“My greatest pleasure,” replied the kitchen man-servant, putting his cleaver down, “is the pattern the universe moves in. And that pattern’s way in advance of any technical skill. When I first started cutting up oxen into joints, all I used to be able to see was the ox. By three years later, I’d stopped seeing any ox as a whole thing any more. And nowadays I only see the oxen mentally, not looking at them with my eyes at all. It’s only natural that when the senses cease to function, the mind will take over and come into play. As I chop into the big gaps and guide my cleaver round the large hollows, I’m just fitting in with the nature of the ox. And I’m so good at it, I never once go through the meaty knuckle-joint of the knee, let alone the big thighbone joint.
A good kitchen man-servant changes his cleaver once a year. He cuts with it. The average ordinary kitchener changes his cleaver once a month. He hacks with it. My cleaver’s now nineteen years old, and I’ve cut up thousands of oxen with it, but its blade’s as if it’s only just left the grindstone for the first time. There are spaces at the joints between the bones, and the cleaver-blade isn’t thick. As it’s got no thickness, when you put it into the gaps: there’s plenty of space there, more than enough room for it just to drift through! And that’s why my cleaver-blade’s as if it’s just left the grindstone, from its first sharpening to even after nineteen years.
All the same, when coming to sinew-knots at the bone-joints, every time I see they present any difficulties I go alert and wary, keeping my eyes on them, and approaching them more gingerly and slowly. And then I move my cleaver just a bit, so carefully, and flish-flash! the ox is all of a sudden divided up into its joints of meat, like brittle soil crumbled to the ground. Then I stand there, holding my cleaver up, and take a look all around me, lingering in the satisfaction of fulfilment before wiping my cleaver clean and putting it in its sheath.”
“Splendid!” exclaimed Lord Civil-kindness, “Hearing what you’ve said, kitchen man-servant, has been a lesson for me on how best to nourish my being and live a long life.”
65 i.e. Bendy-river Pond.
66 Ch’ang-yang 長楊, Tall Willows, i.e. Tall-willows Palace (Ch’ang-yang-kung 長楊宮), the name of an old palace during the Ch’in dynasty, which was refurbished during the Han dynasty. Anon. (circa T’ang dynasty), Yellow maps of the Three Guardians’ metropolitan area (San-fu huang-t’u 三輔黃圖), tells us further that within it weeping willows stretched in unbroken extent for several mu-acres. At is gate, there was a Bear-shooting Lodge (She-hsiung-kuan 射熊館). Its site is south-east of present-day Chou-chih county in Shensi province.
167The stomach widely being regarded as a location of knowledge, learning and other mental abilities.
168i.e. the day of the WatersidePurification Festival (hsi 褉).
69 Ch’ȕ-chiang 曲江, Winding River/Bendy River: i.e. Ch’ȕ-chiang-ch’ih 曲江池 Bendy-river Pond. Ch’-chiang is the name of
i) various rivers:
a) a river the source of which issues from west of Chiang-ch’uan county in Yunnan province, and is called Great Brook (Ta-hsi 大溪), also called River Jade-brook (Yü-hsi-he 玉溪河). Passing south of Yü-hsi county, it enters the territory of Hsi-he county, joining with the River Lien-chiang, forming the River He-liu (Confluent River). Moving southeast, when it reaches He-hsi county, it’s called River Lu-lu. Going eastwards from there, it’s then named Winding/Bendy River. Flowing on further, past T’ung-hai county and Li county, it enters the Coiling River (P’an-chiang 盤江),
b) the flow of the River Che (Che-chiang 浙江) is winding, so it’s also known as Winding/Bendy River.
c) Mei Sheng’s 梅乘 (?BC - 141 BC), Seven stimuli (Ch’i-fa 七發), has the lines: “On the Fifteenth Day I shall view the billows of the Bendy River of Kuang-ling 廣陵.”
