Tea,
Light and fragrant,
yet warming to the heart and soul,
admired by monks and scholars alike,
warms my heart and soul like no other.

Tea,
as the wind blows by the tea tree as it blossoms,
lingers in my nose.
As i heave a sigh of relief,
My heart is delightful and calm.

As we seat on the wooden chair around a round wooden table,
your beautiful tea leaves growing on the mountain,
you cool our heart and mind as we indulge in you.
you and only you,
at our feast,
without any other distractions,
in this quiet environment,
you bring forth a kind of peace within my guests and I,
that cannot be found elsewhere.

Where clouds meet the earth,
tea, you allow my guests and I to enjoy the scenery.
sweet and light smelling,
our minds and hearts are full and calm,
as you prepare our heart and mind to quieten down.

Tea,
you don’t require us to communicate.
yet let us feel at east within and between ourselves.
Drinking tea on the mountain,
ah! Tea!

 

Written by Choo Yan Ling, Claudia
U1730765E.

this is a poem written by a monk during the Shang Dynasty while he prepares for a tea-drinking session for his guests and himself. While enjoying the scenery and enjoying the tea. This poem aims to highlight the peacefulness brought forth by tea as well as the ability for it to comfort and calm the host and the guests alike. It aims to show how tea by itself can serve so many purposes and there wasn’t a need for the guest and host to interact during the “banquet”