Literature · LH

Through the Dynasties

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

15dynasties

1056works

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

221 works

1046–256 BCE

  1. Rhapsody on the WindSong Yu · Grand Han RhapsodiesWind is born of the earth and rises from the tips of the green duckweed.
  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 221 works

Qin

2 works

221–207 BCE

  1. Memorial Against the Expulsion of Guest OfficialsLi Si · Essays & MemorialsYour minister hears of proposals to expel foreign talents, which I venture to deem mistaken. Mount Tai rejects no handful of earth, thus reaching its towering majesty; rivers and seas refuse no tiny rill, thus achieving their profound depths; a true king turns away no human being, thus illuminating his 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.

Han

144 works

202 BCE – 220 CE

  1. Song of White HairZhuo Wenjun · 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 QinJia 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 144 works

Three Kingdoms

42 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 42 works

Jin

45 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 eras in a fleeting moment, caressing the four seas in an instant. Encapsulating Heaven and Earth within artistic form, commanding all creations beneath the brush tip. How delightful is this craft of writing, revered by sages and worthies through the ages!
  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 45 works

Northern and Southern

64 works

420–589

  1. Han & Northern 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 SongsPour water onto flat ground, and it flows east, west, south, and north in divergent paths. Human life has its destined lot—how can one pace in sighs and sit brooding in grief?
  7. Imitating the Hard Roads (No. 6)Bao Zhao · Old-Style SongsFacing the banquet table I cannot eat; drawing my sword I strike the pillar in long sighs. How long is a real 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. Mourning the exile songs of Bin, moved by the lush laments of Chu.
  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 64 works

Sui

0 works

581–619

Tang

200 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 QuatrainsLeaving young and returning old, my native accent remains while temple hair has thinned. Children meet me but recognize me not, smilingly asking: 'Whence comes our guest?'
  13. All 200 works

Ten Kingdoms

20 works

907–979

  1. Magpie on the Bough: Who Says Idle Longings Have Long Been Cast AwayFeng Yansi · Short LyricsWho says idle longings have long been cast away? Whenever spring arrives, melancholy returns as before. Daily before blossoms drinking myself sick, begrudging not my 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. Idly teasing mandarin ducks along perfumed paths, fingers rubbing crimson apricot pistils.
  4. Lady of Longevity: Spring Day BanquetFeng Yansi · Short LyricsAt the spring day banquet, a cup of green wine and a song sung anew. Bowing twice to make three wishes: first, may my lord live a thousand years; second, may I forever stay in health; third, 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. Wasting away together with glorious spring light, too painful to behold.
  6. Extended Silk-Washing Stream: Rolling Pearl Curtains onto Jade HooksLi Jing · Short LyricsRolling up pearl blinds onto jade hooks, spring sorrow locks the tiered tower as before. Who is master of petals falling in the wind? My thoughts wander on and on.
  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 severs 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 LyricsForest blossoms have shed their spring crimson, all too fleetingly. Powerless against morning cold rain and evening gale. Naturally 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 LyricsLean not alone upon the balustrade—boundless homeland rivers and mountains! Parting was easy, reunion is impossible. Flowing waters, fallen blossoms, spring is gone—one in Heaven, the other in the mortal world.
  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 court 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 20 works

Song

160 works

960–1279

  1. Shuidiao Getou · When Will the Moon Be Clear and Bright?Su Shi · Mid-Length LyricsMay we live long and share the graceful moonlight across thousands of miles.
  2. Memorial on 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. Man Jiang Hong · 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. Nian Nu Jiao · 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. In the small garden along fragrant paths, all alone I pace to and fro.
  11. Butterflies Lingering over Flowers (How Deep the Courtyard)Ouyang Xiu · Short LyricsDeep within the courtyard, how deep is it? Willow groves pile thick mist, curtain screens layered countless times. With 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. This year at the Lantern Festival night, moon and lantern lights remain as before. Seeing not that person of last year, tears drench my spring sleeves.
  13. All 160 works

