Hán YèWinter Night 寒夜
Du Lei serves tea instead of wine on a winter night; plum blossom changes the window.
Original Chinese text with pinyin
寒夜客来茶当酒
hán yè kè lái chá dāng jiǔ
竹炉汤沸火初红
zhú lú tāng fèi huǒ chū hóng
寻常一样窓前月
xún cháng yī yàng chuāng qián yuè
才有梅花便不同
cái yǒu méi huā biàn bù tóng
Simplified characters; traditional title: 寒夜.
English translation
On a cold night a guest arrives; tea serves as wine;
the bamboo stove's water boils, the fire just turning red.
The same old moon at the window as always —
but with plum blossoms, it is not the same.
Original translation by Poetune — literal but poetic, written for this site.
Line by line
Meaning and imagery
Du Lei serves tea instead of wine on a winter night; plum blossom changes the window. The scene stays with you.
Background
Du Lei serves tea instead of wine on a winter night; plum blossom changes the window.
Key words
- 寒夜 hán yè
- a cold night
- 客来 kè lái
- a guest arrives
- 茶当 chá dāng
- tea serving as; tea in place of
About the poet: Du Lei
Du Lei's Cold Night tea poem is a favorite winter vignette.
Lifetime: Southern Song. Other famous works: Winter Night (寒夜).