English Rendering
The greybeard, seventy, still deals in wine;
A thousand jars, a hundred urns, at Huamen’s gate in line.
The roadside elm seeds look like cash, you know;
If I pick them to buy your drink, will you let them go?
Playing a Joke on the Vintner at Huamen
- Poetry of Cen Shen
《戏问花门酒家翁》
Original Text (中文原文)
老人七十仍沽酒，千壶百瓮花门口。
道傍榆荚仍似钱，摘来沽酒君肯否？
Analysis & Context
This poem was composed in the spring of 751 AD, during the Tianbao reign of Emperor Xuanzong. At the time, Cen Shen was serving on the staff of Gao Xianzhi, Military Governor of Anxi.
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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