Through the Dynasties · LH12

Song

Commercial revolution and neo-Confucian scholarship

160works

8forms

41authors

Classical Poetry

19 works

Orthodox classical Chinese poetry spanning archaic ballads to Tang regulated verse.

  1. Summer Quatrain (Living as a Hero)Li Qingzhao · Regulated QuatrainsIn life be a hero among men; in death be a champion among ghosts.
  2. Passing LingdingyangWen Tianxiang · Regulated OctavesSince ancient times who has escaped death? Keep a crimson heart to shine on bamboo annals.
  3. Ascending Feilai PeakWang Anshi · Regulated QuatrainsFear not floating clouds obstructing the view, for one stands on the highest heights.
  4. To My SonLu You · Regulated QuatrainsIn dying I well know all worldly matters end in void; my only grief is not beholding the nine provinces unified. On the day the royal armies march north to pacify Central Plains, in family ancestral rites forget not to inform your father!
  5. Visiting Shanxi VillageLu You · Regulated OctavesWhere mountains multiply and streams double one doubts there is any path; amid shady willows and radiant blossoms emerges yet another village.
  6. Canglang PavilionOuyang Xiu · Old-Style SongsThe clear breeze and bright moon are by nature priceless; what a pity they were sold for only forty thousand cash.
  7. Visiting Mount Wudang and Lodging at Zixiao PalaceQiu Chuji (Changchun Zhenren) · Regulated QuatrainsZixiao Palace rests upon Mount Taihe; across thousand valleys and ten thousand crags auspicious mists thicken. In the silence of night when heaven is lofty and constellations draw near, a single chiming of the stone bell reverberates throughout the void.
  8. Replying to Ziyou's Poem Recalling Old Times at MianchiSu Shi · Regulated OctavesWhat is a life, wandering from place to place? It must be like a flying swan treading on snowy mud.
  9. Visiting a Garden but Finding No One HomeYe Shaoweng · Regulated QuatrainsA garden full of spring cannot be locked away.
  10. On Huichong's Painting 'Spring River at Dusk' (Huichong Chunjiang Wanjing), No. 1Su Shi · Regulated QuatrainsWhen the spring river warms, the ducks are first to know.
  11. Venting My IndignationLu You · Regulated OctavesWarships in night snow at the Guazhou ferry; armoured horses in autumn wind at Dasan Pass.
  12. Leaving Jingci Temple at Dawn to See Off Lin ZifangYang Wanli · Regulated QuatrainsLotus leaves reaching to the sky, an endless green; lotus blossoms catching the sun, a red like no other.
  13. Written on the Wall of Xilin TempleSu Shi · Regulated QuatrainsI cannot know the true face of Mount Lu, only because I myself am within this mountain.
  14. Mooring at GuazhouWang Anshi · Regulated QuatrainsThe spring wind has greened the south bank of the river once more; when will the bright moon shine on my return?
  15. Song of the Upright SpiritWen Tianxiang · Old-Style SongsWhen times are desperate, integrity shows itself, and one by one these deeds are handed down in the histories.
  16. Thoughts on Reading, No. 1Zhu Xi · Regulated QuatrainsI ask it how it can be so clear; it is because living water flows in from the source.
  17. Drinking on the Lake, First Clear, Then Rain, No. 2Su Shi · Regulated QuatrainsIf I were to compare West Lake to Xi Shi, light make-up or heavy, either way she is lovely.
  18. New Year's DayWang Anshi · Regulated QuatrainsOn a thousand gates and ten thousand doors the rising sun shines bright; everyone puts up new peach-wood charms in place of the old.
  19. The Little PondYang Wanli · Regulated QuatrainsA little lotus leaf has only just shown its sharp tip, and already a dragonfly stands upon it.

Ci Lyrics

33 works

Pinnacle of lyric verse and musical poetry spanning delicate grace and heroic grandeur.

