Literature · LH

Through the Dynasties

Read the works dynasty by dynasty, and watch nine forms and twelve canons grow across fifteen dynasties.

15dynasties

4425works

9forms

12canons

Xia

4 works

2070–1600 BCE

  1. Song of Beating the EarthAnonymous (people of high antiquity) · Four-Character VerseWork at sunrise, rest at sundown. Dig wells for drink, plow fields for food. What has the emperor's power to do with me!
  2. Song of the Southern WindEmperor Shun · Four-Character VerseThe balmy Southern wind soothes the sorrow of my people; the timely Southern breeze enriches their wealth.
  3. Song of Waiting (Hou Ren Ge / Song of Tushan)Lady of Tushan (Attributed) (traditionally attributed) · Four-Character VerseWaiting for the loved one, oh!
  4. Song of the Five SonsAnonymous (the brothers of Taikang of Xia) · Four-Character VerseOur imperial ancestor gave the precept: The people are the root of a country; when the root is firm, the country is tranquil.

Shang

0 works

1600–1046 BCE

Zhou

419 works

1046–221 BCE

  1. Rhapsody on the WindSong Yu · Grand Han RhapsodiesWind is born of the earth and rises at the tips of the green water-fern; it creeps through the valleys and rages at the mouth of the great hollow.
  2. Rhapsody on Master Dengtu the LecherSong Yu · Grand Han RhapsodiesWere she one fen taller she would be too tall, one fen shorter too short; with powder she would be too white, with rouge too red.
  3. Rhapsody on the Divine MaidenSong Yu · Grand Han RhapsodiesHer face is full and dignified, wrapped in the warm lustre of jade.
  4. Rhapsody on GaotangSong Yu · Grand Han RhapsodiesAt dawn I am the morning cloud; at dusk I am the passing rain. Morning after morning, evening after evening, below the Yang Terrace.
  5. Nine Arguments · ExcerptSong Yu · Chu ElegiesHow sad is the breath of autumn! Rustling and bleak, the grass and trees shed their leaves, wither and decay.
  6. Reply to the King of ChuSong Yu · Essays & MemorialsThe loftier the song, the fewer those who can sing along.
  7. Covering One's Ears to Steal a BellLü Buwei · Philosophers' FablesDeceiving yourself fools no one else; covering your ears does not silence the world.
  8. The Fox Borrows the Tiger's MightLiu Xiang · Historical AllusionsBorrowed authority is hollow; people fear the power behind you, not you.
  9. The Frog in the WellZhuangzi (traditionally attributed) · Philosophers' FablesThose with narrow horizons mistake their little well for the whole world.
  10. Pulling Up Seedlings to Help Them GrowMencius · Philosophers' FablesForcing growth against nature's pace destroys what you hoped to nurture.
  11. The Spear and the ShieldHan Fei · Philosophers' FablesContradictory claims undo themselves; one boast can refute the other.
  12. Drawing Legs on a SnakeLiu Xiang · Historical AllusionsNeedless additions can throw away a victory already in hand.
  13. All 419 works

Qin

6 works

221–207 BCE

  1. Memorial Against the Expulsion of Guest OfficialsLi Si · Essays & MemorialsMount Tai rejects no clod of earth to achieve its height; rivers and oceans refuse no tiny stream to attain their depth; a great sovereign turns away no people to manifest true virtue.
  2. Changing Customs and HabitsLi Si · IdiomsDuke Xiao used the laws of Shang Yang, changing manners and transforming customs; the people grew prosperous, the state rich and strong, the common folk served gladly, and the feudal lords drew near and submitted.
  3. Mount Tai Stele InscriptionLi Si (traditionally attributed) · Epitaphs & ElegiesIn the twenty-sixth year he first united all under heaven, and none failed to submit.
  4. Memorial on Supervision and PunishmentLi Si · Essays & MemorialsA kind mother has spoilt sons, but a strict household has no unruly slaves
  5. Mount Tai Turns Away No Clod of SoilLi Si · IdiomsMount Tai turns away no soil, and so achieves its greatness; rivers and seas reject no small stream, and so achieve their depth.
  6. Langya Terrace Stele InscriptionLi Si (traditionally attributed) · Epitaphs & ElegiesTools and vessels share one measure, and all write in the same script.