Li Tao-yȕan 酈道原 (AD? - AD 527, Northern Wei dynasty), Annotated “Rivers classic” (Shui-ching chu 水經注), attaches the Bendy River mentioned by Mei Sheng within its River Chien chapter (Chien-shui p’ien 漸水篇), the River Chien being the River Che. Che-chiang/Chekiang comprehensive gazetteer (Che-chiang t’ung-chih 浙江通志) also says that the Bendy River mentioned by Mei Sheng was the River Che, But Hsü Chien 徐堅 (659 - 729), Records for early learning (Ch’u-hsȕeh chi 初學記), says: “The Bendy River recorded by Seven stimuli was in present-day Yang-chou 揚州.”
Wang Chung 汪中 (1744 - 1794), Evidence on Kuang-ling’s Curvy River (Kuang-ling Ch’ü-chiang cheng 廣陵曲江證), says: “Kuang-ling is Han county, nowadays being the southern territory of T’ien-ch’ang 天長 in Kan-ch’ȕan 甘泉, and the river is the River Pei (/ Northern River, Pei-chiang 北江).”
Chang Chü 章鉅 (Latter Liang dynasty), Collateral evidence on “Selection of fine writings” (Wen-hsȕan p’ang-cheng 文選旁證), quotes Yü Ssu-lien 俞思廉 (circa latter Liang dynasty) as saying: “In and before the T’ang dynasty, Kuang-ling had its own Bendy River, which must have been north of present-day Kua-chou 瓜州, and naturally it had billows. After the T’ang dynasty, it was overrun and submerged by sand.” From that theory, the Winding/Bendy River mentioned by Mei Sheng’s Seven stimuli must have been the stretch of the River Yangtse south of present-day Chiang-tu county in Kiangsu province.
ii)the name of a pond or pool. It was located south-east of present-day Ch’ang-an county in Shensi province. The Han dynasty Emperor Warrior (Wu-ti 武帝, reigned 140 BC - 87 BC) constructed his Conducive-to-spring Hunting-park (Yi-ch’un-yȕan 宜春苑) there. The stream flowed in a sharply winding course, somewhat like that of the first character. chih 之, of the River Chih (Chih-chiang 之江), hence its name. During the reign-period 713 - 741, it was further dredged. On its banks there were Scarlet-cloud Bower (Tzu-yȕn-lou 紫雲樓), Lotus Hunting-park (Fu-jung-yȕan 芙蓉苑), Apricot Garden (Hsing-yȕan 杏園), Compassionate-affection Buddhist-monastery (Tz’u-en-ssu 慈恩寺) and Merry-stroll Garden (Le-yu-yȕan 樂遊園).
Each year at Centrality and Harmony Festival (Chung-he 中和) [held on the First Day of the Second Month of the year] and at the Upper Ssu [the day ssu (later the Third Day) of the first ten-day period of the Third Month of the year, i.e. the festival of Waterside Purification (hsi 褉)], trippers there would be as numerous as the clouds, and when scholars succeeded in the imperial civil service exams they were also awarded a feast by the emperor. Later it was blocked up, and became dry ground.
iii)the name of a county of recent times, south of present-day Le-ch’ang county in Kwangtung province. First set up during the Han dynasty.
170San-kuo Fu-jen 三國夫人, The Dames/Ladies/Queens of Three States. See notes below for details.
71Ch’ing-ch’eng 傾城, Citadel-toppler. A song by Li Yen-nien 李延年 (fl. ca. 140 BC-87 BC), as recorded in Pan Ku 班固 (32 - 92), Han history (Han-shu 漢書, “Wai-ch’i chuan”, says: “In the northern region there’s a beauteous woman, she’s unique in the world, outstanding. With one glance, she topples one’s citadel, with a second glance she topples one’s state.” There have seemingly been such women in China and elsewhere, in history and in legend, who by the hold of their beauty have dominated rulers and led to the destruction of the latters’ rule or state.
172wang-sun 王孫, “prince’s grandson”:
i) a descendant of a nobleman, i.e. a young nobleman. Ssu-ma Ch’ien 司馬遷 (ca. 147 BC - 90 BC), Historians’ record (Shih-chi 史記), “Huai-yin-hou chuan”, says: “I present food to the wang-sun out of pity for him” Assembled elucidations of “Historians’ records” (Shih-chi chi-chieh 史記集解) says: “It’s like saying ‘duke’s son/lordling’ (kung-tzu 公子).”