  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. Slow, Slow Song · Searching and SeekingLi Qingzhao · Long LyricsSearching and seeking, cold and desolate, sorrowful, miserable, and forlorn.
  3. 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.
  4. 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!
  5. 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.
  6. 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.
  7. 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.
  8. 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.
  9. Bells in the Rain (Cold Cicadas Chill and Plaintive)Liu Yong · Long LyricsSince antiquity the tender-hearted grieve over parting; how much more in the cold desolation of clear autumn! Tonight when wine wears off where shall I be? On willow-lined banks, in dawn breeze beneath the waning moon.
  10. Watching the Ocean Tide (Southeast Majestic Realm)Liu Yong · Long LyricsLayered lakes and stacked peaks are pristine and fair. With autumn sweet osmanthus and ten leagues of lotus blooms. Markets display jewels and pearls, households overflow with silk brocades, vying in splendor.
  11. Immortal at the Magpie Bridge (Slender Clouds Weave Wonders)Qin Guan · Short LyricsIf mutual love is steadfast and enduring, what need is there to cling together morning and night? When Autumn Wind and Jade Dew meet once in the skies, it surpasses countless earthly unions.
  12. Treading on Grass (Hostel in Chenzhou)Qin Guan · Mid-Length LyricsMist swallows high towers, moonlight veils river crossings. Gazing longing toward Peach Blossom Spring, nowhere can it be found. How can I endure being locked in solitary hostel amid spring chill, beneath crying cuckoos in slanted twilight sunset.
  13. Su Mu Zhe (Burning Aloeswood Incense)Zhou Bangyan · Mid-Length LyricsUpon lotus leaves early morning sun dries last night's rain; resting clear and round upon water, one by one the lotus blossoms sway upright in breeze.
  14. Calming the Waves (Listen Not to Rain Pelting Leaves)Su Shi · Mid-Length LyricsBamboo staff and straw sandals are lighter than horses—who fears? A straw cloak in misty rain suffices for a whole life. Looking back at the bleak storm-beaten place, returning home: there is neither wind and rain, nor fair sunshine.
  15. Jiang Cheng Zi (Dream on the Night of the 20th of the 1st Month)Su Shi · Mid-Length LyricsTen years of life and death boundless apart; not intentionally brooding, yet impossible to forget. A solitary mound ten thousand leagues away, with nowhere to confide desolation. Looking at each other speechless, only a thousand streams of tears.
  16. Jiang Cheng Zi (Hunting at Mizhou)Su Shi · Mid-Length LyricsThis old fellow for a while unleashes youthful wildness: left hand leashing yellow hound, right arm holding green hawk. Someday I shall draw the carved bow full like a round moon, looking northwestward to shoot down the Sirius star!
  17. Song of Divination (Dwelling at Dinghui Temple in Huangzhou)Su Shi · Short LyricsA crescent moon hangs from sparse paulownia boughs; the water clock has run out, all people fell silent. Who sees the secluded recluse pacing alone, a misty, solitary wild swan shadow? Picking through all cold branches refusing to roost, resting alone on cold, lonely sandbars.
  18. Breaking the Battle Array (Composed for Chen Tongfu)Xin Qiji · Mid-Length LyricsDrunk, I trim the lamp wick to look at my sword; in dreams I return to battle horns blaring across connected encampments. Distributing roasted beef among warrior ranks, fifty zither strings play frontier songs. Autumn inspection on the battlefield. Fulfilling the sovereign's sacred charge to reclaim the realm, winning enduring renown before and after death. Alas, white hair grows on my head!
  19. Yong Yu Le (Meditation on the Past at Beigu Pavilion in Jingkou)Xin Qiji · Long LyricsAcross eternal rivers and mountains, where can one find hero Sun Quan? Recall those bygone days: golden lances and armored steeds, swallowing ten thousand leagues like a tiger! Who will ask: General Lian Po has grown old—can he still eat his fill?
  20. Green Jade Cup (Lantern Festival)Xin Qiji · Short LyricsSearching for her thousands of times in the crowd; suddenly turning my head, that person is right there, where lantern lights are dim and waning.
  21. Chou Nu Er (Inscribed on the Wall on the Way to Boshan)Xin Qiji · Short LyricsIn youth I knew not the taste of sorrow, loving to climb high towers. Loving to climb high towers, composing new lyrics feigning sorrow. Now having known all sorrow's bitter taste, wishing to speak yet holding back. Wishing to speak yet holding back, I only say: 'What a crisp, cool autumn day!'
  22. Phoenix Hairpin (Pink Delicate Hands)Lu You · Short LyricsCruel is the east wind, fragile is joy. A breast full of sorrow, years of lonely separation. Wrong, wrong, wrong! Though mountain vows endure, silk letters are impossible to send. Cease, cease, cease!
  23. Song of Divination (Ode to the Plum Blossom)Lu You · Short LyricsHaving no intention to bitterly compete for spring, letting the host of flowers envy at will. Even if withered into mud and ground to dust, its fragrance endures as of old.
  24. Jianzi Mulanhu · Spring MelancholyZhu Shuzhen · Short LyricsWalking alone, sitting alone, chanting alone, answering alone, and sleeping alone. Standing still in desolation, helpless against the biting chill. Who perceives this heartache? Tears wash away half the faded makeup; grief and ailment intertwine, trimming down cold lamp wicks while dreams never form.
  25. Tune: Ru Meng Ling — I Often Recall Dusk at the Stream PavilionLi Qingzhao · Short LyricsRow hard, row hard to get through, and up from the shallows startle gulls and egrets.
  26. Tune: Xi Jiang Yue — Walking the Huangsha Road at NightXin Qiji · Short LyricsIn the fragrance of rice blossom there is talk of a good harvest; listen, a whole field of frogs is croaking.
  27. Tune: Su Zhong Qing — Years Ago I Went Ten Thousand Li Seeking a FiefLu You · Short LyricsThe invaders not yet destroyed, my temples already autumn-grey, my tears flow in vain.
  28. Tune: Zui Hua Yin — Thin Mist, Dense Clouds, a Long Day of SorrowLi Qingzhao · Short LyricsDo not say this does not wound the soul: when the west wind rolls up the curtain, I am thinner than the yellow chrysanthemums.
  29. Tune: Pu Sa Man — Written on the Wall at Zaokou, JiangxiXin Qiji · Short LyricsThe green hills cannot hold it back; in the end it flows away east.
  30. Tune: Yangzhou Man — The Famed City East of the HuaiJiang Kui · Long LyricsThe Twenty-Four Bridges are still here; the water's heart ripples, and the cold moon is silent.
  31. Tune: Ba Sheng Gan Zhou — Facing the Evening Rain Sprinkling over River and SkyLiu Yong · Long LyricsBy degrees the frosty wind grows bitter and keen, passes and rivers lie cold and desolate, and the last light falls on my tower.
  32. Tune: Wuling Chun — The Wind Has Stilled, the Dust Is FragrantLi Qingzhao · Short LyricsI only fear the tiny grasshopper boats of Twin Creeks could not carry so much sorrow.
  33. Tune: Nanxiang Zi — Thoughts on Climbing Beigu Pavilion at JingkouXin Qiji · Mid-Length LyricsAmong the world's heroes, who was his match? Cao and Liu. A son should be like Sun Zhongmou.

