This poem was written by Li Bai in response to the darkness of the government at that time. In his later years, Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty indulged in lust and favored Concubine Yang. He was a traitor, eunuch, and general who took power, which made the country a mess.
The poet's main idea is not clearly stated. Instead, he makes cryptic words throughout the text, turning reality into a fantasy, and using toads to eclipse the moon to allude to reality. The words are very profound and tortuous. One novel and wonderful imagination after another in the poem shows the poet's ups and downs of emotions, and the words are flowing, charming and thought-provoking, reflecting the majestic, unrestrained, fresh and elegant style of Li Bai's poetry.
Original text of the work
Gu Lang Yue Xing
When I was young, I didn’t recognize the moon, so I called it a white jade plate. I also suspected that the Yao Tai Mirror was flying in the blue clouds. The immortal has his legs hanging down, and the osmanthus tree is not round. The white rabbit made the medicine by pounding it. Who would he want to eat with? The toad has eroded its round shadow, and the bright night has faded away. Yi Xi fell into the Nine Crows, and heaven and man were clear and peaceful. The Yin essence is so confused that it is not enough to see if it goes away. What's wrong with it? The sadness is heartbreaking.
Vernacular translation: When I was a child, I didn’t know the moon and called it a white jade plate. He also suspected that it was the mirror from Yaotai Immortal that flew into the sky. Watching the moon at night, you can first see the feet of an immortal slowly appearing, and then a large osmanthus tree also appears. Legend has it that in the middle of the moon there is a white rabbit pounding the elixir. Who is it pounding for? It is also said that there is a big toad in the middle of the moon, which eclipses the moon and gradually becomes incomplete.
In the past, there was a hero named Yi. He shot down nine suns, leaving only one, so that everyone in heaven could live in peace and tranquility. The moon has lost its brilliance due to the yin spirit's sinking and bewitching, and it is no longer worth looking at.
I feel very worried about this, and the sadness is really heartbreaking!