<Header>
<Author: 韋應物>
<Title: 酒肆行>
<Format: 七言古詩>
<Year: 2009>
<BookName: In Such Hard Times: The Poetry of Wei Ying-wu>
<Translator: Pine, Red>
<TranslatedTitle: Ballad of the Wineshop>
<BookPage: 98-99>
<UsedPage: 2>
<Feature: 5>
<End Header>
<Poem>
豪家沽酒長安陌，
一旦起樓高百尺。
碧疏玲瓏含春風，
銀題彩幟邀上客。
回瞻丹鳳闕，
直視樂遊苑。
四方稱賞名已高，
五陵車馬無近遠。
晴景悠揚三月天，
桃花飄俎柳垂筵。
繁絲急管一時合，
他壚鄰肆何寂然。
主人無厭且專利，
百斛須臾一壺費。
初醲後薄爲大偷，
飲者知名不知味。
深門潛醞客來稀，
終歲醇醲味不移。
長安酒徒空擾擾，
路傍過去那得知。
<End Poem>
<Translation>
On a Ch'ang-an street where the rich buy their wine
one morning rose a building a hundred feet high
its latticwork of jade displayed scenes of spring
its bright signs and banners all welcomed guests
with Red Phoenix Gate behind
and the Garden of Delights in front
all quarters sang its praises and added to its fame
from Five Hills came carriages regardless of the distance
this sunny scene continued to Third Month skies
peach petals decked the tables and willows screened te seats
while an orchestra of strings and flutes played on
other inns and wineshops one by one turned silent
still the owner demanded more profit
the price of a single cup was a hundred sacks of grain
it was strong at first then thin and finally robbery
but patrons knew its name and nothing of its taste
such customers are rare behind one set of doors
where wine is strong all year and its flavor never changes
but the drinkers of Ch'ang-an go merrily stumbling on
along the road they pass it by oblivious to its presence
<End Translation>