Yuan

40 works

1271–1368

  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. The evening sun sinks in the west; a heartbroken traveler wanders at the world's end.
  2. Sails Returning to Distant ShoresMa Zhiyuan · Sanqu SongsBeneath the sunset glow, tavern banners hang calm; two or three skiffs have yet to moor. Falling blossoms scent the dusk waters by thatched huts; at the broken bridgehead, the fishmongers disperse.
  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? Leaning on the balustrade, sleeves brush away snowy willow catkins. The stream bends, the hills conceal—my beloved is gone!
  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 SongsA lonely hamlet, setting sun, lingering twilight; light mist, old trees, chilly crows; a solitary wild goose casts its fleeting shadow. Blue mountains, green waters, bleached grasses, crimson maple leaves, and yellow chrysanthemums.
  10. SpringBai Pu · Sanqu SongsSpring mountains, warm sunlight, gentle breeze; balustrades, lofty pavilions, screened casements; weeping willows and swings in the courtyard. Warbling orioles, dancing swallows, a small bridge, flowing water, and fluttering red 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 SongsMountain peaks gather close, wild billows surge in wrath; fortress pass of Tongguan framed by mountains and rushing stream. Gazing toward the Western Capital, hesitation weighs upon my soul. Sorrow strikes traversing the ancient lands of Qin and Han: ten thousand palace halls have all turned to dust. In imperial rise, the common people suffer; in imperial fall, the common people suffer.
  13. All 40 works

Ming

59 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 QuatrainsExtracted from deep mountains after a thousand hammer blows and chisels, roaring blazing fires are treated as nothing unusual. Unafraid even of having body shattered and bones ground to powder, resolved only to leave pure unblemished integrity to the mortal world.
  4. The Surging Yangtze River Rolls EastYang Shen · Short LyricsThe surging Yangtze River rolls endlessly to the east, its billowing waves washing away all heroes of old. Right and wrong, triumph and defeat, turn to void in the blink of an eye. Green mountains remain unchanged as ever; how many crimson sunsets have they seen? White-haired fishermen and woodcutters on the river shoals are accustomed to watching autumn moons and spring breezes. Over a flagon of cloudy wine, we rejoice in reunion: how many deeds of past and present dissolve into cheerful laughter!
  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 QuatrainsHalf a life of destitution has turned me into an old man, standing alone in my study whistling to the evening gale. The luminous pearls beneath my brush find nowhere to sell, casually tossed and scattered among wild tangled vines.
  10. Record of a Tour to ManjingYuan Hongdao · Travel WritingOnly then did I realize that outside the suburbs spring had never been absent, though city dwellers were unaware of it. To not neglect duty through excursions, while wandering carefree among mountains, rocks, and trees—such is the joy of this humble official.
  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. Preface to the Poetry of XiaoxiuYuan Hongdao · Letters & PrefacesExpressing one's innate spirit and authentic sensibility, unconstrained by rigid stylistic molds; refusing to put brush to paper unless flowing straight from one's own heart. When emotion meets circumstance, a thousand words flow in an instant like waters rushing east, captivating the soul.
  13. All 59 works

Qing

55 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? Lightly inconstancy alters an old love's heart, yet they falsely blame an old love's fickle heart.
  3. Everlasting Longing: A Stretch of Mountains, a Stretch of RiversNalan Xingde · Short LyricsA stretch of mountains, a stretch of rivers, heading toward the far side of Shanhai Pass; deep into night gleam a thousand camp tent lamps. A watch of wind, a watch of snow, clamoring and shattering the homesick heart so dreams cannot form—in my homeland there is no such sound.
  4. Sands of the Washing Stream: Who Mourns in Chilly West WindNalan Xingde · Short LyricsWho pities this solitary chill in the autumn west wind? Amid rustling yellow leaves closing the curtained casement, lost in memories standing in fading twilight. Soothed with wine, let not heavy spring slumber be stirred; betting on texts won fragrant spills of 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, smile at my state today: betraying the heart of spring, walking alone and chanting in solitude. Lately I dread speaking of bygone days; under shallow moonlight and deep lamp shadows, where in dreams can drifting clouds be found?
  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 55 works

View

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

Through the Dynasties · By form
XiaShangZhouQinHanThree KingdomsJinNorthern and SouthernSuiTangTen KingdomsSongYuanMingQing
Classical Poetry170
Ci Lyrics67
Sanqu & Drama32
Rhapsody & Parallel Prose35
Classical Prose127
Classical Fiction23
Fables & Lore109
Literary Criticism17
Sayings & Idioms476
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