On ginger

王介甫多思而喜鑿，時出一新說，已而悟其非也，則又出一說以觧之，是以其學多說。

Wang Anshi [1021-1086] had plenty of ideas and was inclined to force arguments. From time to time, [he] came up with a new proposition, but later [when he] realised its faults, [he would] suggest another one to resolve the problem. That is why his scholarship consists of so many propositions.

常與劉貢父食，輟筯而問曰：“孔子不撤薑食，何也？”

[He] once dined with Liu Ban [1022-1088]. Halfway through the meal, [Wang Anshi] put down his chopsticks and asked: “Why did Confucius never have his meals without ginger?”[1]

貢父曰：“《本草》：生薑多食損智道。非明民，將以愚之。孔子以道教人者也，故不撤薑食，所以愚之也。”

Liu Ban replied: “Materia Medica says that eating too much ginger harms the Way to Wisdom.[2] This is not to enlighten the people but a way of making them stupid. Confucius was a man who taught others about the Way, so his [saying] ‘never have a meal without ginger’ is his way of making others stupid [first].”

介甫欣然而笑。乆之，乃悟其戯已也。貢父雖戱言，然王氏之學，實大類此。

Wang Anshi laughed cheerfully. After quite a while, [he] realised Liu Ban was just mocking him [by imitating his habitual style of reasoning]. Although Liu Ban was joking, Wang Anshi’s scholarship is indeed largely like this.

庚辰三月十一日食薑粥，甚美，歎曰：“無恠吾愚，吾食薑多矣！”因并貢父言記之，以為後世君子一笑。

[I] had very delicious ginger porridge on the eleventh day of the third month in the gengchen year [i.e. 12 April 1100] and sighed: “No wonder I’m so stupid. I’ve had too much ginger!” I am writing this account and taking the opportunity to note down Liu Ban’s words in the hope of giving a good laugh to future gentlemen.

* From Su Shi 蘇軾 (1037-1101), Dongpo zhilin 東坡志林, Yingyin Wenyuange Siku quanshu 景印文淵閣四庫全書 (Shanghai: Shanghai guji chubanshe, 1987) edition, vol. 863, 5.6a.

[1] An excerpt from Lunyu (The Analects) 10.8.

[2] This idea cannot be found in extant texts of the Bencao. Liu Ban’s reference may be a lost passage, but it is also possible that he was simply making it up as part of his joke. 

The line on mustard greens and ginger being the most valuable vegetables in the Qianziwen 千字文 (Thousand Character Text); a copy in semi-cursive script by Zhao Mengfu 趙孟頫 (1254-1322)

Image credit: National Palace Museum, Taipei

元趙孟頫行草書千字文　冊。國立故宮博物院，台北，CC BY 4.0 @ www.npm.gov.tw

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