《宣州谢朓楼饯别校书叔云》 Giving A Farewell Dinner for Uncle Yun at Xie Tiao’s Pavilion 弃我去者，昨日之日不可留；乱我心者，今日之日多烦忧。 Gone forever are bygone days, my heart is much upset nowadays. 长风万里送秋雁，对此可以酣高楼。 Strong wind is carrying geese wild. Across the blue sky far and wide. Facing this scene, I can drink to the full. And sleep soundly in a high attic cool. 蓬莱文章建安骨，中间小谢又清发。 Your writings are vigorous and energetic as of the style of the Jian an Epoch, and my poetry is as fresh and elegant as that of Xie Tiao and his folk. 俱怀逸兴壮思飞，欲上青天览明月。 We all have noble ideal, desiring to fly to the blue sky, to grasp the moon a great deal. 抽刀断水水更流，举杯消愁愁更愁。 I intend to cut the (current) water off with my sword, but if flows more quickly, all told. I raise the wine cup to quench my sorrow once more, but I feel sorry all the more. 人生在世不称意，明朝散发弄扁舟。 Life is unsatisfactory in this human world. Tomorrow I’ll row a flat boat with disheveled hair to travel around the world. The poem above is the origin of the whole poem.Tarah Y's answer is pretty good. I can give you an example to use it. 他一个人很孤独,只有借酒消愁.

首先，李白的原句是“抽刀断水水更流 ，举杯消愁愁更愁”。可以在劝苦闷的朋友不要再多喝酒的时候使用，但生活中更常用的是“借酒消愁”或“借酒浇愁”两词。

-我很烦…… -怎么了？ -工作、钱、老婆、老妈……唉， 不说了，来，喝酒，喝酒，今天不醉不归！ -这叫什么！借酒浇愁啊？ -今朝有酒今朝醉嘛！

Here is an example: --why you keep drinking! --I am sad! She is gone, I can't get her back! and I have to foget her! ---but it won't help you get rid of the sadness,you know,only feel more pain when you sober up! And your feeling for her will never disappear, only grow up stronger day by day.(借酒消愁愁更愁，抽刀断水水更流) But it is not only just suitable for love, all kinds of similar fellings are counted

drink some alcohol to get rid of the depression but the depression become more, just as u want to cut the current by a knife but the current runs faster