Good Old Moon

by Li Bai

　　When I was a boy I called the moon a

　　white plate of jade, sometimes it looked

　　like a great mirror hanging in the sky,

　　first came the two legs of the fairy

　　and the cassia tree, but for whom the rabbit

　　kept on pounding medical herbs, I

　　just could not guess. Now the moon is being

　　swallowed by the toad and the light

　　flickers out leaving darkness all around;

　　I hear that when nine of the burning suns out

　　of the ten were ordered to be shot down by

　　the Emperor Yao, all has since been quiet

　　and peaceful both for heaven and man,

　　but this eating up of the moon is for me

　　a truly ugly scene filling me with forebodings

　　wondering what will come out of it.

　　Li Po