Kiss of the Phoenix

This Chaxi finds its inspiration in Lu You's 'Phoenix hairpin' poem. This Sung dynasty poet had been married to Tang Wang when he was young, but his mother forced them to divorce. Years later, both had remarried and he met her by chance in a park. Both realized they were still very much in love with each other, but now their love was impossible. So both regret their mistake and the lonely, sad life they have lived since. Lu You wrote 'Phoenix hairpin' right after seeing Tang Wang again:

Pink soft hands, yellow rippling wine,
The town is filled with Spring, willows by palace walls.
The east wind is biting, happiness is thin,
heart full of sorrow, so many years apart.
Wrong, Wrong, Wrong!

Spring is as of old; the person is empty and thin.
Traces of tears show through the sheer silk.
Peach blossoms falling, glimmering pond freezing,
The huge oath remains, the brocade book is hard to hold.
Don't, Don't, Don't!

釵頭鳳

紅酥手，黃縢酒， 
滿城春色宮牆柳。
 東風惡，歡情薄，
 一懷愁緒，幾年離索，
 錯，錯，錯。 

春如舊，人空瘦， 
淚痕紅浥鮫綃透。
 桃花落，閒池閣，
 山盟雖在，錦書難托，
 莫，莫，莫。

Tang Wang answered with a poem of her own, based on the same structure as Lu You's:

The world unfair,
True manhood rare.
Dust melts away in rain and blooming trees turn bare.
Morning wind high,
Tear traces dry.
I'd write to him what's in my heart;
Leaning on rails, I speak apart.
Hard, hard, hard!

Go each our ways!
Gone are our days.
My sick soul groans like ropes of swing which sways.
The horn blows cold;
Night has grown old.
Afraid my grief may be descried,
I try to hide my tears undried.
Hide, hide, hide!

 (Translation source)

世情薄，人情恶，
雨送黄昏花易落。
晓风干，泪痕残，
欲笺心事，独语斜阑。
难！难！难！

人成各，今非昨，
病魂常似秋千索。
角声寒，夜阑珊，
怕人寻问，咽泪装欢。
瞒，瞒，瞒！
 

A cleaned and an original state copper chatuo.

The 2 poems have been beautifully intertwined in this song. My idea was to bring their love even closer with a tea that gives a feeling of a (French) kiss! That's why I thought of my spring 2013 Concubine Oolong from Feng Huang.

I'm matching this Oolong with my Yixing zisha Xianpiao teapot on a Qing dynasty tea boat, and 3 ivory color 'flower' cups on a qinghua plate or on their copper chatuo (saucers).

Old accessories add dimension of time that passes, memories that accumulate... I also see this feeling of layers from the bamboo mat or the red fabric I'm using as a Chabu. This fabric brings a very feminine and elegant element to the Chaxi. Its echoes the presence of a lady, while the metallic saucers, the waste bowl and the grenade/jar point to a man who also spent time in the military.


The tastebuds in the mouth vibrate in a long and sweet aftertaste. Ripe red fruits from a natural garden make their presence felt in my nose and on my palate for a long time. A warm and comfortable sensation builds up from the stomach and manages to make me sweat!

It's a deep and long French kiss. Slow like the tempo of this song. The bitterness of the grief and regrets adds depth to the sweet feeling that arises from these cups of tea.

Sung dynasty poetry manages to say so much with so few words.
A well brewed cup of good tea can also concentrate many flavors and feelings. The aromas linger deeply, like the words of this song. This is 'Yun', an aftertaste that resonates and doesn't seem to disappear.

Enjoy the music together with the tea, and let all your senses feel the love!