Han

482 works

202 BCE – 220 CE

  1. Song of White HairZhuo Wenjun (traditionally attributed) · Yuefu BalladsWhite as snow upon the mountain, bright as the moon between the clouds.
  2. Song of Lament (Zhaojun's Lament)Wang Zhaojun · Yuefu BalladsThe autumn trees grow lush, yet their leaves wither and yellow. There is a bird that dwells in the mountains, gathered upon the thick mulberry.
  3. Han Yuefu · Southeast the Peacocks FlyAnonymous (Han–Wei folk yuefu) · Yuefu BalladsYou should be as the solid rock, I as the supple reed; the reed is tough as silk, the rock shall never move.
  4. Han Yuefu · Long Song (Time Flees Like Rivers)Anonymous (Han yuefu) · Yuefu BalladsA hundred rivers flow east to the sea, when will they return west? If you strive not in youth, you will grieve in vain in age.
  5. Han Yuefu · Jiangnan (Gathering Lotus)Anonymous (Han lotus pickers) · Yuefu BalladsJiangnan is ripe for gathering lotus, how lush are the lily pads! Fish play among the lotus leaves.
  6. Nineteen Ancient Poems · Walking and WalkingAnonymous (Eastern Han literati) · Old-Style SongsSeparation stretches longer day by day, robe-sashes grow ever looser. Longing makes one age, the years have swiftly turned late.
  7. Nineteen Ancient Poems · Faraway the Cowherd StarAnonymous (Eastern Han literati) · Old-Style SongsAcross a single pool of clear water, gazing in deep affection, unable to speak.
  8. Letter in Reply to Ren AnSima Qian · Letters & PrefacesEvery man must die once; a death may be weightier than Mount Tai or lighter than a goose feather, according to what it is used for.
  9. Faults of Qin (Part 1)Jia Yi · Essays & MemorialsA single commoner rebelled and the imperial ancestral shrines collapsed, their dynastic line exterminated to become the laughingstock of the realm—why? Because benevolence and righteousness were not practiced, and the strategy of taking power differs from preserving it.
  10. Memorial on Security and StatecraftJia Yi · Essays & MemorialsTo put a fire under a pile of firewood and sleep on top of it, and to call it safe because the flames have not yet caught.
  11. Rhapsody Mourning Qu YuanJia Yi · Grand Han RhapsodiesThe luan and the phoenix hide and flee, while owls soar on high.
  12. Rhapsody on the OwlJia Yi · Grand Han RhapsodiesHeaven and earth are the furnace, creation is the smith; yin and yang are the charcoal, all things the bronze.
  13. All 482 works

Three Kingdoms

118 works

220–280

  1. A Short SongCao Cao · Yuefu BalladsMountains never tire of their height, nor seas of their depth. Emulate Duke of Zhou in welcoming talent, and the world will unite.
  2. Rhapsody on the Goddess of the Luo RiverCao Zhi · Short RhapsodiesLight as a startled swan, supple as a swimming dragon, brighter than autumn chrysanthemums, lusher than spring pines.
  3. First Memorial on the ExpeditionZhuge Liang · Essays & MemorialsI took up my charge amid military collapse, and received my mission in perilous danger.
  4. Letter Breaking Ties with Shan JuyuanJi Kang · Letters & PrefacesMoreover I constantly disparage Tang and Wu and belittle the Duke of Zhou and Confucius.
  5. Singing of My Thoughts · Poem 1 (Night Cannot Sleep)Ruan Ji · Old-Style SongsThin curtains reflect the bright moon, cool breezes brush my robe. Pacing, what is there to see? Sorrow wounds my solitary heart.
  6. Gazing Across the Vast SeaCao Cao · Yuefu BalladsThe journeys of sun and moon seem to issue from its depths; the brilliant galaxy appears to rise from within.
  7. Seven Steps PoemCao Zhi · Old-Style SongsBorn from the very same root, why oppress each other with such haste?
  8. Song of Yan · Part 1 (Autumn Winds Bleak)Cao Pi · Yuefu BalladsThe bright moon illuminates my bed, the Milky Way flows west before the night ends. The Cowherd and Weaver gaze from afar: what guilt bars them behind the heavenly stream?
  9. The White HorseCao Zhi · Yuefu BalladsHe gives his life to meet the nation's peril, and looks on death as going home.
  10. The Fair MaidenCao Zhi · Yuefu BalladsThe fair maiden is lovely and serene, picking mulberry leaves where the roads fork.
  11. To Biao, King of BaimaCao Zhi · Old-Style SongsA man's resolve spans the four seas; ten thousand li are like next door. If love and kindness suffer no loss, distance only makes us closer day by day.
  12. Poem of Sorrow and IndignationCai Wenji (Cai Yan) · Old-Style SongsFrom the horses' sides hung men's heads; behind the horses rode captive women.
  13. All 118 works

