Spring Evening Banquet at the Peach and Pear Blossom Garden

Leng Mei

1677-1742. Ink and color on silk. 95.6 X 188.4 см. National Palace Museum, Taipei.

The upper left contains Li Bai's essay (序文) "Banquet on a Spring Night in the Peach and Plum Garden" (春夜宴桃李園)as inscribed by Chen Bangyan (陳邦彦）: 夫天地者，萬物之逆旅。光陰者，百代之過客。而浮生若夢，為歡幾何？古人秉 燭夜游，良有以也。況陽春召我以煙景，大塊假我以文章。會桃李之芳園，序天倫之 樂事。群季俊秀，皆為惠連；吾人詠歌，獨慚康樂。幽賞未已，高談轉清。開瓊筵以 坐花，飛羽觴而醉月。不有佳作，何伸雅懷？如詩不成，罰依金谷酒數。