A Tea Song

Dan Chiu was an Immortal
Who cared nothing for rich foods.
But, after picking some tea & drinking it,
he sprouted wings,
And flew to the Abode of The Immortals,
To escape life's emptiness.
Now he lives among the clouds
In a palace unknown to humans.
His tea is brewed in a golden teapot
By a young immortal who lives
Upon a peak amidst the clouds.
How worthless is LuYu's Classic of Tea
When compared to this!

Chio Jen (Tang Dynasty)

Tea Poem

Willow branches graze the grass,
As I sit in the shade drinking tea.
A note from a flute blows clearly,
Mingling with the sound of rain.
I could sit here alone forever,
And still I'd never feel lonely.

LuYu Visits a
Tea Water Well

On a cold winter night
A friend dropped by.
We did not drink wine
But instead drank tea.
The kettle bubbled,
The coals glowed,
The bright moon shone
Outside my window.
The moon itself
Was nothing special -
But, oh, the plum-tree blossoms!

Tu Hsiao Shan
(Song Dynasty)

The Way of Tea

A friend presented me
With tender leaves of Oolong tea,
For which I chose a kettle
Of ivory-mounted gold,
A mixing-bowl of snow-white earth.
With its clear bright froth and fragrance,
It was like the nectar of Immortals.
The first bowl washed the cobwebs from my mind -
The whole world seemed to sparkle.
A second cleansed my spirit
Like purifying showers of rain,
A third and I was one of the Immortals -
What need now for austerities
To purge our human sorrows?
Worldly people, by going in for wine,
Sadly deceive themselves.
For now I know the Way of Tea is real.

Chio Jen (Tang Dynasty)

 

 

Times for Drinking Tea In idle moments When bored with poetry Thought confused Beating time to songs When the music stops Living in seclusion Enjoying scholarly pastimes Conversing late at night Studying on a sunny day In the bridal chamber Detaining favored quests Playing host to scholars or pretty girls Visiting friends returned from far away In perfect weather When skies are overcast Watching boats glide past on the canal Midst trees and bamboos When flowers bud and birds chatter On hot days by a lotus pond Burning incense in the courtyard After tipsy guests have left When the youngsters have gone out On visits to secluded temples When viewing springs and scenic rocks from Ch'a Shu (Book of Tea) by Hsü Jan-Ming