Jin

157 works

265–420

  1. Preface to the Orchid Pavilion GatheringWang Xizhi · Letters & PrefacesLooking up to gaze upon the vastness of the universe, looking down to survey the richness of all living things, allowing the eyes to wander and the heart to roam.
  2. Drinking Wine · Poem 5 (Plucking Chrysanthemums)Tao Yuanming · Old-Style SongsPlucking chrysanthemums beneath the eastern hedge, leisurely I see the Southern Mountain. In this lies truth; wanting to speak, I forget all words.
  3. Returning to Dwell in the Country · Poem 1Tao Yuanming · Old-Style SongsThe caged bird yearns for old woods, the pond fish pines for its deep abyss. Long in the cage, I return at last to Nature.
  4. The Peach Blossom SpringTao Yuanming · Travel WritingSuddenly he came upon a peach blossom grove, hundreds of paces on both banks; fragrant grasses fresh and lush, blossoms drifting in profusion.
  5. Return HomeTao Yuanming · Short RhapsodiesPast mistakes cannot be undone, yet the future can be pursued. My wrong path went not far: today's choice is right, yesterday's was false.
  6. Rhapsody on Literature · ExcerptLu Ji · Literary TheorySurveying ancient and modern in a moment, embracing four seas in a blink. Enclosing universe in form, bending all nature to the brush.
  7. Rhapsody on Autumn InspirationPan Yue (Pan An) · Short RhapsodiesIn the fourteenth year of Jin I was thirty-two years old and first saw grey in my hair.
  8. Mourning the Departed · Poem IPan Yue · Old-Style SongsSeeing our house I think of her; entering the room I recall what she did there.
  9. The Armillary Tapestry: Woven Palindrome Poem in Seven-Character LinesSu Hui (Su Ruolan) · Palindrome VerseBenevolent, wise, cherishing virtue, like the sage kings Shun and Yao; true and wondrous, radiant and splendid, their glory shown in brilliant display;
  10. Mount Tai ChantXie Daoyun · Old-Style SongsMade by no carpenter and by no craftsman, this cloud-high structure arises of itself.
  11. Memorial Expressing My FeelingsLi Mi · Essays & MemorialsWithout my grandmother I would not have lived to this day; without me my grandmother cannot live out her remaining years.
  12. Letting the Tiger Return to the MountainChen Shou · Satirical ParablesLet a dangerous rival escape, and he will return as your greatest threat.
  13. All 157 works

