On peaches

Silk tapestry by Wu Qi 吳圻 (fl. 16th century), based on the painting by Shen Zhou 沈周 (1427-1509)

Image credit: National Palace Museum, Taipei

囊中九轉丹成，

掌內千年桃熟。

蓬萊昨夜醉如泥，

白雲扶向山中宿。

沈周。

In the pouch is the elixir through Nine Cycles, [1]

On the palm is a peach ripened after thousands of years.[2]

Drunk as mud last night in Penglai,[3]

[I] held onto a white cloud to reside in the mountains.

By Shen Zhou

[1] In Daoist alchemy, the elixir that undergoes nine transmutations in a furnace helps achieve spiritual rebirth during one’s lifetime.

[2] It is said that the longevity peaches in the celestial orchard of the Queen Mother of the West ripen every three thousand years.

[3] Penglai is a legendary isle where immortals live.

A lot of peach jam this week

Rachelle's Lab