Lan Ting Xu

 

 

 

 

I don't know a lot about Chinese poetry, but I have studied one piece rather closely. It's called "Lan Ting Xu," written in 353 AD by Wang Xizhi. Wang Xizhi is considered to be the father of modern Chinese calligraphy.

"Lan Ting Xu" means "Preface to poems composed at the Orchard Pavilion." The first two photos show a replica of the pavilion and surrounding area in Shaoxing, Zhejiang Province in which he wrote his poems. The last photo is a carving of the actual poem itself.

I have this poem to stitch in cross stitch. The whole thing strikes a chord with me. Here is one of my favorite translations of it:

At the beginning of the third lunar month,
We all gathered at the orchid pavilion in Shanyin County, Guiji Commandery,
For the Spring Purification Festival.
All of the prominent people were there,
From old to young.
This was an area of high mountains and lofty peaks,
With an exuberant growth of trees and bamboos,
Which also had clear rushing water,
Which reflected the sunlight as it flowed past either side of the pavilion.
The pavilion divided the flowing water into two winding brooks, and all the guests were sitting side by side;
Although we lacked the boisterousness of a live orchestra,
With a cup of wine here and a reciting of poetry there, it was sufficient to allow for a pleasant exchange of cordial conversations.
On this particular day, the sky was bright and the air was clear,
With a gentle breeze which was blowing freely. When looking up, one could see the vastness of the heavens,
And when looking down, one could observe the abundance of things. The contentment of allowing one’s eyes to wander,
Was enough to reach the heights of delight for the sight and sound. What a joy.
Now all people live in this world together,
Some will take all of their aspirations, and share them in private with a friend;
Still others will abandon themselves to reckless pursuits.
Even though everyone makes different choices in life, some thoughtful and some rash,
When a person meets with joy, he will temporarily be pleased,
And will feel content, but he is not mindful that old age will soon overtake him.
Wait until that person becomes weary, or has a change of heart about something,
And will thus be filled with regrets.
The happiness of the past, in the blink of an eye,
Will have already become a distant memory, and this cannot but cause one to sigh;
**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.**
The ancients have said, “Birth and Death are both momentous occasions.”
Isn’t that sad!
Every time I consider the reasons for why the people of old had regrets,
I am always moved to sadness by their writings,
And I can not explain why I am saddened.
I most certainly know that it is false and absurd to treat life and death as one and the same,
And it is equally absurd to think of dying at an old age as being the same as dying at a young age.
When future generations look back to my time, it will probably be similar to how I now think of the past.
What a shame! Therefore, when I list out the people that were here,
And record their musings, even though times and circumstances will change,
As for the things that we regret, they are the same.
For the people who read this in future generations, perhaps you will likewise be moved by my words.

** The line with the asteriks around it is what I like best. No matter what we plan, where we go, what we do . . . our days are determined by the Creator.

http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Preface_to_the_Poems_Composed_at_the_Orchid_Pavilion