Drinking Songs on Lake Stone Fish

In the Tang Dynasty, Yuan Jie recounts a leisurely episode of making wine from public fields, taking a break, and then sailing on Lake Stone Fish, indulging in a blissful intoxication.

Yuan Jie, known by the pen name Man Sou, brewed wine using produce from public fields, and during his leisure time, he carried the wine to Lake Stone Fish. There, he enjoyed getting pleasantly intoxicated. In the midst of joyous revelry, he leaned against the lake shore, stretched his arm to draw wine from Stone Fish, and had it ferried around, drinking along with everyone present. He imagined himself on Baqiu Hill, reaching up to scoop wine from Mount Junshan, while his companions encircled Dongting Lake. The wine boat drifted leisurely, brushing against the waves, and passersby added more wine, inspiring the creation of drinking songs.

Lake Stone Fish resembles Dongting Lake, where the summer waters nearly overflow Junshan Mountain’s verdant expanse. Mountains act as goblets, waters as ponds, and revelers clearly sit on islands and shoals. Despite continuous strong winds, the boat transporting wine was not hindered. I held a long ladle while seated on Baqiu, pouring drinks for the four seated to dispel sorrow.

Annotations:

Man Sou: Yuan Jie’s self-styled name.

Recess: A break. Tang Wang Bo’s “Autumn Day Climbing the Tengwang Pavilion in Hongzhou Farewell Order”: “Ten days of recess, many friends like clouds.”

Stretching arm: Extending arm, raising arm. Tang Bai Juyi’s “Introduction to the Three Grottoes”: “The stone is initially stacked and shaved, and its strange appearance, such as pulling arms, such as hanging banners.”

Singing: Singing loudly.

Pond (zhao): Pool.

Clear and distinct: Clearly countable. Clear appearance. Shoals: Land in the water.

Waste: Block, stop. Wine boat (fang): A boat for guests to drink and play.

Long ladle: Drinking utensil.

Pouring (zhuó) drink: To take liquid food and drink. This refers to drinking wine. Four seated: Refers to the people sitting around.

Translation:

I used grain from the public fields to brew wine, often taking a break from my work. I would load the wine onto a boat and sail out onto Lake Stone Fish, intending to enjoy a brief moment of intoxication. Amidst the lively revelry, leaning against the lake’s edge, I extended my arm to fetch wine from Stone Fish, having it carried around so all present could drink deeply. It felt as though I were on the banks of Mount Ba, reaching out to scoop wine from Mount Junshan, surrounded by companions sitting around Dongting Lake. The wine boat gently brushed against the waves, coming and going, continually replenishing our drinks. Inspired by this, I composed songs celebrating the occasion.

This poetic account by Yuan Jie captures a serene yet joyous moment of leisure, blending the pleasures of nature with the camaraderie of shared intoxication. It reflects a profound appreciation for the natural beauty of Lake Stone Fish and the therapeutic qualities of wine, offering a timeless glimpse into Tang Dynasty leisure culture.