Cho Ŭi Chasinjŏn 

A Chronicle of the Spirit of Tea

1  Picking the leaves

 Regarding the season for picking tea, choosing the right time is very important. If it is too early, the flavor of the tea will not be complete; if it is too late, the essence of the tea will have faded. The five days before Kog-u (April 20th-21st) are reckoned to be best, the five days after Kog-u second best, and the five days after that third best. Russet-tinted tea buds are the best, wrinkled leaves come next, round leaves are next, and shiny leaves that look like those of bamboo are worst. Tea leaves which are soaked with dew after a cloudless night are best; leaves picked by day in bright sunshine are next; leaves must not be picked on a cloudy or rainy day. Tea leaves from a valley are best; tea leaves from under a bamboo grove are next; leaves from stony soil are next and leaves growing in ordinary loamy soil are next.

2  Drying the tea

 Old leaves, stalks and broken leaves are removed from freshly picked leaves, then a pound and a half or so of leaves at a time is fired in an iron pan about two feet across. Once the pan is really hot, begin to fire the tea rapidly and do not allow the heat to diminish. After waiting for the leaves to soften, the fire is removed and they are transferred to a sieve in which they are repeatedly rubbed lightly with a circular movement of the hands. The leaves are then put back into the pan and slowly fired at a lower heat, so that they dry correctly. There is a mystery in all that which it is hard to put into words. If the heating is done evenly, the color and scent of the tea will all be beautiful, and although the the subtle mystery is not expressed in words the wonderful taste of the tea will be full of it.

3  Discerning the quality of tea

 The quality of a tea depends on the care taken in making it, on proper storage, and on correctly brewing it after boiling the water. Good or poor quality depends on what happens initially in the pan; clear or turbid depends on the final firing. If the fire is at the right temperature, the fragrance will be clear; if the pan is cold, the spirit of the tea is destroyed. When the fire is strong, the tea is burnt; when firewood is insufficient, the leaves lose their green color; when they stay too long in the pan, the leaves are overdone; when removed too early, the leaves are still raw. When it is overdone the tea is yellow; when it is still raw the tea turns black. If it is made according to the rules, the tea will be sweet; if the rules are broken, the tea will be excessively astringent. White spots on the leaves are not a problem; properly roasted leaves are always the best.

4  Storing tea

 After the tea has been made and the first drying is done, fill a previously used tea-box with it and close the top of the box with paper, then let three days elapse. When it has recovered its quality, it is heated again over a gentle fire until totally dry, then left until it is cold, when it is placed in a jar. The tea is very lightly packed, and covered with tightly packed bamboo husks. The mouth of the jar should be sealed with several layers of light bamboo husks or paper, pressed down with a brick that has been heated in the fire and allowed to cool. The jar should be put in a storage container and should not be exposed to the wind. It must never be exposed to wind, for in that case it easily becomes cold; if put too close to a fire, it soon goes yellow.

5  Managing the fire

 When it comes to brewing tea, looking after the fire is the most important factor. When the fire of the stove is burning red, the teakettle is set on the fire and the fire is fanned lightly and fast; while waiting for sound from the water, one should fan more heavily and faster. These are the characteristics of gentle and strong, exemplified in the two branches of society, literary and military. If the literary side dominates, (if the fire is too gentle) the water becomes gentle and gentle water yields to the tea’s spirit. If the military side dominates, (if the fire is too hot) the fire will be too strong, and if the water is too strong the tea will be repressed by the water’s spirit. Both show a lack of balance and harmony, so are not suitable for a maker of tea.

6  Classifying boiling water

 When classifying boiling water, there are three major distinctions and fifteen minor distinctions. The first involves classifying by the appearance; the second involves classifying by the sound; and the third involves classifying by the steam. Classifying by the appearance is known as inner evaluation; classifying by the sound is known as outer evaluation; and classifying by the steam is known as rapid evaluation. The sight of crabs’ eyes, prawns’ eyes, fish eyes, or strings of beads in the water all show that it is still not ready. When the boiling water rises straight up and shows rising drumlike waves, and the bubbles have completely disappeared, it is said to be perfectly ready. Initial sounds, rumbling sounds, vibrating sounds, and galloping sounds all show that the water is still not ready. When the boiling water has no sound, it is said to be conclusively ready.  When the steam rises in threads, one or two threads, three or four threads, which then get all tangled up in complete confusion, this shows that the water is not yet ready. When the steam rises straight it is purely ready.

