Rules of the Wine Cup

袁宏道Jun 2024

3.6

Word count: 2.3K words
Chapters: 17

Summary

Let one man serve as the Mingfu, or presiding magistrate, to govern the propriety of pouring. If the wine is weak, it is a negligent official—meaning it is cold; if the wine is fierce, it is harsh government—meaning it is hot. Let one man serve as the Lushi, or recorder, to correct those seated; he must be chosen for his drinking qualifications. There are three such qualifications: skill at drinking games, knowledge of music, and a large capacity.

Editor's review

On Drinking Rites is a delightful essay by Yuan Hongdao on the etiquette of drinking and the order of the wine table. Short as it is, it sets out with admirable clarity the division of roles, the criteria for choosing participants, and the sense of measure that governs a drinking party. The text appoints a "magistrate" to preside over the proper regulation of the wine, and a "secretary" to keep watch over the guests; it further proposes three qualifications for a drinking talent—skill at drinking games, an ear for music, and a capacious tolerance for wine—thus attending to both rules and pleasure. Its value lies not in teaching people to drink heavily, but in sketching, with elegant humor, the sense of order and the playful spirit of traditional literati gatherings: wine too cold is like a "negligent official," too hot like "harsh government," and in that measure between the two one sees temperament and breeding. This stand-alone edition is convenient to carry and dip into, suitable for a moment after tea or before a small gathering of friends; it can serve as table talk over wine, or as a way to appreciate the concise, witty style of late-Ming informal prose. Readers might do well to treat it as a mirror, holding it up against today's customs of urging and penalizing drinks, of awkward silences and lively chatter, and they will find much to smile at in recognition.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers interested in late-Ming informal prose and literati life
Those who enjoy drinking culture, table etiquette, and party games
Students or self-learners in need of short classical Chinese reading material
Readers who often gather with friends and would like to add some elegant table talk

Not a good fit for

Readers seeking a systematic study of brewing techniques or wine-tasting skills
Those looking for modern socializing scripts and tactics for the drinking table
Readers who prefer long narratives or complete storylines

Reading tips

Read through the original text once, then work through it sentence by sentence with the annotations, noting the meanings of terms such as "magistrate," "secretary," and "drinking talent."
After reading, try designing a simple drinking game and division of roles for a gathering of friends, and experience the sense of order described in the text.
Read it alongside other late-Ming informal prose and note Yuan Hongdao's concise, humorous way with words.

版权信息
一之吏
二之徒
三之容
四之宜
五之遇
六之候
七之战
八之祭
九之典刑
十之掌故
十一之刑书
十二之品第
十三之杯杓
十四之饮储
十五之饮饰
十六之欢具

FAQ

What do "magistrate" and "secretary" refer to in On Drinking Rites?

According to the text, the "magistrate" is the person who presides over the proper regulation of the wine at a drinking party, responsible for judging whether it is too hot or too cold; the "secretary" is responsible for keeping watch over the guests and should be chosen from among those with drinking talent. One oversees coordination, the other supervision, and together they maintain the order and pleasure of the drinking party.

What exactly are the "three qualifications for a drinking talent" mentioned in the text?

The text explicitly lists three qualifications for a drinking talent: skill at drinking games, an ear for music, and a capacious tolerance for wine. Skill at drinking games means being good at drinking games; an ear for music means understanding music or being able to appreciate it; a capacious tolerance means holding one's liquor well. Only those with all three are fit for roles such as secretary, reflecting the comprehensive demands the text makes on the talent and bearing of drinking-party participants.

How should "wine too weak is a negligent official, wine too fierce is harsh government" be understood?

This uses officialdom as a metaphor: wine too cold and too insipid is like an official who neglects his duties, hence "negligent official"; wine too strong and too fierce is like harsh policies that harass the people, hence "harsh government." Yuan Hongdao uses this to stress that drinking depends on appropriate measure; too cold or too hot both fail the way of hospitality.

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About the author

袁宏道 Author

Yuan Hongdao was a Ming-dynasty literary figure; public information about him is limited, and his exact birth and death years and nationality are unknown. The library holds five of his works, including A History of Vases and a Manual of Flower Arrangement, The Complete Works of Yuan Zhonglang, A History of Vases, a Manual of Flower Arrangement, and Three Discourses on Flower Arrangement, Miscellaneous Notes on West Lake, and Drinking Rules. These works are mostly prose miscellanies dealing with flower arrangement and connoisseurship, drinking etiquette, travel writing on landscapes, and literati life, and are classified under folk literature, culture, literary appreciation, and Eastern philosophy. His writing is fresh and natural, valuing charm and personal sensibility, and he draws aesthetic interest from everyday objects and travel experiences in a leisurely, literati style. His work reflects the late-Ming xiaopin prose tradition and offers readable material for understanding the tastes and aesthetic ideas of Ming literati.