Ssu-ma Chen 司馬貞 (Liang dynasty), Quest for hidden meanings in “Historians’ records” (Shih-chi so-yin史記索隱), says: “At the end of the Ch’in dynasty, many lost their states. Calling them wang-sun was using an honorific term.”
Ma Jung 馬融 (79 - 166), Long-flute rhapsody (Ch’ang-ti fu 長笛賦), has the lines: “Leisurely roaming dukes’ sons, Relaxed and airy wang-sun.”
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br /> ii)the name of certain plants:
a) Paris tetraphylla,
b) Astragalus reflexistipulus,
iii) the name of an insect: cricket,
iv) the name of an animal: monkey,
iv) a double-surname.
73 kung-tzu 公子, crown prince, heir apparent.
74Han-kuo fu-jen 韓國夫人, Queen of the State of Han, being the noble title of the eldest sister of Yang Jade-bangle (Yang Yü-huan 楊玉環), Most-prized-empress Yang (Yang Kui-fei 楊貴妃). Yang Jade-bangle had three elder sisters, the Queens of Kuo, Han and Ch’in, who were all full-figured, tall and graceful, skilled at verbally playful dissipation, and ingenious at falling in with the emperor’s ideas.
75 Kuo-kuo fu-jen 虢國夫人, Queen of the State of Kuo, being the noble title of the youngest of the elder sisters of Yang Jade-bangle (Yang Yü-huan 楊玉環), Most-prized-empress Yang (Yang Kui-fei 楊貴妃). In AD 748, she was enfied as Queen of the State of Kuo, being appointed on the same day as the Eldest Aunty (ta yi 大姨) the Queen of the State of Han and the second of them, “Eighth Aunty” (pa-yi 八姨) the Queen of the State of Ch’in. All three were each given a monthly allowance of one hundred thousand copper coins “for rouge-and-powder expenses”.
The Queen of the State of Kuo was of Nature-endowed gorgeous beauty, and didn’t wear rouge or powder, often going to audiences with the emperor with an unadorned face (su-mian 素面, lit. “white raw-silk face”), for which reasona a poem by Chang Hu 張祜 (AD? - AD 853) has the lines: “She eschewed and disliked rouge and powder sullying her face, and with faintly swept eyebrows payed court homage to the Utmost Honoured One, the emperor.”
176 Ch’in-kuo fu-jen 秦國夫人, Queen of the State of Ch’in, being the noble title of the second eldest of the elder sisters of Yang Jade-bangle (Yang Yü-huan 楊玉環), i.e. Most-prized-empress Yang (Yang Kui-fei 楊貴妃).
177t’ien-tzu 天子, Son of Heaven, a euphemism for “ruler of China”, “emperor”. Tai Sheng 戴聖 (early first century BC), Rites record (Li-chi 禮記), “Yȕeh-ling”, says: “He who’s monarch over all-under-Heaven is called the Son of Heaven.” An early note to this says: “‘All-under-Heaven’ means [territory extending] to more than seven thousand li-miles. If the Son of Heaven receives all the rulers of states within seven thousand li-miles and more of the world [Four Seas], then Receptors-of-Guests address him with the title of ‘Son-of-Heaven’. The reason why they do so, is that the world is hard to make submit, and it is natural that a title of honour should be used to overawe it, and the reason why they do not say ‘true king’ [wang 王] is that his father is Heaven, his mother Earth, and so he is the son of Heaven, and is also the son who has been commanded by Heaven to look after the people under him, hence the title of honour.”
178tien-ch’e 鈿車, gold-florets adorned carriage. Tu Mu 杜牧 (803 - 852) has a poem with the line: “With embroidered horse-collars tinkling, the gold-florets-adorned carriage rushes.”
179feng-hsieh-t’ao-erh 鳳鞋套兒, “phoenix (cover) slipper”. Seems to say “phoenix-slipper casing/outer-wrapping".
