Beautiful folding fan with a landscape painting, comes with a dedicated case. - Design: Folding fan with a landscape painting, featuring mountains and cherry blossoms Wang Xizhi's "Preface to the Poems Composed at the Orchid Pavilion" ------------------- The following is a modern Japanese translation of the full text by ChatGPT: [Beginning: Describing the Banquet] In the ninth year of the Yonghe era, the year of Mizunoto-ushi (the year of the water ox) in spring. At the "Orchid Pavilion" in Shanyin, Kuaiji County, I invited friends and held an elegant banquet. This is a very beautiful place, where the trees of the forest are lush, surrounded by high mountains, and a clear stream meanders through the waterside. Everyone gathered, drank wine, and enjoyed composing poems. --- [Beauty of Nature and Comfort] The sky is clear and blue, and a gentle spring breeze caresses the cheeks. It is truly a season that makes the heart feel expansive. What meets the eye is the rich scenery of nature. What enters the ear is the chirping of birds echoing in the mountains and valleys. The joy of the heart was beyond words. --- [Various Ways of Living] The reasons why people participate in this banquet are different. Some people, forget their worries and immerse themselves in joy, seeing the natural scenery. Others, raise their spirits and enjoy themselves by drinking cup after cup. Many people behave according to their own hearts, some are quiet, and some are flamboyant. No matter how you choose to enjoy yourself, the joy of that moment is the same for everyone. However... --- [Realization of the Impermanence of Life] However, this enjoyment does not last forever. The banquet will eventually end, and as time passes, the events of this day will also turn into memories. When I read the records of people from the past, the joys and sorrows that people felt are no different from our current emotions. It's just that the eras in which we have lived are different. --- [Why People Mourn Death] We, today, read the writings of people from the past, and are deeply moved by their feelings. That is because there is always an "end" to life. If you live, you will surely die someday. Whether you flourish or decline, a person's life is like a fleeting "short journey." Eventually, you will return to the earth, and disappear without a trace. Therefore, we who live in the present, are also touched deeply by reading the writings of people from the past.