Ask Liu Shijiu
Tang Bai Juyi
New fermented wine from green ants, small red clay stove.
It's snowing in the evening, and I can't help but drink a cup.
Vernacular translation
The light green rice wine was brewed and the small stove was heated. The sky is getting dark and the snow is getting thicker. Can you take a look at the humble house and drink a glass of warm wine?
Annotation of verses
⑴Liu Shijiu: Among the poems left by Bai Juyi, there are not many mentions of Liu Shijiu, only two. But there are many people who mention Liu Twenty-eight and Twenty-Eight Envoys. Liu Twenty-eight is Liu Yuxi. Liu Shijiu was his cousin Liu Yutong, a wealthy businessman in Luoyang, who often had social interactions with Bai Juyi.
⑵ Green ants: refers to the green foam floating on the newly brewed unfiltered rice wine. Fermented grains (pēi): brewing. Green Ant New Fermented Wine: The wine is newly brewed. When new wine is not filtered, wine residue floats on the surface of the wine, which is slightly green in color and as thin as ants, and is called "green ants".
⑶ Snow: Snow, used as a verb here.
⑷None: Modal particles expressing questions, equivalent to "m" or "m".