桃花源記

An Idyllic Land of Peach-Blossom Spring

晉·陶淵明

Tao Yuanming from Jin Dynasty

　　晉太元中，武陵人捕魚為業，緣溪行，忘路之遠近。忽逢桃花林，夾岸數百步，中無雜樹，芳草鮮美，落英繽紛;漁人甚異之。復前行，欲窮其林。

　　Amid the Taiyuan era of Eastern Jin Dynasty, there was a fisherman, a native of Wuling rowed his boat along a brook, not mindful of how far he had toured when suddenly he came across a blossoming peach grove flanking the banks continuously for hundreds of footsteps. The peach grove with no other sundry trees was permeated of sweet fragrance, fresh green grass, and falling and fallen blossoms. The fisherman with appealing surprise again rowed further, with a desire to explore how far it extended.

　　林盡水源，便得一山。山有小口，仿佛若有光，便舍船，從口入。初極狹，才通人;復行數十步，豁然開朗。土地平曠，屋舍儼然。有良田、美池、桑、竹之屬，阡陌交通，雞犬相聞。其中往來種作，男女衣著，悉如外人;黃發垂髫，并佁然自樂。

　　When the grove faded away at the end of the brook, he found himself in front of a mountain with a small opening from which a light loomed. He thus left his boat and walked into the opening which at first was found to be so narrow that only one could pass through it. After walking forward for a few footsteps, he discovered it led to an open air where flat and wide was the land with well-arranged houses, rich fields, beautiful ponds, mulberries, bamboos and the like. He saw the paths intersecting the fields in all directions, and heard cocks crowing and dogs barking. Here, men and women passing back and forth or working in the fields dressed almost the same as people outside. The grizzled-haired and children with uncoiled hairs seemed happy and complacent.