Northern and Southern

392 works

420–589

  1. Northern Dynasties Yuefu · Ballad of MulanAnonymous (Northern Dynasties folk song) · Yuefu BalladsTen thousand miles marching to war, crossing passes swift as flight. Chill air rings the watch clapper, cold light shines on armor. Generals die in a hundred battles, warriors return after ten years.
  2. Rhapsody on Lament for the South (Preface)Yu Xin · Parallel ProseThe sun is setting and the road is long; what kind of world is this? The general has gone and the great tree is scattered; the hero does not return and the cold wind sighs.
  3. Rhapsody on the Withered TreeYu Xin · Parallel ProseYears ago I planted willows, swaying south of the Han; now I see them shedding their leaves, forlorn by the river pools. If trees fare like this, how can a man bear it!
  4. Rhapsody on PartingJiang Yan · Parallel ProseWhat darkens the spirit and melts the soul is parting, and parting alone!
  5. Rhapsody on ResentmentJiang Yan · Parallel ProseLook out over the plain: creeping weeds entwine the bones, and grave trees grown a span thick gather in the souls. When human life comes to this, how can one speak of the Way of Heaven?
  6. Imitating the Hard Roads (No. 4)Bao Zhao · Old-Style SongsIs my heart wood or stone that it feels no pain? Swallowing my cries, pacing in hesitation, I dare not speak aloud.
  7. Imitating the Hard Roads (No. 6)Bao Zhao · Old-Style SongsFacing the dinner table I cannot eat; drawing my sword I strike the pillar in long sighs. How long is a man granted in this mortal world? How can I pace timidly with drooping wings!
  8. Rhapsody on the Ruined City of GuanglingBao Zhao · Parallel ProseThe frontier wind is fierce, the walls are cold; wells and paths are gone, the grave mounds broken. A thousand years, ten thousand ages, all come alike to an end; what more is there to say!
  9. Climbing the Tower by the PondXie Lingyun · Old-Style SongsUpon the pond green spring grass sprouts anew; garden willows transform with warbling songbirds.
  10. Returning across the Lake from the Stone Cliff RetreatXie Lingyun · Old-Style SongsBetween dawn and dusk the air and light change; mountains and waters hold a clear radiance.
  11. Climbing Three Mountains at Dusk and Looking Back Toward the CapitalXie Tiao · Old-Style SongsThe lingering clouds of sunset spread out like damask; the clear river lies still like white silk.
  12. En Route to Xuancheng Departing Xinlin Anchorage for BanqiaoXie Tiao · Old-Style SongsAt the sky's edge I make out returning boats; among the clouds I discern the riverside trees.
  13. All 392 works

Sui

3 works

581–619

  1. Watering Horses at a Spring by the Great Wall, Shown to the Officials Accompanying the CampaignYang Guang (Emperor Yang of Sui) · Yuefu BalladsA thousand chariots and ten thousand horsemen move; we water our horses at a spring by the Great Wall.
  2. Gazing over the WildsYang Guang · Regulated QuatrainsCold crows fly, a few dots in the sky; a flowing stream winds round a lonely village.
  3. A Thousand Chariots and Ten Thousand HorsemenYang Guang (Emperor Yang of Sui) · IdiomsA thousand chariots and ten thousand horsemen move; we water our horses at the hollows of the Great Wall.

Tang

935 works

618–907

  1. Thoughts in the Quiet NightLi Bai · Regulated QuatrainsLifting my head, I gaze at the bright moon; lowering my head, I dream of home.
  2. Spring ViewDu Fu · Regulated OctavesBeacon fires have burned through three months; a letter from home is worth ten thousand pieces of gold.
  3. Preface to the Prince of Teng's PavilionWang Bo · Parallel ProseSunset clouds and solitary wild duck fly together; autumn waters and the boundless sky share a single hue.
  4. Song of Everlasting RegretBai Juyi · Old-Style SongsTurning with a single smile, a hundred charms arose; all the beauties of the palace faded without color.
  5. Clear and Even Melody · Part 1 (Clouds Recall Her Raiment)Li Bai · Regulated QuatrainsClouds recall her floating robes, blossoms her radiant face; spring breezes brush the balustrade in heavy glistening dew.
  6. Farewell to a Friend · Frosty Night on the Reed WatersXue Tao · Regulated QuatrainsIn watery reaches reeds glisten with night frost; chill moonlight and mountain peaks merge in deep azure.
  7. Lament on Colored SilkShangguan Wan'er · Regulated QuatrainsLeaves are just beginning to fall over Dongting; I think of you, more than ten thousand li away.
  8. Red CliffDu Mu · Regulated QuatrainsHad the east wind not aided Master Zhou, spring in the Bronze Sparrow Tower would have locked away the Two Qiaos.
  9. The Bailiff at ShihaoDu Fu · Old-Style SongsThe living merely eke out their days; the dead are gone for evermore!
  10. Farewell to Vice-Magistrate Du on His Posting to ShuWang Bo · Regulated OctavesIf within the four seas a bosom friend remains, heaven's farthest edge is next door.
  11. Song on Ascending the Youzhou TerraceChen Zi'ang · Old-Style SongsBefore me I see not the ancients; behind me I see not those to come. Pondering the boundless infinity of heaven and earth, alone in grief my tears stream down!
  12. Occasional Poem on Returning HomeHe Zhizhang · Regulated QuatrainsChildren meet me but recognize me not, smilingly asking: 'Whence comes our guest?'
  13. All 935 works

Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms

439 works

907–979

  1. Magpie on the Bough: Who Says Idle Longings Have Long Been Cast AwayFeng Yansi · Short LyricsDaily before blossoms drinking myself sick, begrudging not rosy cheeks wasting away in the mirror.
  2. Magpie on the Bough: Plum Petals Fall from Crowded Boughs in Ten Thousand FlakesFeng Yansi · Short LyricsPlum blossoms fall from crowded branches in thousands of flakes; still full of feeling, they mimic snow and whirl in the wind.
  3. Paying Homage at the Golden Gate: Sudden Breeze RisesFeng Yansi · Short LyricsA sudden breeze rises, wrinkling a whole pond of spring water.
  4. Lady of Longevity: Spring Day BanquetFeng Yansi · Short LyricsThird, like swallows upon the roof-beams, may we meet year after year.
  5. Extended Silk-Washing Stream: Lotus Fragrance Fades, Emerald Leaves WitherLi Jing · Short LyricsLotus fragrance fades and emerald leaves wither; autumn winds stir sorrow between emerald ripples.
  6. Extended Silk-Washing Stream: Rolling Pearl Curtains onto Jade HooksLi Jing · Short LyricsThe cyan bird brings no news beyond the clouds; lilacs knot vainly with sorrow in the rain.
  7. The Beautiful Lady Yu: When Will Spring Blossoms and Autumn Moons EndLi Yu · Short LyricsPray ask how much sorrow can one mortal bear? Just like a river of spring waters surging endlessly to the east.
  8. Joy of Meeting: In Silence I Ascend the West Tower AloneLi Yu · Short LyricsCut it, it breaks not; untangle it, it tangles more—such is the sorrow of parting. A taste unlike any other lingering in the heart.
  9. Joy of Meeting: Forest Blossoms Shed Their Spring CrimsonLi Yu · Short LyricsNaturally human life is filled with eternal regret, as rivers forever surge to the east.
  10. Ripples Sifting Sand: Outside the Blinds Rain MurmursLi Yu · Short LyricsIn dreams I knew not I was an exile captive, indulging in brief joy.
  11. Dance of the Cavalry: For Forty Years My Country and HomeLi Yu · Short LyricsMost agonizing was the day of hurried farewell to ancestral temples, when musicians still played parting songs, weeping helplessly before palace maidens.
  12. Gazing South: How Boundless the RegretLi Yu · Short LyricsHow much regret, in last night's dream!
  13. All 439 works