7 Old leaves and young buds in making tea

 When Cai Jünmo (Cai Xiang, 1012-1067) made tea, he used young buds, not old, tough leaves. Generally, when making tea in ancient times people used a stone mortar to grind the tea leaves; then they used a sieve. In such a process the broken particles and tea dust would fly away. At that time they made tea bricks with fragrant additives and stamped them with dragon and phoenix patterns. When they made tea they could see the essence of the tea suspended and afloat because they used young, not old leaves.  However, when making tea nowadays, people do not use the stone mortar and the sieve but simply use entire tea leaves left intact, so the tea-making must be extremely well-done in order to produce the essence of the tea.  Therefore, it is said, “The boiling water has to be purely ready, then the essence of tea begins to emerge.”

8  Infusing leaf tea

 After checking that the water is purely ready, it should at once be taken off the fire. First pour a little water into the teapot to warm and clean it, then pour that water away; put tea leaves in, estimating the appropriate amount and taking care not to lose a moderate balance. If there is too much tea, the taste will be bitter and the fragrance will be strong; if there is too much water, the color will be weak. After using the teapot twice it should be washed with cold water to make it clean and cool. If that is not done, the tea fragrance will decrease. If the teapot is too hot, the mystery of the tea will not develop; if the pot is clean and cool, the quality of the water will be much improved. After waiting a little until the tea and water have fully blended, once it has cooled strain it, then drink. However, straining should not be done too soon and drinking should not be delayed too late. If it is too soon, the spirit of the tea will not have emerged, and if it is drunk too late, the wonderful fragrance will already have disappeared.

9  Putting tea into the teapot

 The tea leaves should be put into the teapot in an orderly way, this must not be neglected. Putting tea leaves in first then filling the teapot with hot water is called Putting Beneath; filling the pot half full of hot water first, then adding tea leaves and finally filling up the remaining half of the pot with hot water is called Putting in the Middle; filling the pot with hot water and then adding the tea leaves is called Putting Above. In spring and autumn one should use the method called Putting in the Middle; in summer the one known as Putting Above; and in winter Putting Below.

10  Drinking tea

 When drinking tea, the fewer guests there are, the better it is.  If there are many guests, they will be noisy and if there is noise, refinement will be lacking. Drinking alone is said to be divine; two people drinking is said to be excellent; three or four people drinking is said to be elegant; five or six people drinking is said to be normal; seven or eight people drinking is said to be charitable.

11  Fragrance

 In tea there are True Fragrance, Orchid Fragrance, Clear Fragrance, and Pure Fragrance. When inside and outside are identical, it is called Pure fragrance. When it is not too raw and not too long steeped, it is called Clean Fragrance. When evenly heated, it is called Orchid Fragrance.  When the tea has the special quality of leaves picked before Kog-u, it is called True Fragrance. In addition there are also vague fragrance, leaking fragrance, lacking fragrance, but these are all inappropriate names for tea.

12  Color

 In tea, a jade-green color is considered the finest. For the froth, pale green is said to be good. Yellow, black, red or dark twilight colors do not belong to good tea. Froth like white snow appearing in the cup is a sign of the tea’s quality. Jade-green froth is a sign of medium quality. Yellow froth is a sign of low quality. Fresh spring water and a well-burning fire ensure profound mastery. Jade-like tea and ice-like froth reveal perfect mastery.

13  Taste

 Regarding taste, sweet and mild are best; if the taste is bitter and tart, it is bad.

14  Losing tea’s true nature by contamination

Tea of itself has true fragrance, color, and taste. If tea has been contaminated even once, it loses its genuine quality. If the water is brackish or there is some foreign substance in the tea, or a trace of fruit in the tea cups, the tea loses its true quality.

15  Tea that has deteriorated must not be used

 When tea is first processed, its color is jade-green. However, if it is stored in the wrong way, it changes to a green color, it then changes to yellow, thirdly to black, and fourthly to white. If one drinks deteriorated tea, the stomach becomes cold, until eventually one’s energy is depleted and bad effects accumulate.

