Handwritten in clerical script on a bamboo fan.

It is a poem by Su Shi 蘇軾, also known as Su Dongpo 蘇東坡 —one of the greatest writers and artists in Chinese history, who also loved to brew tea and compose poems about it. I particularly like this one. It was written as he was going through great hardship, when he was exiled to the southern islands by the emperor.

In the poem he does not complain, instead painting beautiful pictures with his words. Yet Su Shi's words betray a shadow of melancholy loneliness, a hint of despair that resonates from within.

汲江煎茶 ——蘇軾
Draw Deep River Water For Long Simmering Tea
活水還須活火烹，自臨釣石汲深清。
Running water should be boiled with an active fire
The best water is deep and clear around the fishing rocks
大瓢貯月歸春瓮，小杓分江入夜瓶。
Big ladle also catches the moon, put into the spring earthen jar
Small spoon to separate the water into small jars next to the tea pot.
雪乳已翻煎處腳，松風忽作瀉時聲。
Simmering tea leaves and roots, snow white foam rises to the top
Pine tree wind suddenly arises, flowing seasonal sounds
枯腸未易禁三碗，坐聽荒城長短更。
With prolonged hunger, not easy to get past the three bowl stage
and the desire to write
Sit and listen in this isolated city to the timing drums that are neither
disciplined nor correct.
——This poem is translated by Larry Elder (LAC Poetry)


Material: Bamboo, Xuan paper
Ink: Yu Wen Xuan ink stick, hand ground.

The work features a personal seal of the artist:
方耀耀私印, "Seal of Fang Yaoyao"
The seal is carved by the hand of Cheng lixue 程立雪, a renowned painter and calligraphy master from Hubei province.

This fan comes with a linen-cotton fan holder as seen in photo.