wèn liú shí jiǔ (by Bai Juyi)
|
| 問 or 问 | wèn | to ask |
| 劉 or 刘 | liú | (surname); to kill |
| 十 | shí | ten |
| 九 | jiǔ | nine; 9 |
| 綠 or 绿 | lǜ | green; chlorine |
| 螘 | yǐ | ant |
| 新 | xīn | meso- (chem.); new; newly |
| 醅 | pēi | unfiltered wine |
| 酒 | jiǔ | wine; liquor; spirits |
| 紅 or 红 | hóng | bonus; popular; red; revolutionary |
| 泥 | ní, nì | mud; restrained |
| 小 | xiǎo | small; tiny; few; young |
| 火 | huǒ | fire |
| 爐 or 炉 | lú | stove |
| 晚 | wǎn | evening; night; late |
| 來 or 来 | lái | to come |
| 天 | tiān | day; sky; heaven |
| 欲 | yù | desire; longing; appetite; wish |
| 雪 | xuě | snow |
| 能 | néng | can; may; capable; energy; able |
| 飲 or 饮 | yǐn | drink |
| 一 | yī | one; single; a(n) |
| 杯 | bēi | cup; a measure word |
| 無 or 无 | wú | -less; not to have; no; none; not; to lack; un- |
Wen Liu is 19
He drinks rough absynth
Sitting by his small stove.
It's so late that dawn comes. He hopes it will snow.
He cannot drink another glass.
LJW
Ask her 90 times
Green ants down in new wine—
Looks like red mud on a tiny stove fire.
Late at night, she longs for snow,
She wants a single drink.
IW
After my ninth and tenth drinks
The young green wine has the flavor of ants
The fire in my stove is red as mud
It's late in the snowy evening, and I long for day to come
I don't have the energy to drink a single cup more
SMS
Ask Liu 19
The beer is newly made and still green
A small cooking fire burns on the red earth
Night falls, and the sky promises snow
But I can't drink a single cup
DJW