16  The grades of spring water

 Tea is the spirit of water and water is the body of tea. Without good water, tea can not produce its spirit; if the tea was not carefully made, how will it be possible to discern its body? Water from a mountain-peak spring is pure and light; water from a spring at the foot of a hill is pure but heavy; water emerging amidst rocks is pure and sweet; water emerging from sand is pure and cold; water emerging from soil is clean and plain; water flowing from yellow rocks is good; water draining from dark rocks cannot be used; flowing water is better than still water. Water emerging in a shady place is truer than that in a sunny place. True spring-water has no taste and true water no smell.

17  Well water is not appropriate for tea

 The Classic of Tea says : "Mountain water is superior, river water is less good, and well water is worst." Firstly, if there is no mountain with a spring of water nearby, one should use only water stored from the plum (monsoon) rains of that spring season since its flavor is sweet and harmonious; it is water that makes everything grow. Water from melted snow is clear but it feels heavy and dark. It makes the spleen and stomach cold, so it is not good to store much.

18  Storing water

 The jar for storing water must be put in a shady room; it should be covered with silk gauze so that it absorbs the essence of the stars and dew; then its divine quality will not be lost, its spirit will always remain. If the cover is pressed down by wood or stone, if the jar is sealed with paper or bamboo husks, or if it is exposed to sunlight, then at the very least its spirit will be scattered and lost; at the very most its energy will be blocked and its spirit will spoil. In drinking tea, the only important things are the freshness of the tea and the spirit of the water. If tea loses its freshness and water loses its spirit, how is it different from ditch water?

19  Tea utensils

 Lu Yü used a silver cauldron for making tea.  Finding that too luxurious, he used a ceramic cauldron later.  Since this, however, was not durable, he finally reverted to using a cauldron of iron. I think that a silver pot might be reserved for use in a luxuriously appointed mansion. Someone living in a thatched hut in the hills would have used a pot made of pewter. That does not affect the color or taste; but bronze and iron should be avoided.

20  The tea cups

 For tea cups, snow white is considered the best; pale celadon is next best because it does not harm the color of the tea.

21  The wiping cloth

 Before and after drinking tea, one should use a cloth made of fine hemp or jute to wipe the cups. Other kinds of cloth are unsuitable because they are easily soiled.

22  The tea caddy (this chapter is found in the Chinese texts but in none of the Korean versions)

 The tea is put into a large container made of pewter. When it is all used up more is added.

23  The rules governing tea

 When tea is being dried, it should be done carefully; when tea is being stored, it should be kept dry; when tea is being prepared, it should be done cleanly. When all is careful, dry and clean, the Way of Tea is truly achieved.

24  Epilogue

 One rainy day in 1828, I followed my master up Mount Pangjang and into the 亞-shaped meditation room at Ch’ilbul. After I had copied (this text) and come back down, I wanted to rewrite it tidily but was prevented by sickness. Luckily, the young novice Suhong was in the office. He expressed a wish to learn the Way of Tea so he began to copy out the text neatly but then he too fell sick and could not finish. Therefore I reluctantly took up the brush between sessions of meditation and finished it. It is not only Confucians who know the saying that “there is a beginning and there is an end.” In study temples too they they drink tea in the manner of Zhaozhou but nobody knows about the Way of Tea. I have copied this so that those who come later can read it.

In the spring of 1830 a sick monk in a hermitage, snow on the windows, hugging the stove, composed this epilogue.

Cho Ŭi
Chasinjŏn  A Chronicle of the Spirit of Tea

茶神傳  採茶之候

A late Ming dynasty work on tea, the Zhang Poyüan Chalu 張伯淵茶錄 (ca. 1595), is usually ascribed to Zhang Yüan 張源 (dates unknown). The putative author was a recluse known only to have “done nothing” but whose learning was “broad” and satisfied himself by practicing tea.  All the information on Zhang Yüan is contained in a preface to the Chalu by Gu Dadian (嘈湮萎 ca. 1568), an artist from Suzhou who learned from Zhang's "hundreds of thousands of words" on tea. It seems that this text was then simply integrated as section 14, 採茶論 Caichalun in the Tseng-pu wan-pao ch'üan-shu 增補萬寶全書 the Encyclopedia of a Myriad Wonders compiled on imperial command in 1595 by Mao Huan-wen tseng-pu 毛煥文增補. This would have been the source of the text of which Ch’o-ŭi made a copy during his visit to Ch’ilbul, as he indicates in the last lines of the work. There are small variations between the two Chinese versions and the copy made by Ch’o-ŭi and these are indicated in notes; it is usually possible to identify a given variant reading as erroneous, needing emendation from another version.

