永和₊九年，
In the 9th year of Eternal Peace,

歲在癸丑₊，
the 50th year of the 60 year cycle, (353 CE)

暮春之初，
the beginning of the end of spring,

會於會稽山陰₊之蘭亭，
We have gathered in the shady province of KuiJi Mountain's Orchid Pavilion,

修禊事也。
and carried out purification rituals.

群賢畢至，
The worthy masses have all arrived.

少長咸集。
Young and old have come together.

此地₊有崇山峻嶺，
Here there are high mountains and steep peaks,

茂林修竹；
abundant forests and lofty bamboos,

又有清流₊激湍，
as well as clear water in burbling brooks,

映帶左右₊。
reflections flowing all around.

引以為₊流觴曲水₊，
The winding river carries the wine glass where it will
(where it lands selects who must compose a poem,
as well as presumably have a drink);

列坐其次₊；
lined up one after the other;

雖無絲竹管₊絃之盛，
though we lack musical instruments to accompany us,

一觴一詠，
drinking and reciting,

亦足以₊暢敘幽情。
we can be content expressing our feelings.

是日也，
As for this day,

天朗氣清，
the sky is bright and the air is clear,

惠風和暢；
the favorable wind is joyful;

仰觀宇宙₊之大，
looking up to see the vast universe,

俯察品類₊之盛；
looking down to see abundant goods;

所以₊遊目騁懷，
what my wandering eyes see makes my heart race

足以₊極視聽之娛，
extremely satisfied with sights' and sounds' amusements,

信可樂₊也。
and really can be happy even.

夫人₊之相與，
People gather together,

俯仰一世₊，
in a blink, life passes by,

或取諸懷抱₊，
some people satisfy all their desires,

晤言一室之內₊；
discussing matters indoors;

或因寄所託，
some people put their faith

放浪₊形骸₊之外₊。
in freeing their souls.

雖趣舍萬殊，
Though interests are abundantly unique,

靜躁不同₊；
tranquility and recklessness are not equal;

當其欣於所遇，
whatever pleasures one meets,

暫得於己，
are there for just a moment,

快然自足₊，
in easy-going satisfaction,

不知₊老之將至。
one hardly realizes how fast we grow old.

及其₊所₊之既倦，
As that is replaced by tiredness,

情隨事遷，
attitudes follow this shift,

感慨₊係之矣。
feeling disappointment at last.

向之所欣，
As for all that happiness,

俛仰之間₊，
in a blink,

已為陳跡₊，
it is already a relic,

猶不能₊不₊以之興懷；
but we still can't help but act in accordance with our emotions;

況修短隨化，
whether life is long or short is up to destiny,

終期₊於盡。
in the end, death comes.

古人₊雲：
The ancients said,

「死生₊亦大矣。」
"Death is a grave matter."

豈不₊痛哉！
How could it not be agonizing?

每覽昔人興感之由，
Any look at the ancients' emotions' reasons,

若合一₊契；
shows them of the same cut;

未嘗₊不臨文嗟悼，
It's impossible to avoid this literary lamenting,

不能₊喻之於懷。
which can't really get at what is in their hearts.

固知一死生₊為虛誕，
So I know death is all the more meaningless,

齊彭殤為妄作。
while treating long and short lives as equal is also absurd.

後之視今，
Our descendants will look back at us,

亦猶今之視昔，
as we now look back at our ancestors,

悲夫！
in mourning!

故列敘時人，
So a series of current writers,

錄其所₊述，
have recorded here their compositions,

雖世殊事異，
though their lives and situations vary,

所以₊興懷，
making use of their feelings

其致一也。
they come together as one.

後之覽者，
When subsequent generations look here,

亦將有感於斯文₊。
may they also feel what is in this literature.

Much thanks to Liu YiRu 劉怡如 at ChengGong University 成功大學 in Tainan 台南for her great effort and indispensable aid in hopefully getting me to understandthis text correctly. Disputes with any sections of the translationshould obviously be directed towards myself.

phillip potamites
my.last.name@yahoo.com