Song

900 works

960–1279

  1. Prelude to Water Melody · When Will the Moon Be Clear and Bright?Su Shi · Long LyricsMay we live long and share the graceful moonlight across thousands of miles.
  2. Record of Yueyang TowerFan Zhongyan · Travel WritingBe the first to bear hardships for the world, and the last to partake in its joy.
  3. Slow, Slow Song · Searching and SeekingLi Qingzhao · Long LyricsSearching and seeking, cold and desolate, sorrowful, miserable, and forlorn.
  4. A Spray of Plum Blossoms · Lotus Blossoms FadeLi Qingzhao · Mid-Length LyricsThis feeling cannot be dispelled: no sooner does it leave the brow than it leaps into the heart.
  5. Summer Quatrain (Living as a Hero)Li Qingzhao · Regulated QuatrainsIn life be a hero among men; in death be a champion among ghosts.
  6. The River Turns Red · Hair Bristles in WrathYue Fei · Long LyricsThirty years of deeds are dust and earth, eight thousand li of campaigns under clouds and moon. Do not idly let youthful hair turn white in empty grief!
  7. Charm of Niannu · Memories of the Red CliffsSu Shi · Long LyricsThe Great River surges east, its waves sweeping away all heroes of a thousand generations.
  8. Passing LingdingyangWen Tianxiang · Regulated OctavesSince ancient times who has escaped death? Keep a crimson heart to shine on bamboo annals.
  9. Ascending Feilai PeakWang Anshi · Regulated QuatrainsFear not floating clouds obstructing the view, for one stands on the highest heights.
  10. Silk-Washing Stream (A Cup of Wine with a New Song)Yan Shu · Short LyricsHelplessly blossoms fall away; seeming familiar, swallows return.
  11. Butterflies Lingering over Flowers (How Deep the Courtyard)Ouyang Xiu · Short LyricsWith tearful eyes asking blossoms, the blossoms speak not; flying red petals swirl past the garden swing.
  12. Sheng Cha Zi (Lantern Festival)Ouyang Xiu · Short LyricsWhen the moon ascended above willow tips, lovers met after dusk.
  13. All 900 works

Yuan

145 works

1260–1368

  1. Autumn ThoughtsMa Zhiyuan · Sanqu SongsWithered vines, old trees, evening crows; a small bridge, flowing water, a cottage home; an ancient road, west wind, a lean horse.
  2. Sails Returning to Distant ShoresMa Zhiyuan · Sanqu SongsFallen petals perfume the waters by thatched cottages at twilight; at the broken bridgehead, market fishermen part for home.
  3. Night Voyage: Autumn ReflectionsMa Zhiyuan · Song SuitesA hundred years of light and shade are one butterfly dream; looking back, past affairs make one sigh.
  4. Falling Plum Wind: Rose DewMa Zhiyuan · Sanqu SongsDew on the roses, rain on the lotus leaves, frost on the chrysanthemums: a chill fragrance fills the courtyard.
  5. Refusing to Yield to AgeGuan Hanqing · Song SuitesI am a ringing, clanging bronze pea that will not soften when steamed, will not cook through when boiled, will not flatten when pounded, will not pop when roasted.
  6. Drunk in East Wind: Worlds Apart in a Single StepGuan Hanqing · Sanqu SongsSo near, yet as far apart as the south of heaven and the north of earth; in an instant the moon wanes and the flowers fly.
  7. Four Pieces of Jade: Parting LongingGuan Hanqing · Sanqu SongsSince our parting, my heart aches to let go; when will this ember of longing ever cease?
  8. Song of Great Virtue: AutumnGuan Hanqing · Sanqu SongsThe wind gusts, the rain patters; even Chen Tuan could not sleep through this.
  9. AutumnBai Pu · Sanqu SongsEmerald peaks embrace green streams, white grasses, scarlet leaves, and golden blossoms.
  10. SpringBai Pu · Sanqu SongsWarbling orioles sing and swallows dance, across the small bridge over flowing stream flutter crimson petals.
  11. FishermanBai Pu · Sanqu SongsYellow-reed banks and white-duckweed ferry landings; green-willow dikes and red-smartweed shoals.
  12. Meditations at Tongguan PassZhang Yanghao · Sanqu SongsIn imperial rise, the common people suffer; in imperial fall, the common people suffer.
  13. All 145 works

