libertine poet, drinking and writing with friends. This song, composed in that period, expresses his disdain for worldly success and his identification with Li Bai's untamed persona.
《把酒对月歌》为明代唐寅所作，是写对月把酒、追慕李白之狂放的诗。唐寅（1470—1524），字伯虎，号六如居士，吴县人，明代诗人、画家。此诗：李白前时原有月，惟有李白诗能说。李白如今已仙去，月在青天几圆缺？今人犹歌李白诗，明月还如李白时。我学李白对明月，白与明月安能知？李白能诗复能酒，我今百杯复千首。我愧虽无李白才，料应月不嫌我丑。我也不登天子船，我也不上长安眠。姑苏城外一茅屋，万树梅花月满天。全诗写对月把酒、追慕李白，是唐寅诗的名篇。
Art
The poem is structured around the interplay of Li Bai, the moon, and the self. It opens by exalting Li Bai's poetic power, then shifts to the speaker's imitation and self-mockery, and ends with a serene yet defiant retreat to a rustic life. The gexing form allows for rhythmic variety, while the repeated contrasts create a dynamic tension between admiration and self-assertion.
《把酒对月歌》艺术上以对月把酒的狂放与追慕李白的深挚见长。全诗十六句，层层写来：前四句写李白与月——“李白前时原有月，惟有李白诗能说”写李白原月、李诗能说，“李白如今已仙去，月在青天几圆缺”写李白仙去、月在青天；中四句写今人歌李诗——“今人犹歌李白诗，明月还如李白时”写今人歌李诗、明月如旧，“我学李白对明月，白与明月安能知”写我学李白对月；后八句写我之狂放——“李白能诗复能酒，我今百杯复千首”写李白能诗酒、我今百杯千首，“我愧虽无李白才，料应月不嫌我丑”写我愧无李才、月不嫌丑，“我也不登天子船，我也不上长安眠”写不登天子船、不上长安眠，“姑苏城外一茅屋，万树梅花月满天”写姑苏茅屋、万树梅花月满天。全诗以对月把酒写追慕李白之狂放，正是唐寅诗狂放的笔法。
Allusions
The title alludes to Li Bai's 'Drinking Wine and Asking the Moon'. Lines like 'not boarding the emperor's boat' echo Du Fu's description of Li Bai as an ungovernable genius. Tang Yin repurposes these allusions to assert his own refusal to seek imperial favor, blending classical references with personal voice.
《把酒对月歌》用典在“李白诗能说”“登天子船”“长安眠”。“李白诗能说”用李白《把酒问月》“青天有月来几时”之意；“登天子船”用李白醉后登天子龙舟之典；“长安眠”用李白长安醉眠之典（杜甫“李白斗酒诗百篇，长安市上酒家眠”）。全诗以这些典故追慕李白，用典自然而狂放自见，正是唐寅诗的笔法。
Commentary
Critics praise this poem as a companion piece to Tang Yin's 'Peach Blossom Hut Song'. It combines bold self-affirmation with playful humility, creating a voice that is both audacious and accessible. Modern scholar Zhou Xiaotian notes that the self-deprecating tone makes the poet's pride more palatable, allowing readers to appreciate his defiant spirit.
《把酒对月歌》是唐寅诗的名篇，也是明诗中追慕李白的代表作。此诗写对月把酒、追慕李白之狂放，向为论者称道。论者多赏其对月把酒的狂放与追慕李白的深挚——“李白前时原有月，惟有李白诗能说”写李白与月，深挚之极；“李白能诗复能酒，我今百杯复千首”写我学李白、百杯千首，更见其狂；“我也不登天子船，我也不上长安眠”写不慕荣华，尤见其傲；“姑苏城外一茅屋，万树梅花月满天”写茅屋梅花、月满天，尤见其逸。唐寅为明中才子，其诗以狂放著称，此诗正是其代表——以对月把酒写追慕李白之狂放，正是其诗风。
Prosody
Line by line
李白前时原有月，惟有李白诗能说。李白如今已仙去，月在青天几圆缺？
Before Li Bai there was the moon; only Li Bai's poems could speak it. Now Li Bai has gone to the immortals; how many times has the moon rounded and waned in the blue sky?