180chiao-hsiao 鮫綃, “merfolk raw-silk fabric”, term for a silk fabric supposedly woven by chiao-jen 鮫人, “mermen”, “mermaids”, “merfolk”. Also found written as chiao-jen 蛟人. These underwater beings were like a fish, were always at their loom, and could also produce pearls from their eyes by weeping.
Jen Fang 任昉 (460 - 508), Recounting strange things (Shu-yi chi 述異記), says: “In the South Sea there are the houses of merfolk, who live in the water like fish, but don’t dispense with weaving on looms. Their eyes are able to weep, thus producing pearls. Mu Hua 木華 [Mu Hsȕan-hsü 木玄虛, of the Tsin dynasty] in his Sea rhapsody (Hai-fu 海賦) has the lines: ‘Heaven’s treasures and water sprites, And the houses of merfolk.’”
The same work also says: “Merfolk raw-silk fabric is produced in the South Sea [region], and is also called Dragon Silk (lung-sha 龍紗). If it’s used for making clothes, they can go into water without getting wet.” I remember in Hong Kong was a black silk fabric for which such claims of impermeability were made, worn by boat-folk and others.
Tso Ssu 左思 (AD? - ca. AD 306) in his Wu capital rhapsody (Wu-tu fu 吳都賦) has the line: “In their spring houses they hidden weave, curling raw-silk fabric.” An early note to this says: “It’s a popular legend that the merfolk once came out from the water, and take lodging in people’s houses, selling raw-silk fabric for many days.”.
Li Shang-yin 李商隱 (813 - 858) has a poem with the lines: “I spied Feng Yi gazing so very despairingly, the merfolk raw-silk fabric stopped selling, Making the sea into farm-fields.
181 One note suggests that they’re betel-nuts, eaten to help digestion. But the text seems clearly to say that tea is meant.
182shua-yao 耍藥, “play medicine”, “fun medicine”, i.e. an aphrodisiac.
183lung-lou 龍樓, dragon bower/tower, a term for a building of the imperial palace. Pan Ku’s 班固 (32 - 92) Han history (Han-shu 漢書, “Ch’eng-ti chi”, says: “When Emperor Perfection (Ch’eng-ti 成帝 [ reigned 32 BC - 7 BC]) was heir-apparent, he at first dwelled in Cassia Palace (Kui-kung 桂宮). The emperor once urgently summoned the prince, who came out through Dragon-tower Gate.” A note to that says: “Chang Yen 張晏 [Han dynasty] says: ‘Up on the gate-tower there’s a bronze dragon, it being named as with the white crane and Fei-lien [a supernatural bird, god of wind] (pai-he Fei-lien 白鶴飛廉).”
184Possibly referring to reflections of imperial towers in the Pond’s waters.
185tiao-ch’ang 弔場, “to hang (on a) scene”, a term meaning “to perform a small tail-(end) scene in a scene or act”. Not sure what it would be here. Presumably some brief comic scene, to round off the companions’ interlude.
186sha-wo-erh 沙窩兒, “sand-nest”, seemingly a term for a rough-and-ready toilet pit.
187Wang-ch’un-kung 望春宮, Gazing-for-spring Palace. Wang-ch’un, “gazing for spring”:
i) the name of a palace. It was built during the reign-period 581 - 600 of the Sui dynasty. During the same dynasty’s reign-period 605 - 617, Lasting/Enduring-joy (Ch’ang-le 長樂). The T’ang dynasty restored the old name, and dvided it into North and South palaces. The old site’s located east of present-day Ch’ang-an county in Shensi province. Liu Hsü 劉昫 (887 - 946) and others, Old T’ang history (Chiu T’ang-shu 舊唐書) (AD 945), “Ti-li chih”, says: “South Gazing-for-spring Palace is on the west bank of the River Ch’an (Ch’an-shui 滻水), and east of North Gazing-for-spring Palace there’s Vast-fate/East-west North-south, Deep-pool (Kuang-yȕn-t’an 廣運潭).
ii) the name of a tower/bower (lou 樓). T’ang history, “Kuo Tzu-yi chuan”, says: “In the year AD 758, he defeated the rebels on the banks of the Yellow River, and went to the imperial court in the capital, and all the mandarins were summoned and ushered into Lasting-joy Posting-station (Ch’ang-le-yi 長樂驛), and the emperor held a reception for them in Gazing-for-spring Tower.”
