Inscription
行庵在揚州北郭天寧寺西隅,馬君嶰谷半槎兄弟購僧房隙地所築,以為游息之處也。寺為晉謝太傅別墅。西隅饒古木,䨴鬱陰森,入林最僻,不知其近郛郭。庵居其中,無斲礱髤采之飾,惟軒庭多得清蔭,來憩者每流連而不能去。乾隆癸亥九日,積雨既收,風日清美,遂約同人,咸集於斯,中縣[懸]仇英白描陶靖節像,采黃花,酌白醪為供,乃以人世難逢開口笑,菊花雖插滿頭歸分韻賦詩。陶陶衎衎,觴詠竟日。既逾月,吳中寫真葉君敬[震]初適來,群貌小像,合為一卷,方君環山補景,命曰九日行庵文讌圖。裝池成,將各書所作於後,而囑鶚為之記。記按圖中共坐短榻者二人:右箕踞者,為武陵胡復齋先生期恆;左抱膝者,為天門唐南軒先生建中也。坐繩床者二人:中手牋者,歙方環山士庶;左仰首如欲語者,江都閔玉井華也。一人坐藤塾捻髭者,鄞全謝山祖望也。一人倚石坐若凝思者,臨潼張漁川四科也。樹下二人:離立把菊者,錢唐厲樊榭鶚;袖手者,錢唐陳竹町章也。一人憑石床坐撫琴者,江都程香溪先生夢星也。聽者三人:一人垂袖立者,祁門馬半查曰璐;二人坐瓷塾,左倚樹、右跂腳者,歙方西疇士疌 、汪恬齋玉樞也。二人對坐展卷者,左祁門馬嶰谷曰琯,右吳江王梅沂藻也。一人觀者,負手立於右,江都陸南圻鐘輝也。從後相倚觀者一人,歙洪曲溪振珂也。童子種菊者三人:樹間侍立者一人,撰杖、執卷者各一人。其植有蕉、有竹,又有雜樹,作丹黃青碧之色,紀時也。夫重九佳名,舉俗所重,而高常侍歎獨坐而搔首,陸天隨感登高以剫門,無其時地與人耳。今吾儕幸生太平,遇勝地,又皆素心有文之侶,固人世不可多得之會;而此十六人者,或土斷,或客游,聚散不常。異日者,歲月遷流,撫節物以有懷,一披此圖,悅如晤對。將來覽者,或亦不異此意乎。甲子夏五十有四日厲鴞記並書。
Inscription Translation
1 colophon, dated 1744, and 3 seals of Li E 厲鶚 (1692–1752).
The Xing’an [Temporary Retreat] is located at the northern outskirts of Yangzhou, near the western corner of the Tianning Temple. It was purchased by Ma Yueguan and his younger brother, Ma Yuelu, when it was but unused land of the Buddhist monastery and built as a place for rest and recreation. The monastery itself was the country villa of Xie An of the Jin dynasty. Its western corner is especially luxuriant and shady, densely wooded with ancient trees. Once inside the secluded areas of the woods, people would not know that they are not far from the city. The “retreat” is right at the center of this secluded spot, totally devoid of any artificial ornamentation of carving, engraving, lacquer, or bright colors, but rich in refreshing shade and in its balconies and courtyards. For this reason, people who come here for rest always linger and do not want to leave. On the Double-Ninth Day of guihai [1743] of the Qianlong era, after a prolonged period of rain, the weather was pleasant and fine. So the members [of the poetry club] were all invited to gather here. There, in the center, the portrait of Tao Jingjie [Tao Qian] by Qiu Ying was hung; yellow chrysanthemums were picked, and white wine was offered as a libation. The fourteen words in Du Fu’s lines, “ren shi nan feng kai kou xiao, ju hua xu cha man tou gui” (In this mortal world, there is hardly any occasion for a hearty laugh; so with chrysanthemums, let’s go home full of flowers in our hair), were chosen as rhymes for making poetry. And so, dizzily and merrily, we all drank and hummed the whole day.
A month later, Ye Jingchu, the portrait painter active in Suzhou, happened to be here and was asked to do a group portrait of the gathering on a scroll, with Fang Huanshan completing the background scenery. The painting was titled A Literary Gathering at the Temporary Retreat on the Ninth Day. Upon the completion of its mounting, every participant was asked to write his composition at the end of the scroll, and I was entrusted with recording the event in an essay.
In the picture there are two gentlemen sitting together on a short couch. The one on the right, who squats with outspread legs, is Hu Fuzhai, Qiheng, from Wuling; and the one on the left who holds his right knee is Tang Nanxuan, Jianzhong, from Tianmen. Two other gentlemen are sitting on matted chairs: the one holding a piece of writing is Fang Huanshan, Shishu, of Shexian; the other on the left, who is looking up as if he is about to speak, is Min Yuzheng, Hua, of Jiangdu. One gentleman who is sitting on a rattan stool and fingering his beard is Quan Xieshan, Zuwang, of Ningbo. The other, seated, leaning against a rock as though he is deep in thought, is Zhang Yuchuan, Sike, of Lintong. Two gentlemen are standing under trees, away from other people. The one holding a chrysanthemum is Li Fanxie, E, from Qiantang; the other, clasping his hands in his sleeves, is Chen Zhuding, Zhang, from Qiantang. One gentleman is playing on a qin on the stone table; this is Cheng Xiangxi, Mengxing, of Jiangdu. Among the three listeners, the one standing behind him with sleeve down is Ma Bancha, Yuelu, of Qimen. Two gentlemen are sitting on porcelain stools: the one leaning against a tree on the left is Fang Xizhou, Shijie; the other on the right, with legs crossed, is Wang Tianzhai, Yushu; both are from Shexian. Two gentlemen, seated facing each other and unrolling a scroll, are Ma Xiegu, Yueguan, of Qimen on the left, and Wang Meiyi, Zao, on the right. One onlooker on the right, with both hands clasped behind his back, is Lu Nanqi, Zhonghui, of Jiangdu. The other leaning forward [behind Mr. Lu] is Hong Quxi, Zhengke, of Shexian. Among the boy servants, three are planting chrysanthemums, one is waiting among the trees, one holds a walking stick while the other holds a scroll. Plants in the painting are banana, bamboo, and trees of various kinds. They are represented in colors of reddish yellow and greenish blue to give a seasonal feeling.
Now the auspicious name of Double Ninth is universally respected by tradition. But [the Tang poet] Gao Shi [d. 675] had to scratch his head lamenting his loneliness, while Lu Guimeng [d. 881] had to shut himself indoors to dream of the joy of climbing up high. The reasons for their misfortunes were simply their lack of right time, right place, and right people. As for us, we are lucky in being born during a reign of peace, in a place of beauty, and in the company of friends who are cultured and understanding. How rare indeed are such gatherings in this world. On the other hand, among the sixteen of us, some are natives [of Yangzhou], and others are only visitors. Our meetings and partings are irregular and unpredictable. Some day, when enough time has gone by, when we are brought back to our memories by the change of seasons, we may unroll this painting and feel like seeing each other again. For the people in the future who have a chance to see this painting, perhaps they will not feel differently from us.
In the jiazi year [1744], on the fifty-fourth day of the summer, Li E recorded and inscribed.