李白前时原有月，惟有李白诗能说。李白如今已仙去，月在青天几圆缺？
Before Li Bai there was the moon; only Li Bai's poems could speak it. Now Li Bai has gone to the immortals; how many times has the moon rounded and waned in the blue sky?
前四句写李白与月，是全诗追慕李白的起点。“李白前时原有月，惟有李白诗能说”写李白原月——“李白前时原有月”写李白之前原本有月，“惟有李白诗能说”写只有李白的诗能够说月——李白原月，李诗能说；“李白如今已仙去，月在青天几圆缺”写李白仙去月在——“李白如今已仙去”写李白如今已经仙去，“月在青天几圆缺”写月在青天、几度圆缺——李白仙去，月在青天。四句写李白与月：李白前时原有月惟有李白诗能说，李白如今已仙去月在青天几圆缺。以“李白前时原有月，惟有李白诗能说”写李白以诗说月、独得其妙，以“李白如今已仙去，月在青天几圆缺”写李白仙去而月依旧圆缺，正是唐寅诗追慕李白的起点——李白去矣，明月犹存。
Li Bai. Before Li Bai there was the moon; only Li Bai's poems could speak it. Now Li Bai has gone to the immortals; how many times has the moon rounded and waned in the blue sky? The moon before Li Bai, the moon after him, and the how-many-rounds question are Tang Yin's opening. To have invoked Li Bai and the moon would be an invocation; the before-Li-Bai-there-was-the-moon-only-Li-Bai's-poems-could-speak against the now-Li-Bai-gone-to-the-immortals-moon-how-many-times-rounded-and-waned is the invocation.
李白能诗复能酒，我今百杯复千首。我愧虽无李白才，料应月不嫌我丑。
Li Bai could write poems and could drink; today I take a hundred cups and write a thousand poems. Ashamed that I lack Li Bai's talent, I reckon the moon will not mind my ugliness.
李白能诗复能酒，我今百杯复千首。我愧虽无李白才，料应月不嫌我丑。
Li Bai could write poems and could drink; today I take a hundred cups and write a thousand poems. Ashamed that I lack Li Bai's talent, I reckon the moon will not mind my ugliness.
中四句写学李白、百杯千首，是全诗写我之狂放的深化。“李白能诗复能酒，我今百杯复千首”写我学李白——“李白能诗复能酒”写李白能诗又能酒，“我今百杯复千首”写我今百杯又千首——李白诗酒，我今百杯千首；“我愧虽无李白才，料应月不嫌我丑”写月不嫌我——“我愧虽无李白才”写我惭愧虽无李白之才，“料应月不嫌我丑”写料想月亮不会嫌我丑——我愧无李才，月不嫌丑。四句写学李白、百杯千首：李白能诗复能酒我今百杯复千首，我愧虽无李白才料应月不嫌我丑。以“李白能诗复能酒，我今百杯复千首”写效法李白、百杯千首之狂，以“我愧虽无李白才，料应月不嫌我丑”写虽无李才而月不嫌丑之自得，正是唐寅诗写我之狂放的深化——学李白之诗酒，无才而自适。
The imitation. Li Bai could write poems and could drink; today I take a hundred cups and write a thousand poems. Ashamed that I lack Li Bai's talent, I reckon the moon will not mind my ugliness. Li Bai's poetry and wine, the hundred cups and thousand poems, and the moon's forgiving ugliness are the Tang Yin pose. To have imitated Li Bai would be an imitation; the Li-Bai-could-write-and-drink-today-I-take-a-hundred-cups-and-write-a-thousand-poems against the ashamed-I-lack-Li-Bai's-talent-reckon-the-moon-will-not-mind-my-ugliness is the imitation.
我也不登天子船，我也不上长安眠。
I will not board the Son of Heaven's barge; I will not go to Chang'an to sleep.
