袁枚（1716－1797）清代诗人、散文家。字子才，号简斋，晚年自号仓山居士、随园主人、随园老人，钱塘（今浙江杭州）人。乾隆四年进士，历任溧水、江宁等县知县，有政绩，四十岁即告归。在江宁小仓山下筑随园，吟咏其中。广收诗弟子，女弟子尤众。袁枚是乾嘉时期代表诗人之一，与赵翼、蒋士铨合称“乾隆三大家”。
Yuan Mei (1716-1797) was a poet and essayist of the Qing Dynasty. His courtesy name was Zicai and his literary name was Jianzhai. In his later years, he adopted the nicknames Cangshan Jushi, Suiyuan Owner, and Suiyuan Elderly. He was from Qiantang (now Hangzhou, Zhejiang). In the fourth year of Qianlong’s reign, he successively served as the Supervisor of the County of Lishui, Jiangning and other counties. He made achievements and returned at the age of 40. Build a garden at the foot of Xiaocang Mountain in Jiangning and sing about it. Widely recruit poetry disciples, especially female disciples. Yuan Mei was one of the representative poets of the Qianlong and Jiaqing periods, collectively known as the “Three Great Masters of Qianlong” along with Zhao Yi and Jiang Shiquan.
Yuan Mei’s poem “Appreciating Paintings” mainly expresses the core viewpoint that when evaluating paintings, attention should be paid to their charm, while when discussing poetry, the poet’s temperament should be emphasized.
袁枚·《品画》
品画先神韵，论诗重性情。
蛟龙生气尽，不若鼠横行。
Talking Art
Yuan Mei
In painting it’s catching the “spirit” and “essence.”
In poems that’s “nature” and “feelings.”
An elegant dragon, with its life’s breath gone?
Better a rat, with some scurry left in him.
（J.P. Seaton 译）
