Lanting Xu (蘭亭序) 翻譯 英譯 Translation - Vincent's Calligraphy

Lanting Xu (蘭亭帖)(1), scribed by Wang Xizhi (王羲之, 303-361AD) in 353 AD, is considered to be the most beautiful semi-cursive script (行書) calligraphy ever written in Chinese history. The piece was so treasured that Tang Dynasty Emperor Taizong  (唐太宗, 598-649 AD) was rumored to obtain the masterpiece deceitfully from a monk, ordered it to be traced and modelled, and then ultimately decreed to bury himself along with it in his tomb.(2)  The original is long lost but models (臨摹搨本) of it by different renowned calligraphers can be found in museums across different parts of China, including Taiwan. One of the best models is the Shennong edition “神龍本” created by Tang Dynasty Feng Chengsu (馮承素, 617-672AD), who duplicated the original by outline-copying the form of each character (搨, 雙鉤廓填)(3).  This edition now resides in the Palace Museum in Beijing.

The literal content along with the aesthetics of the calligraphy are equally cherished in this masterpiece.  The text was composed and scribed by Wang when he was in a gathering of forty-two renowned literati performing the Spring Purification Festival (修禊) in the ninth year of Yonghe (永和九年, 353 AD) at a place called Lanting (蘭亭, aka Orchid Pavilion).(4) During this gathering, the literati composed poems while engaged in a wine-drinking contest:  in the end, twenty-six literati composed thirty-seven poems(5), and Wang wrote Lanting Xu to commemorate this joyous event(6).  Wang first started by describing the time, place, and weather of the gathering, then narrated the various events in the meeting, and finally concluded with an emotional lamentation on the perpetual frustrations in life. It was rumored that the original piece was penned by Wang when he was drunk, and when he sobered up the next day and attempted to reproduce the masterpiece, he failed.(7)

Wang Xizhi is often considered to be the most outstanding Chinese calligrapher of all time. Born in 303AD in an upper-class aristocratic family, Wang Xizhi started learning Chinese calligraphy at the age of seven from the renowned calligrapher Wei Shuo (衛鑠 or 衛夫人, 272-349AD).(8) His father, Wang Kuang (王曠, ?-?AD), was a government prefecture chief (太守) and was also a calligrapher.(9)  His uncle Wang Dao (王導, 276-339AD) was the prime minister (丞相) during the reign of Emperor Cheng of the Eastern Jin Dynasty (晉成帝, 321-342AD ).(10)

At the age of twenty-two, Wang was first appointed to public office as an Assistant to the Palace Library (秘書郎).  Wang was then subsequently promoted to Army Adviser (參軍), Chief Clerk (長史), Guardian General of the Army (護軍將軍), Interior Minister of Kuaiji (會稽內史), and eventually to General of the Right Army (右軍將軍) amid the internal political turmoil within the Eastern Jin Dynasty(11). He wrote Lanting Xu in 353 AD when he was at the peak of his bureaucratic career.  Two years afterwards, however, Wang resigned all his bureaucratic posts and vowed not return to public office ever again as he grew tired of political power struggles and was displeased with his superiors not following his many good pieces of advice.(12)  That year he wrote another masterpiece, The Statement of Pledge (告誓文).(13)

At the age of fifty-five, he narrated his own life as:

Although Wang was frustrated with the outcome of his bureaucratic life, he found complete satisfaction with living by the principles of Confucianism (as demonstrated by Lu Jia), Taoism (as demonstrated by Ban Si), and the Way of Huang–Lao (黃老之術, as demonstrated by Yang Wangsun).  Indeed, his noble integrity, refined temperament, as well as his outstanding calligraphic skills had all come together to allow him to create superior and unrivaled calligraphy that stood the test of time.  Hence, he is certainly worthy to be regarded as “書聖 (The Sage of Calligraphy)” in China and Japan.