我也不登天子船，我也不上长安眠。
I will not board the Son of Heaven's barge; I will not go to Chang'an to sleep.
此二句写不登天子船、不上长安眠，是全诗写不慕荣华的深化。“我也不登天子船”用李白醉登龙舟之典写不登天子船——“我也不登天子船”用李白登龙舟之典写我也不登天子船——我也不登天子船；“我也不上长安眠”用李白长安醉眠之典写上长安眠——“我也不上长安眠”用杜甫李白长安酒家眠之意写我也不上长安眠——我也不上长安眠。二句写不登天子船、不上长安眠：我也不登天子船，我也不上长安眠。以“我也不登天子船”用李白登龙舟之典写不慕天子之宠，以“我也不上长安眠”用长安醉眠之典写不慕长安之荣，正是唐寅诗写不慕荣华、狂放自适的深化——不慕荣华，唯求自适。
The refusal. I will not board the Son of Heaven's barge; I will not go to Chang'an to sleep. The twice-stated refusal (no imperial barge, no Chang'an sleep) is Tang Yin's freedom. To have refused court favor would be a refusal; the I-will-not-board-the-Son-of-Heaven's-barge against the I-will-not-go-to-Chang'an-to-sleep is the refusal.
姑苏城外一茅屋，万树梅花月满天。
Outside Gusu City, a thatched hut; ten thousand plum trees, the moon filling the sky.
姑苏城外一茅屋，万树梅花月满天。
Outside Gusu City, a thatched hut; ten thousand plum trees, the moon filling the sky.
末写姑苏茅屋、梅花月满天，是全诗写自适之趣的归结。“姑苏城外一茅屋”写姑苏茅屋——“姑苏城外一茅屋”写姑苏城外一间茅屋——姑苏城外一茅屋；“万树梅花月满天”写梅花月满天——“万树梅花月满天”写万树梅花、月光满天——万树梅花月满天。二句写姑苏茅屋、梅花月满天：姑苏城外一茅屋，万树梅花月满天。以“姑苏城外一茅屋”写姑苏城外茅屋之简居，以“万树梅花月满天”写万树梅花、月色满天之境，正是唐寅诗写自适之趣的归结——茅屋梅花，对月自适。
The hut. Outside Gusu City, a thatched hut; ten thousand plum trees, the moon filling the sky. The single thatched hut and the ten thousand plum trees under the full moon are the close. To have closed on the hut and plum trees would be a close; the outside-Gusu-City-a-thatched-hut against the ten-thousand-plum-trees-the-moon-filling-the-sky is the close.
Study
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Related Reading
Compare this related work with the poem above through theme, imagery, tone, and emotional movement.
唐寅《桃花庵歌》“桃花坞里桃花庵，桃花庵下桃花仙”写桃花庵之乐，与本首同为唐寅诗写自适。差异在情境：把酒对月歌写对月追慕李白；桃花庵歌写桃花庵之乐。一写“月”之狂，一写“花”之逸。两者并读，可见唐寅诗写自适的两种情境。
言志 Stating My Ambition 唐寅 · 同为唐寅诗写志向自适，一写对月追李白一写言志，皆狂放 Related readingCompare this related work with the poem above through theme, imagery, tone, and emotional movement.
唐寅《言志》写其不慕荣华、自适之志，与本首同为唐寅诗。差异在主题：把酒对月歌写对月追李白；言志直写其志。一写“月”之趣，一写“志”之洁。两者并读，可见唐寅诗写其人的两种主题。
将进酒 Invitation to Wine (Li Bai) 李白 · 与本首相关联的同类或同作者作品，供对比阅读 Similar: both write about drinking wine facing the moon and despising the powerful; different: Li Bai's reflects High Tang unrestraint, Tang Yin's reflects mid-Ming self-deprecating unrestraintTang Yin's song is modeled after Li Bai's 'Invitation to Wine' and 'Asking the Moon', both using wine and moon to express pride; compare the romantic styles of Tang and Ming dynasties.
此处关联李白《将进酒》，与本首在主题、体裁或作者上相关联，可对比阅读以见其同异。