(Notes: c = Chasinjŏn. m = Manbojŏnsŏ. o = other Chinese texts. e = modern emendation. x = no character in text. [] = rejected reading. ( ) = emended reading )

1頌     採茶

Picking the leaves

採茶之候  貴及其時

Regarding the season for picking tea, choosing the right time is very important.

太早則[香](味)¹不全  遲則神散

If it is too early, the flavor of the tea will not be complete; if it is too late, the essence of the tea will have faded.

以穀雨前五 日爲上

The five days before Kog-u (April 20th-21st) are reckoned to be best,

後五日次之   再五日又次之

the five days after Kog-u are second best, and the five days after that are third best.

茶[非](芽)²紫者爲上   而皺者次之

Russet-tinted tea buds are the best, wrinkled leaves come next,

團葉者次之  光[而](面)³如篠葉者最下

round leaves are next, and shiny leaves that look like those of bamboo are worst.

徹夜無雲  浥露[采](採)⁴者爲上

Tea leaves which are soaked with dew after a cloudless night are best;

日中[采](採)⁴者次之

leaves picked by day in bright sunshine are next;

陰[兩](雨)⁵[下](中)⁶不宜[采](採)⁴

leaves must not be picked on a cloudy or rainy day.

産谷中者爲 上 竹林下者次之

Tea leaves from a valley are best; tea leaves from under a bamboo grove are next;

爛石(中)⁷者又次之  黃砂中(者)⁸又次之

leaves from stony soil are next and leaves growing in ordinary loamy soil are next.

1 [c香](m味)  2 [cm非](e芽)  3 [c而](m面)  4 [c采mx](o採)  5 [cm兩](e雨)  6 [cm下](e中)  7 (m中 c x)   8 (cmx e者)

2頌    造   茶

Drying the tea

新採 揀去老葉 及[柀](枝)¹梗碎屑

Old leaves, stalks and broken leaves are removed from freshly picked leaves,

鍋廣二尺四 寸   將茶一斤半焙之

then a pound and a half or so of leaves at a time is fired in an iron pan about two feet across.

候鍋極熱 始下茶急炒

Once the pan is really hot, begin to fire the tea rapidly,

火不可緩

and do not allow the heat to diminish.

待熱(熟)方退火 徹入[簁](篩)²中

After waiting for the leaves to soften, the fire is removed and they are transferred to a sieve

輕團[枷](娜)³數遍   復下鍋中

in which they are repeatedly rubbed lightly with a circular movement of the hands. The leaves are then put back into the pan

漸漸減火焙 乾爲度

and slowly fired at a lower heat, so that they dry correctly.

中有玄微  難以言顯

There is a mystery in all that which it is hard to put into words.

火候均停  色香(全)⁴美

If the heating is done evenly, the color and scent of the tea will be beautiful,

玄微未究   神味俱妙

and although the subtle mystery is not expressed in words the wonderful taste of the tea will be full of it.

1 [c柀](e枝)  2 [c簁](e篩)  3 [c枷](e娜)  4 (cmx e全)

3頌    辨  茶

Discerning the quality of tea

茶之妙  在乎始造之精

The quality of a tea depends on the care taken in making it,

藏之得法  泡 之得宜

on proper storage, and on correctly brewing it after boiling the water.

憂劣[宜](定)¹乎始鍋  淸濁係[水](乎)²(末)³火

Good or poor quality depends on what happens initially in the pan; clear or turbid depends on the last firing.

火烈香淸  鍋[乘](寒)⁴神 倦

If the fire is at the right temperature, the fragrance will be clear; if the pan is cold, the spirit of the tea is destroyed.

火猛生焦  柴[疎](疏)⁵失翠

When the fire is strong, the tea is burnt; when firewood is insufficient, the leaves lose their green color;

久延則過熟

when they stay too long in the pan, the leaves are overdone;

早起[郤](却)⁶[辺](還)⁷生

when removed too early, the leaves are still raw.

熟則犯黃  生 則著黑

順那則甘  逆那則[溢](澁)⁸

If it is made according to the rules, the tea will be sweet; if the rules are broken, the tea will be excessively tart.

帶白點者無妨

White spots on the leaves are not a problem;

絶焦(點)⁹者最勝

properly roasted leaves are always the best.

