高攀龍《村居》“Country Houses” by Gao Panlong (1562-1626)

日暖風微楊柳斜，

桃華處處點村家。

誰人此際能閒坐，

載酒東皋醉落霞。

The sun is warm, and the wind light; willow branches trail aslant.

Here and there, country homes are dotted with peach blossoms.

Who at such an hour can bear to sit in idleness?

[Better to] bring wine up the East Heights [1] and get drunk on the sinking rosy clouds.

* Gao Panlong (1562-1626), Gaozi yishu 高子遺書, Yingyin Wenyuange Siku quanshu 景印文淵閣四庫全書 (Shanghai: Shanghai guji chubanshe, 1987) edition, vol. 1292, 6.29a-b.

[1] East Heights is often a metaphor for a place of reclusion.

Album leaf by Wang Yuanqi 王原祁 (1642-1715)

Image credit: National Palace Museum, Taipei

清王原祁畫山水　冊　桃江人家。國立故宮博物院，台北，CC BY 4.0 @ www.npm.gov.tw