Translation:Preface to the Poems Composed at the Orchid Pavilion
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Original | Pinyin | Translation |
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蘭 亭 集 序 | lán tíng jí xù | Preface to the Poems Composed at the Orchid Pavilion |
(王羲之) | Wáng Xīzhī | (by Wang Xizhi) |
永和九年, | Yǒnghé jiǔ nián | It is the ninth year of Emperor Mu of Jin's Yonghe era (20 Feb 353 - 8 Feb 354), |
歲在癸丑, | suì zài guǐ chǒu | The year of the Yin Water Ox, |
暮春之初, | mùchūn zhī chū | At the beginning of the third lunar month (after April 20, 353), |
會于會稽山陰之蘭亭, | huì yú Guìjī Shānyīn zhī lán tíng | We are all gathered at the orchid pavilion in Shanyin County, Kuaiji Commandery, |
脩禊事也。 | xiūxì shì yě | For the Spring Purification Festival. |
群賢畢至, | qún xián bì zhì | All of the prominent people have arrived, |
少長咸集。 | shào zhǎng xián jí | From old to young. |
此地有崇山峻領, | cǐdì yǒu chóngshānjùnlǐng | This is an area of high mountains and lofty peaks, |
茂林修竹, | màolínxiūzhú | With an exuberant growth of trees and bamboos, |
又有清流激湍, | yòu yǒu qīngliú jī tuān | It also has clear rushing water, |
映帶左右。 | yìng dài zuǒyòu | Reflecting the sunlight as it flows past either side of the pavilion. |
引以為流觴曲水,列坐其次; | yǐn yǐ wéi liú shāng qū shuǐ, lièzuò qícì | The guests are seated side by side to play the drinking game where a wine cup is floated down the stream and the first person sitting in front of the cup when it stops must drink. |
雖無絲竹管弦之盛, | suī wú sīzhú guǎnxián zhī shèng | Although we lack the boisterousness of a live orchestra, |
一觴一詠,亦足以暢敘幽情。 | yī shāng yī yǒng, yì zúyǐ chàngxù yōuqíng | With a cup of wine here and a reciting of poetry there, it is sufficient to allow for a pleasant exchange of cordial conversations. |
是日也,天朗氣清, | shì rì yě, tiān lǎng qì qīng | Today, the sky is bright and the air is clear, |
惠風和暢,仰觀宇宙之大, | huìfēnghéchàng, yǎng guān yǔzhòu zhī dà | With a gentle breeze that is blowing freely. When looking up, one can see the vastness of the heavens, |
俯察品類之盛,所以遊目騁懷, | fǔ chá pǐn lèi zhī shèng, suǒyǐ yóu mù chěnghuái | And when looking down, one can observe the abundance of things. The contentment of allowing one’s eyes to wander, |
足以極視聽之娛,信可樂也。 | zúyǐ jí shìtīng zhī yú, xìn kě lè yě | Is enough to reach the heights of delight for the sight and sound. What a joy. |
夫人之相與俯仰一世, | fú rén zhī xiāngyǔ fǔyǎng yī shì | Now all people live in this world together, |
或取諸懷抱,晤言一室之內; | huò qǔ zhū huáibào, wù yán yī shì zhī nèi | Some will take all of their aspirations, and share them in private with a friend; |
或因寄所托,放浪形骸之外。 | huò yīn jì suǒ tuō, fànglàngxínghái zhī wài | Still others will abandon themselves to reckless pursuits. |
雖趣舍萬殊,靜躁不同, | suī qǔshě wàn shū, jìng zào bùtóng | Even though everyone makes different choices in life, some thoughtful and some rash, |
當其欣于所遇,暫得于己, | dāng qí xīn yú suǒ yù, zàn dé yú jǐ | When a person meets with joy, he will temporarily be pleased, |
快然自足,不知老之將至。 | kuài rán zìzú, bùzhī lǎo zhī jiāng zhì | And will feel content, but he is not mindful that old age will soon overtake him. |
及其所之既倦,情隨事遷, | jí qí suǒ zhī jì juàn, qíng suí shì qiān | Wait until that person becomes weary, or has a change of heart about something, |
感慨係之矣。 | gǎnkǎi xì zhī yǐ | And will thus be filled with regrets. |
向之所欣,俛仰之間, | xiàng zhī suǒ xīn, fǔyǎng zhī jiān | The happiness of the past, in the blink of an eye, |
已為陳迹,猶不能不以之興懷; | yǐ wéi chén jī, yóu bùnéngbù yǐ zhī xìng huái | Will have already become a distant memory, and this cannot but cause one to sigh; |
况修短隨化,終期于盡。 | kuàng xiū duǎn suí huà, zhōng qī yú jìn | In any case, the length of a man’s life is determined by the Creator, and we will all turn to dust in the end. |
古人云﹕「死生亦大矣。」 | gǔrén yún: sǐ shēng yì dà yǐ | The ancients have said, "Birth and Death are both momentous occasions." |
豈不痛哉! | qǐbù tòng zāi | Isn’t that sad! |
每攬昔人興感之由, | měi lǎn xí rén xìng gǎn zhī yóu | Every time I consider the reasons for why the people of old had regrets, |
若合一契,未嘗不臨文嗟悼, | ruò hé yī qì, wèicháng bù lín wén jiē dào | I am always moved to sadness by their writings, |
不能喻之于懷。 | bùnéng yù zhī yú huái | And I can not explain why I am saddened. |
固知一死生為虛誕, | gù zhī yī sǐ shēng wéi xūdàn | I most certainly know that it is false and absurd to treat life and death as one and the same, |
齊彭殤為妄作。 | qí péng shāng wéi wàngzuò | And it is equally absurd to think of dying at an old age as being the same as dying at a young age. |
後之視今,亦由今之視昔。 | hòu zhī shì jīn, yì yóu jīn zhī shì xī | When future generations look back to my time, it will probably be similar to how I now think of the past. |
悲夫!故列敘時人, | bēi fú! gù liè xù shí rén | What a shame! Therefore, when I list out the people that were here, |
錄其所述,雖世殊事異, | lù qí suǒ shù, suī shì shū shì yì | And record their musings, even though times and circumstances will change, |
所以興懷,其致一也。 | suǒ yǐ xìng huái, qí zhì yī yě | As for the things that we regret, they are the same. |
後之攬者,亦將有感於斯文。 | hòu zhī lǎn zhě, yì jiāng yǒu gǎn yú sī wén | For the people who read this in future generations, perhaps you will likewise be moved by these words. |
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