1 [cm宜](e定)  2 [c水](e乎)  3 (cx m末)  4 [c乘](e寒)  5 [cm疎](e疏)  6 [c郤](e却)  7 [c辺](e還)  8 [c溢](e澁)  9 (cmx e點)

4頌   藏   茶

Storing tea

造茶始乾 先盛舊盒中

After the tea has been made and the first drying is done, fill a previously used tea-box with it

外以紙封口 過三日

and close the top of the box with paper, then let three days elapse.

俟其性復 復以微火焙極乾

When it has recovered its quality, it is heated again over a gentle fire until totally dry,

待冷  貯壜中

then left until it is cold, when it is placed in a jar.

輕輕築實 以箬櫬緊

The tea is very lightly packed, and covered with tightly packed bamboo husks.

將花[筍](笋)¹箬及紙 數重封 [緊](紮)²罎口

The mouth of the jar should be sealed with several layers of light bamboo husks or paper,

上以火煨磚 冷定壓之

pressed down with a brick that has been heated in the fire and allowed to cool.

置茶育中

The jar should be put in a storage container

切勿臨風易 冷

It must never be exposed to wind, for in that case it easily becomes cold;

近火先黃

if put too close to a fire, it soon goes yellow.

1. [c筍](e笋)   2 [cm緊](e紮)

5頌   火  候

Managing the fire

烹茶旨要  火候爲先

When it comes to brewing tea, care with the fire is the most important factor.

爐火通紅  茶瓢始上

When the fire of the stove is burning red, the teakettle is set on the fire

扇起要輕疾

and the fire is fanned lightly and fast;

待有聲 稍稍重疾

while waiting for sound from the water, one should fan more heavily and faster.

斯文武之候 也

These are the characteristics of gentle and strong, exemplified in the two branches of society, literary and military.

過於文則水 性柔

If the literary side dominates, (if the fire is too gentle) the water becomes gentle

柔則(水)¹爲茶降

and gentle water yields to the tea’s spirit.

過於武則火 性烈

If the military side dominates, (if the fire is too hot) the fire will be too strong,

烈則茶爲水 制

and if the water is too strong the tea will be repressed by the water’s spirit.

皆不足於中 和

Both show a lack of balance and harmony,

非烹家要旨 也

so are not suitable for a maker of tea.

1 (cmx e水 added)

6頌  湯  辨

Classifying boiling water

湯有三大辨 十五小辨

When classifying boiling water, there are three major distinctions and fifteen minor distinctions.

一曰形辨 二曰聲辨 三曰氣辨

The first involves classifying by the appearance; the second involves classifying by the sound; and the third involves classifying by the steam.

形爲內辨 聲爲外辨 氣爲捷辨

Classifying by the appearance is known as inner evaluation; classifying by the sound is known as outer evaluation; and classifying by the steam is known as rapid evaluation.

如蟹眼,嘏眼,魚眼,連珠 皆爲萌湯

The sight of crabs’ eyes, prawns’ eyes, fish eyes, or strings of beads in the water all show that it is still not ready.

直如勇沸 如騰波鼓浪

When the boiling water rises straight up and shows rising drumlike waves,

水氣全消 方是純熟

and the bubbles have completely disappeared, it is said to be perfectly ready.

如初聲 轉聲 振聲 驟聲 皆爲萌湯

Initial sounds, rumbling sounds, vibrating sounds, and galloping sounds all show that the water is still not ready.

直至無聲 方是結熟

When the boiling water has no sound, it is said to be conclusively ready.

如氣 浮 一縷 二縷 三四縷

When the steam rises in threads, one or two threads, three or four threads,

亂不分 氤氳 亂縷 皆爲萌湯

which then get all tangled up in complete confusion, this shows that the water is not yet ready.

直至氣直冲 貫 方是經熟

When the steam rises straight it is purely ready.

7頌 湯用老嫩

About old leaves and young buds when making tea

蔡君謨 湯用嫩 而不用老

When Cai Jünmo (Cai Xiang, 1012-1067) made tea, he used young buds, not old, tough leaves.

盖因古人製茶

Generally, when making tea in ancient times

造則必碾 碾則必磨 磨則必羅

people used a stone mortar to grind the tea leaves; then they used a sieve.

則[味](茶)¹爲飄塵飛粉矣

In such a process the broken particles and tea dust would fly away.

