Plum souls and bamboo dreams—already the third watch;
Brocade blankets and phoenix quilts—sleep will not come.
A courtyard of pine shadows—only cranes are seen;
Pear blossoms blanket the ground—no warblers are heard.
The maiden's green sleeves grow cold with poetic musings;
The young lord's golden sable coat—the wine's warmth fades.
But happily the attendant knows to test the tea—
Sweeping fresh snow to brew it while it's time.
English titles, text, and notes are AI-assisted for reading only; for scholarship cite the Chinese and authoritative editions.
Annotation
The winter entry in Baoyu's seasonal poems. 'Plum souls and bamboo dreams' creates a chilly winter atmosphere. 'Sweeping fresh snow to brew tea' describes the elegant practice of using fresh snow for tea-making, echoing Miaoyu's later episode of brewing tea with snow gathered from plum blossoms.
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