蔡襄【思詠帖】 thinking and chanting letter of Cai Xiang

2024-07-07國風

蔡襄【思詠帖】（致通理當世屯田尺牘）紙本草書　29.7cm×39.7cm 台北故宮博物院藏

Cai Xiang's "Si Yong Tie" (a letter to Tong Li, the current official in charge of tuntian). Paper, cursive script. 29.7 cm in height and 39.7 cm in width. Collected in the National Palace Museum, Taipei.

釋文：
襄得足下書，極思詠之懷。在杭留兩月，今方得出關，歷賞劇醉，不可勝計，亦一春之盛事也。知官下與郡侯情意相通，此固可樂。唐侯言：王白今歲為遊閏所勝，大可怪也。初夏時景清和，願君侯自壽為佳。襄頓首。通理當世屯田足下。大餅極珍物，青甌微粗，臨行匆匆致意，不周悉。

I received your letter and have been thinking and chanting with deep affection. I stayed in Hangzhou for two months and now I have just passed through the customs. I have experienced many enjoyable and intoxicating moments, countless indeed, which is also a grand event in this spring. I know that the official below and the county governor have a harmonious relationship, and this is indeed delightful. Tang Hou said: Wang Bai was defeated by You Run this year, which is really strange. In the early summer, the scenery is clear and peaceful. I wish Your Excellency a long and healthy life. Cai Xiang bows his head. To Tong Li, the current Tuntian official under you. The big cake of tea is extremely precious, and the green-glazed bowl is slightly coarse. I am in a hurry when leaving and can't express all my thoughts completely.

背景：
宋皇元祐二年（1050年）11月，蔡襄從福建仙遊出發，應朝廷之召，赴任右正言、同修起居註之職。途經杭州，逗留兩個月後，於1051年初夏，繼續北上汴京。臨行之際，他給邂逅錢塘的好友馮京（當世）留了一封手劄，這就是著名的【思詠帖】。內容為辭行致意，並附贈大龍團茶及越窯青瓷茶甌。北宋中期隨著鬥茶的流行，小龍團茶、兔毫茶盞為世所珍，而早期的越窯青瓷系茶盞雖仍使用，但已是流風之末。因此，信上才有「大餅極珍物，青甌微粗」的說法。

background of this artwork:

In November of the second year of Yuanyou in the Song Dynasty (1050), Cai Xiang set out from Xianyou, Fujian, and went to take up the post of Right Orthodox Remonstrant and Concurrent Compiler of Court Records in response to the imperial court's summons. After passing through Hangzhou and staying there for two months, in the early summer of 1051, he continued to head north to Bianjing. Before leaving, he left a letter to his friend Feng Jing (of the current era) whom he met in Qiantang, and this is the famous "Si Yong Tie". The content is to express his farewell and regards, and he also attached the large tea cake of the Dragon Troupe and the celadon tea bowl of the Yue Kiln. In the middle period of the Northern Song Dynasty, with the popularity of tea competitions, the small tea cakes of the Dragon Troupe and the hare's hair tea bowls were regarded as precious in the world, while although the early celadon tea bowls of the Yue Kiln system were still used, it was already at the end of the trend. Therefore, there is the saying "the big cake tea is an extremely precious thing, and the green-glazed bowl is slightly coarse" in the letter.

清晰放大版：more clear of artwork