Lu You - "King of Tea Poetry"

Lu You (1125-1210), a renowned patriotic poet and literatus of the Southern Song Dynasty, styled himself Wuguan and was known by the sobriquet Fangweng. Throughout his life, he composed a vast body of poetry, with over 9,300 poems surviving today according to records, many of which indeed reference tea. However, the claim of "over 300 poems about tea" may be somewhat exaggerated, and an exact count would require detailed statistical analysis to confirm. Nonetheless, Lu You’s love for tea and his frequent mentions of it in his poetry are indisputable facts.

Lu You lived during the Song Dynasty, a time when tea culture flourished, deeply influencing him. In his poems, he often used tea to express emotions, conveying leisure, solitude, or reflection. For instance, in his poem Autumn Thoughts, he wrote: 

"The tea cauldron is ready, the wine cup is full, 

Drunkenly chanting as autumn hues adorn my attire." 

Through tea and wine, he reveals a mindset detached from worldly concerns. Additionally, in Sitting Up Late Brewing Tea, he wrote: 

"Tea smoke rises in the cold night, 

A solitary lamp casts bamboo shadows askew." 

This portrays a tranquil scene of brewing tea in the stillness of night, brimming with poetic charm.

Due to his numerous tea-related poems and his passion for tea culture, Lu You is sometimes playfully referred to by later generations in a literary sense as the "King of Tea Poetry." His works frequently touch on tea affairs, tea artistry, and tea customs, reflecting both his personal affection for tea and the everyday essence of Song Dynasty tea culture. Below are specific examples illustrating how he documented tea-related scenes and emotions in his poetry:

Sitting Up Late Brewing Tea
"Tea smoke rises in the cold night,
A solitary lamp casts bamboo shadows askew.
The old man’s poetic inspiration surges,
As the rooster crows at dawn."

This poem captures Lu You brewing tea on a chilly night. The wisps of tea smoke, paired with the solitary lamp and bamboo shadows, create a serene atmosphere, highlighting tea’s role as a daily companion in the lives of Song Dynasty literati.

Spring Rain Clears in Lin’an
"The taste of the world has thinned like gauze in recent years,
Who made this horseman a guest in the capital?
A small tower listens to spring rain all night,
Deep lanes sell apricot blossoms at dawn.
Short paper slants with idle calligraphy,
By a sunny window, fine froth plays in divided tea.
Plain robes stir no sighs of worldly dust,
I can still reach home by Qingming."

The line "By a sunny window, fine froth plays in divided tea" is especially famous. "Fine froth" refers to the white foam on the tea’s surface, while "divided tea" describes a popular Song Dynasty technique of creating patterns in the tea through brewing or stirring—an artistic approach to tea enjoyment. Lu You uses this to showcase his appreciation for tea artistry and his leisurely refinement.

Drinking Tea
"Tea cauldron smoke rises after the first snow clears,
Pine winds fill the small window with chill.
The old man, risen from illness, leans on his staff,
Sitting alone at dawn, his spirit yet unspent."

This poem reflects the Song Dynasty custom of literati drinking tea in the early morning. For Lu You, brewing tea alone at dawn after illness was not just a beverage but a means of nurturing body and soul, embodying the era’s tea customs that emphasized wellness and self-cultivation.

Lu You’s tea poems, with their delicate brushstrokes, document the Song Dynasty’s tea affairs (tea in daily life), tea artistry (the techniques and beauty of brewing and dividing tea), and tea customs (the habits of literati tea-drinking). In his hands, tea transcends mere physical enjoyment to become a vessel for spiritual solace, encapsulating the essence of Song Dynasty tea culture. Techniques like point tea and tea division appear in his works, while the integration of tea with reading, leisure, and health reflects the tea-related lifestyle of the scholarly elite of his time.