於是和劑  印作龍(鳳)²團

At that time they made tea bricks with fragrant additives and stamped them with dragon and phoenix patterns.

則見湯而茶神[硬](便)³浮

When they made tea they could see the essence of the tea suspended and afloat

此用嫩[血](而)⁴不用老也

because they used young, not old leaves (to make powdered tea).

今時製茶 不假羅[碾](磨)⁵ 全具[旡](元)⁶體

However, when making tea nowadays, people do not use the stone mortar and the sieve but simply use entire tea leaves left intact,

此湯須純熟  茶神始發也

so the tea-making must be extremely well-done in order to produce the essence of the tea.

故曰湯須五沸 茶奏三奇

Therefore, it is said, “The boiling water has to be purely ready, then the essence of tea begins to emerge.”

1 [c味](m茶)   2 (cx m鳳)  3[c硬](m便)   4 [c血](m而)  5[c碾](m磨)  6[c旡](m元)

8頌   泡   法

泡茶法 Infusing leaf tea

探湯純熟  便取起

After checking that the water is purely ready, it should at once be taken off the fire.

先注少許壺中  袪湯冷氣傾出

First pour a little water into the teapot to warm and clean it then pour that water away;

然後 投茶 [葉](茶)¹多寡宜酌

put tea leaves in, estimating the appropriate amount

不可過中失正

and taking care not to lose a moderate balance.

茶重則味若香況(沈)

If there is too much tea, the taste will be bitter and the fragrance will be strong;

水勝則色淸[味](氣)²寡

if there is too much water, the color will be weak.

兩壺後 又用冷水湯滌

After using the teapot twice it should be washed with cold water

使壺凉潔  不則滅茶香矣

to make it clean and cool. If that is not done, the tea fragrance will decrease.

礶熟則茶神不健

If the teapot is too hot, the mystery of the tea will not develop;

壺淸(則)³水性[當](常)⁴靈

if the pot is clean and cool, the quality of the water will be much improved.

稍[候](俟)⁵茶水冲和 然後 [冷](分)⁶釃布飮

After waiting a little until the tea and water have fully blended, once it has cooled strain it, then drink.

釃不宜早 飮不宜遲

However, straining should not be done too soon and drinking should not be delayed too late.

早則茶神未發 遲則妙馥先消

If it is too soon, the spirit of the tea will not have emerged, and if it is drunk too late, the wonderful fragrance will already have disappeared.

1[c葉](m茶)  2[c味](m氣)  3(cx m則)  4[c當](m常)  5[c候](m俟)  6[c冷](m分)

9頌  投   茶

Putting tea into the teapot

投茶[行](有)¹序 毋失其宜

The tea leaves should be put into the teapot in an orderly way, this must not be neglected.

先茶[湯後](後湯)² 曰下投

Putting tea leaves in first then filling the teapot with hot water is called Putting Beneath;

湯半下茶  復以湯滿 曰中投

filling the pot half full of hot water first, then adding tea leaves and finally filling up the remaining half of the pot with hot water is called Putting in the Middle;

先湯後茶 曰上投

filling the pot with hot water and then adding the tea leaves is called Putting Above.

春秋中投  夏上投  冬下投

In spring and autumn one should use the method called Putting in the Middle; in summer the one known as Putting Above; and in winter Putting Below.

1[c行](m有)  2[c湯後](m後湯) 

10頌   飮   茶

On drinking tea

飮茶以客少爲貴

When drinking tea, the fewer guests there are, the better it is.

客衆則喧

If there are many guests, they will be noisy

喧則雅趣乏矣

and if there is noise, refinement will be lacking.

獨啜曰神

Drinking alone is said to be divine;

二客曰勝

two people drinking is said to be excellent;

三四曰趣

three or four people drinking is said to be elegant;

五六曰泛

five or six people drinking is said to be normal;

七八曰施

seven or eight people drinking is said to be charitable.

11頌  香

Fragrance

茶有眞香 有蘭香 有淸香 有純香

In tea there are True Fragrance, Orchid Fragrance, Clear Fragrance, and Pure Fragrance.

表裏如一曰 純香

When outside and inside are identical, that is called Pure Fragrance.

不生不[熱](熟)¹曰淸香

When it is not raw and not burned, it is called Clear Fragrance.

火候均停曰 蘭香

When evenly heated, it is called Orchid Fragrance.

