English Rendering
There's a gleam of green in an old bottle,
There's a stir of red in the quiet stove,
There's a feeling of snow in the dusk outside --
What about a cup of wine inside?
A Suggestion to My Friend Liu
- Poetry of Bai Juyi
《问刘十九》
Original Text (中文原文)
绿蚁新醅酒，红泥小火炉。
晚来天欲雪，能饮一杯无？
Analysis & Context
Five-character-quatrain
This poem was written around the 10th year of Yuanhe in the reign of Emperor Xianzong of Tang (815). At that time, Bai Juyi had been demoted to Jiangzhou Sima due to the failure of the "Yongzhen Reform." During his days away from the political center, he gradually shifted his focus to life itself, finding solace in everyday affairs. This poem, written in such a state of mind, paints a warm winter night invitation with a light and natural touch. With the fragrance of slightly intoxicating wine and the warmth of a small red clay stove, the poet sincerely invites his friend Liu Shijiu to share this rare moment of tranquility.
Reader's Companion
The Essence of the Verse
Classical Chinese poetry thrives on Concision and Ambiguity. Without tense or number, the words create a timeless space where the reader becomes the co-creator of the poem's meaning.
Reading Between the Lines
Look for Contrasts: light and shadow, movement and stillness. Don't just translate the words; feel the Yijing (artistic conception) that lingers long after the last character.
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- On Qiantang Lake in Spring
- Spring View in Hangzhou
- Song of Willow Branch
- The Summit Temple
- <Prelude to Water Melody> Sent to Ziyou on Mid-autumn Festival
- Invitation to Wine
- Question and Answer in the Mountains
- Cold sheet
- Coming Home ( Returning Home )
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