188The text actually says Ch’in instead of Kuo.
189chih-tsun 至尊,
i) Most Honoured One, i.e. the emperor. Liu An (ca. 178 BC - 122 BC) (attr.), Sir Huai-south (Huai-nan-tzu 淮南子), “Ching-shen”, says: “See the Utmost Honoured one’s utmost favours.”
ii) a quote of a line by Chang Hu 張祜 (AD? - AD 853).
190 Hsi-t’ang 褉堂, Waterside-purification Hall, a centre for the performance of the ceremonies of the Waterside-purification Festival. See note above.
191Hung Sheng gives the note that this line derives from a poem by Shen Ch’ȕan-ch’i 沈佺期 [AD? - ca. AD 713].
192Hung Sheng gives the note that this line derives from a poem by Chang E 張諤 [10th century AD, fl. ca. AD 970, Southern T’ang and Sung dynasties].
193Hung Sheng gives the note that this line derives from a poem by Wu P’ing-yi 武平一 [fl. ca. 680 - 710].
194Hung Sheng gives the note that this line derives from a poem by Tu Mu 杜牧
[803 - 852].
195Yung-hsin 永新, (Dame) Ever-new, the name of a palace lady in the T’ang imperial palace, attendant upon Empress Yang. Older than Dame Remember-me. The name possibly derives from Ever-new Woman/ Yung-hsin Woman (Yung-hsin-fu 永新婦). Yung-hsin Woman was the title of a T’ang dynasty Court-music Melody (yȕeh-ch’ü 樂曲). Hu Chen-heng 胡震哼 (1569 - 1645), General notes on “T’ang music” (T’ang-yin kui-ch’ien 唐音癸籤), “Yȕeh-t’ung” 2, says: “[Yen Tzu-hsiu 嚴子休 (fl. ca. AD 889)], Cassia-park cluster of discussions (Kui-yȕan ts’ung-t’an 桂苑叢談), says: ‘State court-music includes Yung-hsin Woman and Censor’s lady (Yü-shih-niang 御史娘), which are both the most exquisaite of the age. I note that the Yung-hsin Woman was palace lady (nei-jen 內人) Hsü He-tzu 許和子 in Conducive-to-spring Courtyard (Yi-ch’un-yȕan 宜春院) during the reign-period 713-741, and the Censor’s Wife was a censor’s wife T’ien Compliant (T’ien Shun 田順) in the imperial pala ce during the reign-period 785-805, both of them being reputed for their singing skils: see [Tuan An-chieh 段安節 (fl. ca. 894-898),] Miscellaneous records of the Music Treasury (Yȕeh-fu tsa-lu 樂府雜錄). Might Willow-green Maid (Liu Ch’ing-niang 柳青娘) also be the name of a female singing-entertainer (ke-chi 歌妓), which later evolved into the title of a melody!”
196Shen, Shang 參、商, Shen and Shang:
i) Tso Ch’iu-ming 左丘明 (6th-5th century BC?) (dub. attr.), Tso’s commentary (Tso-chuan 左傳), “Chao Kung yuan nien 昭公元年”, says: “Of yore, Kao-hsin-shih 高辛氏 had two sons, the elder one called E-po 閼伯 and the younger one called Shih-ch’en 實沈, who dwelled in Broad Forest (Kuang-lin 廣林), and who weren’t able to get on with one another, and daily resorted to armed combat, campaigning against each other. The world-ruler [Yao 堯] disapproved of this, and moved E-po to Shang-ch’iu 堂丘, which was governed by Mercury (Ch’en 晨/辰), and the Shang people came from there, for which reason Mercury came to be the Shang Star (Shang-hsing 商星). He moved Shih-ch’en to Ta-hsia 大夏, which was governed by Shen, and the people of T’ang came from there, for which reason they submitted to and served the Hsia 夏 and Shang 商.”
Appendices and Endnotes Page 20