雨前神具曰 眞香

When the tea has the special quality of leaves picked before Kog-u, it is called True Fragrance.

更有含香漏 浮香間香

In addition there are also vague fragrance, leaking fragrance, lacking fragrance,

此皆不正之 氣

but these are all inappropriate names for tea.

1[c熱](m熟)

12頌   色

Color

茶以淸翠爲勝

In tea, a jade-green color is considered the finest.

濤以藍白爲佳

For the froth, pale green is said to be good.

黃黑紅昏俱不入品

Yellow, black, red or dark twilight colors do not belong to good tea.

[雲](雪)¹濤爲上

Froth like white snow appearing in the cup is a sign of the tea’s quality.

翠濤爲中

Jade-green froth is a sign of medium quality.

黃濤爲下

Yellow froth is a sign of low quality.

新泉活火 煮茗玄工

Fresh spring water and a well-burning fire ensure profound mastery.

玉茗[水](氷)²濤 當杯絶[枝](技)³

Jade-like tea and ice-like froth reveal perfect mastery.

1[c雲](m雪)  2 [cm水](o氷)  3[cm枝](o技)

13頌    味

Taste

味以甘潤爲 上

Regarding taste, sweet and mild are best;

苦[滯](澁)¹爲下

if the taste is bitter and astringent, it is bad.

1[c滯](m澁)

14頌 點染失眞

Losing tea’s true nature by contamination

茶自有眞香  有眞色 有眞味

Tea of itself has true fragrance, color, and taste.

一經點染   便失其眞

If tea is once contaminated with something else, it loses its true quality.

如水中着鹹 茶中着科

If the water is brackish or if there is some foreign substance in the tea,

碗中着[菓](果)¹  皆失眞也

or a trace of fruit in the tea cups, it loses its true quality.

1[c菓](m果)

15頌 茶變不可用

Tea that has deteriorated must not be used

茶始造則靑翠

When tea is first made, its color is jade-green.

收藏不得其法  一變至綠

However, if stored in the wrong way, it changes to a green color,

再變至黃 三變至黑 四變至白

it then changes to yellow, thirdly to black, and fourthly to white.

飮之則寒胃

If one drinks deteriorated tea, the stomach becomes cold

其至瘠氣成積

until eventually one’s energy is depleted and bad effects accumulate.

16頌  品   泉

The grades of spring water

茶者水之神 水者茶之體

Tea is the spirit of water and water is the body of tea.

非眞水  莫顯其神

Without good water, tea cannot produce its spirit,

非精茶  [莫](曷)¹窺其體

if the tea is not carefully made, how will it be possible to discern its body?

山頂泉淸而輕

Water from a mountain-peak spring is pure and light,

[水](山)²下泉淸而重

water from a spring at the foot of a hill is pure but heavy,

石中泉淸而甘

water emerging amidst rocks is pure and sweet,

砂中泉淸而洌

water emerging from sand is pure and cold,

土中泉淡而白

water emerging from soil is clean and plain,

流於黃石爲佳

water flowing from yellow rocks is good,

瀉出靑石無用

water draining from dark rocks cannot be used;

流動者兪於安靜

flowing water is better than still water.

負陰者[眞](勝)³於(向)⁴陽

Water emerging in a shady place is truer than that in a sunny place.

眞[原](源)⁵無味 眞水無香

True spring-water has no taste and true water no smell.

1[c莫](m曷)  2[cm水](o山)  3[cm眞](o勝)  4(cmx o向)  5[cm原](o源)

17頌  井水不宜茶

Well water is not appropriate for tea

茶經云 山水上 江水[下](次)¹

The Classic of Tea says : "Mountain water is superior, river water is less good,

井水最下矣

and well water is worst."

第一方不近(江)²

Firstly, if no river is nearby

山卒無泉水

and no mountain with a spring of water,

惟當[春](多)³積梅雨

one should use only water stored from the plum (monsoon) rains of that spring season

其味甘和 乃長養萬物之水

since its flavor is sweet and harmonious; it is water that makes everything grow.

雪水雖淸  性感重陰

Water from melted snow is clear but it feels heavy and dark.

寒[入](人)⁴ 脾胃不宜多積

It makes the spleen and stomach cold, so it is not good to store much.