Ming

176 works

1368–1644

  1. Preface Presenting to Student Ma of DongyangSong Lian · Letters & PrefacesIn the bitter cold, when the inkstone froze hard and my fingers could not bend or straighten, I did not slacken.
  2. Discourse on Deep ForesightFang Xiaoru · Essays & MemorialsYet calamity always breaks out in what was neglected, and disorder always arises from matters thought unworthy of suspicion.
  3. Chant of the LimeYu Qian · Regulated QuatrainsUnafraid though its body be crushed to powder, resolved only to leave spotless purity in the human world.
  4. The Surging Yangtze River Rolls EastYang Shen · Short LyricsThe emerald mountains stand unchanged as ever; how many times has the crimson sunset glowed?
  5. Epitaph for a Dead TravelerWang Yangming · Epitaphs & ElegiesYou and I are just like them!
  6. Record of the Xiangji StudioGui Youguang · Informal EssaysIn the courtyard there is a loquat tree that my wife planted with her own hands in the year she died. Now it stands tall and spreads like a canopy.
  7. Biographical Sketch of My Late MotherGui Youguang · Epitaphs & ElegiesThat there should be people in this world without a mother! O Heaven! What anguish!
  8. Reply to Master LiuZong Chen · Letters & PrefacesThis is what the world calls superiors and inferiors in mutual trust. Do you, sir, think I could manage it?
  9. Poem Inscribed on Ink GrapesXu Wei · Regulated QuatrainsLuminous pearls born beneath my brush find nowhere to sell, casually tossed among wild vines.
  10. Record of a Tour to ManjingYuan Hongdao · Travel WritingTall willows lined the dikes, soil was rich and moist; gazing across the open expanse, I felt like a swan escaped from its cage.
  11. Record of an Evening Tour on Six Bridges Awaiting the MoonYuan Hongdao · Travel WritingFrom the Broken Bridge to the Su Causeway, a green mist and a red haze spread for more than twenty li.
  12. Record of a Journey to TaoyuanYuan Zhongdao · Travel WritingThe Three Gorges are majestic and astonishing; the Flower Spring is graceful and secluded.
  13. All 176 works

Qing

249 works

1636–1912

  1. Song of YuanyuanWu Weiye · Old-Style SongsThe six armies wailed, all clad in mourning white; but the rage that lifted his cap was for a rosy-cheeked beauty.
  2. Magnolia Blossom: Ancient Severing Words for a FriendNalan Xingde · Short LyricsIf only human lives could remain forever like our first encounter, why should chilly autumn breezes mourn over painted fans?
  3. Everlasting Longing: A Stretch of Mountains, a Stretch of RiversNalan Xingde · Short LyricsDeep into night gleam a thousand tent lights.
  4. Sands of the Washing Stream: Who Mourns in Chilly West WindNalan Xingde · Short LyricsBetting on classics earned sweet spills of fragrant tea—in those days, I thought it was merely ordinary.
  5. Gathering Mulberry: The Moon in Tender Pity Must Smile at MeNalan Xingde · Short LyricsThe bright moon in tender pity must smile at me: betraying the heart of spring, strolling alone and chanting in solitude.
  6. Zhengshi, from Record of Daily KnowledgeGu Yanwu · Letters & PrefacesPreserving All-under-Heaven is a responsibility in which even the humblest common man has his share.
  7. Inquiry into the SovereignHuang Zongxi · Essays & MemorialsIn antiquity the world was the master and the ruler the guest; all that the ruler laboured at his whole life long was for the sake of the world.
  8. Anecdotes of Duke Zuo ZhongyiFang Bao · Historical NarrativeThe affairs of the state have rotted to this point. I, an old man, am finished; if you too make light of your life and lose sight of the great cause, who will be left to hold up the affairs of the realm?
  9. Notes from PrisonFang Bao · Informal Essaysthe living and the dead lie heel to head, with no room to turn or get away
  10. Record of Ascending Mount TaiYao Nai · Travel WritingThe blue-grey mountains bore snow, their brightness lighting the southern sky.
  11. Epitaph for My SisterYuan Mei · Epitaphs & ElegiesThe paper ash flies up, and the north wind blows wild across the open land. Your elder brother is going home, yet still turns back again and again to look at you.
  12. On Borrowing Books for Student HuangYuan Mei · Essays & MemorialsBooks are not read unless they are borrowed.
  13. All 249 works

View

Fifteen dynasties meet nine forms; the larger the ink dot, the more works.

Through the Dynasties · By form
XiaShangZhouQinHanThree KingdomsJinNorthern and SouthernSuiTangFive Dynasties and Ten KingdomsSongYuanMingQing
Poetry709
Lyrics798
Drama40
Rhapsodies78
Prose694
Fiction28
Fables109
Criticism18
Sayings1951
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