Question?

Bai Juyi, 772-846

“Ask Liu Shuji,” a poem by the Chinese poet Bai Juyi to his friend Liu Shijiu. Asking the question: one cup, as if one is enough.

問劉十九
Wèn Liú Shíjiǔ
Asking Liu Shijiu

綠蟻新醅酒
Lǜyǐ xīn pēi jiǔ,
Green ants, new wine,

紅泥小火爐
hóng ní xiǎo huǒlú.
A red clay stove, a small fire.

晚來天欲雪
Wǎn lái tiān yù xuě,
Night is coming, its snowing,

能飲一杯無
néng yǐn yībēi wú
(Friend), how about one drink?

Bai Juyi

Green Ants

Lǜ yǐ xīn pēi jiǔ,

Green ants (luyi) might be an unfamiliar term to those who have never seen or tasted new wine. On rice wine there is a bubbly green foam that looks like young ants scurrying around on top of the sweet liquid.

Europe and Germany in particular celebrate new wines each year (Federweisser) with festivals and merrymaking. The wine, coming from grapes, is sweet and cloudy.

Hospitality

If brevity is the soul of wit, and the heart of hospitality.

Imagine, sub-zero temperatures and it is snowing. Night is coming.

Bai Juyi’s good friend Liu Shijiu drops by to deliver a message or a package, intending to leave. But Bai Juyi has a pitcher of new rice wine in a pretty green color. Inside is a small red clay stove and warm fire, evening is coming. Outside it is snowing. So, how about a drink?

Liu Shijiu identity is unknown other than being a friend of Bai Juyi.

néng yǐn yībēi wú, how about one glass but we all know it never ends with one cup.

French

Fourmis vertes flottant sur le vin blanc nouveau,
un petit poêle rouge, un feu chaleureux,
le jour est fini, il neige,
(Cher ami,)
Voudrais-vous un verre de vin?

Bai Juyi

This poem is numbered 246 in the Anthology of 300 Tang Poems. Because of its simple message and short lines it has been translated dozens of time. Titles include “An invitation to …” and “A talk with …” Wen, 問 literally means “question.” It is a polite way of asking which may suggest that his friend was his elder.

能飲一杯無
néng yǐn yībēi wú
(Friend), how about a drink?