1[cm下](o次)   2(cmx o江)  3[cm春](o多)   4[cm入](o人)

18頌  貯 水

On storing water

貯水甕  須置陰庭中

The jar for storing water must be put in a shady room;

覆以紗帛  使承星露之氣

it should be covered by silk gauze, so that it absorbs the essence of the stars and dew

英靈不散  神氣常存

then its divine quality will not be lost, its spirit will always remain.

假令壓之以木石

If the cover is pressed down by wood or stone,

封以紙若  曝于日下

if the jar is sealed with paper or bamboo husks, or if it is exposed to sunlight,

則外耗散神

then at the very least its spirit will be scattered and lost;

內閉其氣 水神幣矣

at the very most its energy will be blocked and its spirit will spoil.

飮茶惟貴 夫茶鮮水靈

In drinking tea, the things that should be taken most seriously are the freshness of the tea and the spirit of the water.

茶失其鮮

If the tea loses its freshness

水失其靈

or the water loses its spirit,

則與溝渠何異

how will it be different from ditch water?

19頌  茶  具

On tea utensils

桑苧翁(桑苧陸羽之號)

Sang Zhu the Sage (a pseudonym for Lu Yü)

煮茶用銀瓢

used a silver cauldron for making tea

[調](謂)¹過於奢侈

Finding that too luxurious,

後用磁器 又不能[耐](持)²久

he used a ceramic cauldron later.  Since this, however, was not durable,

卒歸於鐵

he finally reverted to using an iron cauldron.

愚意銀者(宜)³ 貯朱樓華屋

I think that a silver cauldron might be reserved for use in a luxuriously appointed mansion.

若山茅齋舍 惟用錫瓢

Someone living in a thatched hut in the hills would have used a pot made of pewter.

亦無損於(香)⁴色 味  (但)⁵銅鐵忌之

That does not affect the color or taste; but bronze and iron should be avoided.

1[c調](m謂)   2[c耐](o持)  3(cx m宜)  4(cmx o香)  5(cmx o但)

20頌  茶  盞

About tea cups

盞以雪白者爲上

For tea cups, snow white is considered the best;

藍白者 不損茶色次之

pale celadon is next best because it does not harm the color of the tea.

21頌  拭 盞 布

About the wiping cloth

飮茶前後 俱用細布麻拭盞

Before and after drinking tea, one should use a cloth made of fine hemp or jute to wipe the cups.

其他[物](易)¹穢  不[堪](宜)²用

Other kinds of cloth are unsuitable because they are easily soiled.

1[cm物](o易)   2[c堪](o宜)

22頌  分茶盒

About the tea caddy

(This chapter is found in the Chinese texts but in none of the Korean versions)

以錫爲之  從大壜中分用用盡再取

The tea is put into a large container made of pewter. When it is all used up more is added.

23頌  茶  衛

The rules governing tea

造時精   藏時燥

When tea is being dried, it should be done carefully; when tea is being stored, it should be kept dry;

泡時潔

when tea is being prepared, it should be done cleanly.

精燥潔  茶道盡矣

When all is careful, dry and clean, the Way of Tea is truly achieved.

* 衛 is the character in c and m but other Chinese texts have 道 (‘way’)

24. 跋文 Epilogue

戊子雨際, 隨師於方丈山七佛啞院,

One rainy day in 1828, I followed my master up Mount Pangjang and into the 亞-shaped meditation room at Ch’ilbul.

謄抄下來, 更欲正書而因病未果,

After I had copied (this text) I came down; I wanted to rewrite it tidily but was prevented by sickness.

修洪沙彌, 時在侍者房, 欲知茶道正抄, 亦病未終,

Luckily, the young novice Suhong was in the office. He expressed a wish to learn the Way of Tea so he began to copy out the text neatly but then he too fell sick and could not finish.

故禪餘强命管城子成終, 有始有終, 何獨君子爲之,

Therefore I reluctantly took up the brush between sessions of meditation and finished it. It is not only Confucians who know the saying that “there is a beginning and there is an end.”

叢林或有趙州風, 而盡不知茶道, 故抄示, 可畏.

In study temples too they are accustomed to drinking tea in the manner of Zhaozhou but nobody knows about the Way of Tea. . I have copied this so that those who come later can read it.

庚寅 中春 休菴病禪 雪窓擁爐 謹書

In the spring of 1830, a sick monk in a hermitage, snow on the windows, hugging the stove, I composed this epilogue.