Feasting in the Peach-plum Garden in Spring Night
- Poetry of Li Bai (Li Po)

夫天地者，万物之逆旅；光阴者，百代之过客，而浮生若梦，为欢几何？古人秉烛夜游，良有以也。

况阳春召我以烟景，大块假我以文章。会桃李之芳园，序天伦之乐事。群季俊秀，皆为惠连；吾人咏歌，独惭康乐。

幽赏未已，高谈转清。开琼筵以坐花，飞羽觞而醉月。不有佳作，何伸雅怀？如诗不成，罚依金谷酒数。

The world is aninn for all creatures and time is a passing traveler of endless generations.The floating life is like a dream, and how brief the enjoyment is! Indeed, itwas with good reason that the ancients made nocturnal excursions by bearingcandle lights.

It should beindeed more so with us now that the sunny spring invites me with vapouryscenes, the big earth provides me with such a beautiful picture. Here we gatherin the beautiful garden of peach and plum, and enjoy fraternal love. Youyounger brothers are all men of refinement and elegancy like Hwai Lien, butamidst singing and chanting I myself feel ashamed to be compared with Kang Lo.

Before silentappreciation comes to the end, our lofty chat turns to puretalk. The ambrosianbanquet is served amid the flowers, and the flight of the winged goblet makesus drunk under the moon. Without fine poems how can our refined taste besatisfied? If anyone fails to produce a poem, let him be punished according tothe rule of the Gold Valley Garden.