“Joy is the best of wine.” - George Eliot
On the ninth day of the ninth moon, the Chinese celebrate Chrysanthemum Day. This is to honour T’ao Yuan-Ming, a poet who loved chrysanthemums above all other flowers as they bloomed in frosty autumn when all other blossoms were long dead. Chrysanthemum wine is drunk to ensure a long life. The Japanese adopted the same festival on the same day and named it Choyo-no-Sekku. It is celebrated nowadays with many chrysanthemum shows and competitions for the best blooms.
Drinking Wine, V
I built my house amongst the throng of men,
But there is no din of horse or carriage going by.
You ask me, puzzled, “How can such a paradox arise?”
When the heart’s remote, all earthly things stand aloof.
I cut chrysanthemums by the eastern hedge,
Afar on the horizon shimmer the southern hills;
How good the highland air is at sunset…
The flying birds in company come to their nests.
In this is true beauty, real savour,
But probing inside myself, I find no apt words.
T’ao Yuan-Ming (365-427 AD)
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