春夜宴从弟桃花园序 by 李白

夫天地者，万物之逆旅；光阴者，百代之过客，而浮生若梦，为欢几何？古人秉烛夜游，良有以也。 况阳春召我以烟景，大块假我以文章。会桃李之芳园，序天伦之乐事。群季俊秀，皆为惠连；吾人咏歌，独惭康乐。 幽赏未已，高谈转清。开琼筵以坐花，飞羽觞而醉月。不有佳作，何伸雅怀？如诗不成，罚依金谷酒数。

Preface to the Spring Night Banquet from Peach-Plum Garden (literal translation of Li Bai’s poem)

Heaven and earth are the inns of all things; time is the passer-by of a hundred generations. Life is like a dream, how much joy can we have? The ancients had good reasons for traveling at night with candles. Moreover, spring calls me with its misty scenery, and the earth lends me its writing. Meet in the fragrant garden of peaches and plums, and write about the joy of family. The handsome men of the younger generation are all like Hwai Lien; I am the only one who sings and sings, ashamed to be compared to Kang Lo. The quiet appreciation has not yet ended, and the high talk has become clearer. Open a banquet to sit among the flowers, and drink wine to get drunk under the moon. Without good works, how can I express my elegant thoughts? If the poem is not completed, the punishment is according to the number of wines in Jingo.