By Lee Jia Xin U1910252L

Picking up the ladle, 

I poured the contents from a big wooden bowl,

And the smell of flowers hit me, [1]

For in this winged wooden wine cup,

I presented the spring wine to my lady, head bowed down.

 

I watch as the ladies sat around the woven bamboo table, [2]

On their cusped crescent stools.

Some had their own conversations, 

Others savored their sweet wine,

While I silently enjoyed the music from the lute, [3]

as the ladies plucked at the strings with their picks,

Everything seemed to fall in place amidst the flute and the pipes.

 

Standing behind my lady, 

I take the chance to observe, 

The floral headdress donned on their heads, [4]

The small-sleeved coats made of yarn,

Their long skirts and wide, long scarves.

 

Yet here I am draped in my simple wool clothing,

And I long to have a taste of wine,

Feel the sweetness of spring wine, 

The spiciness of yellow white wine,

And the mellowness of green bamboo leaf wine, 

On my tongue.

 

But this is fate 

I now serve in an imperial palace,

But everything around me reminds me of who I am,

For a servant is who I am,

And this is as close as I can get to wine.

-Qing Yu, Hebei, Tang Dynasty

 

(This is a poem written by a female servant in the Tang Dynasty. At a gathering of court ladies in the imperial palace, she recounts how she longs to have a taste of wine, yet she can only watch, which reminds her of who she is, and her social identity. This clearly portrays the social structure during Tang Dynasty which was very prominent, and had negative effects on those who were in lower classes.)

[1] Spring wine was a more popular wine, celebrated in poetry, during the Tang Dynasty. This wine was fully mature and most palatable when the first flowers of the cherry and peach trees were appearing.

[2] The woven bamboo table was part of Tang Dynasty customs.

[3] The lute during the Tang Dynasty is commonly known as the pipa today. It became popular during the Tang Dynasty when a group of brilliant musicians were presented to the emperor and he fell in love with the music. This led to the lute (hu-pipa) becoming very popular then.

[4] The floral headdress and clothing worn by the court ladies reflects some of the popular Tang Dynasty fashions.