Rhapsody & Parallel Prose

4 works

Grand rhapsodies and parallel prose showcasing acoustic symmetry and ornate eloquence.

  1. First Rhapsody on the Red CliffSu Shi · Prose RhapsodiesLodging like mayflies between heaven and earth, tiny as a single grain in the vast ocean. Lamenting the transience of our brief life, envying the unending flow of the Great Yangtze. Only the clear breeze over the river and the bright moon among mountains: when ear hears it, it becomes sound; when eye meets it, it becomes color. Taking without prohibition, using without exhaustion—this is the boundless inexhaustible treasury of the Creator.
  2. Rhapsody on the Sounds of AutumnOuyang Xiu · Prose RhapsodiesGrasses and trees have no feelings, yet in their season they wither and fall.
  3. Latter Rhapsody on the Red CliffSu Shi · Prose RhapsodiesThe river surged with audible currents, the sheer bluffs rose a thousand feet; the mountains loomed high beneath a diminutive moon, and as the waters receded, jagged rocks emerged. How brief the passage of days and months, yet the landscape is transformed beyond recognition!
  4. Rhapsody on the Singing CicadaOuyang Xiu · Prose RhapsodiesI did not know what creature it was; its name was the cicada.

Classical Prose

23 works

Authoritative classical prose from Pre-Qin philosophers to Tang-Song prose masters.

  1. Memorial on Yueyang TowerFan Zhongyan · Travel WritingBe the first to bear hardships for the world, and the last to partake in its joy.
  2. Record of the Old Drunkard PavilionOuyang Xiu · Travel WritingThe Old Drunkard's delight lies not in wine, but in the mountains and waters. The joy of mountain and stream is found in the heart and entrusted to wine. People know the joy of following their governor on excursions, yet know not that the governor finds his highest joy in their joy!
  3. Record of Visiting Mount BaochanWang Anshi · Travel WritingThe wonderful, grand, strange and extraordinary sights of the world often lie in dangerous and distant places.
  4. On the Love of the LotusZhou Dunyi · Essays & MemorialsI uniquely love the lotus for emerging from murky mud yet remaining unstained, bathed in clear ripples yet free from coquettish vanity; hollow within and straight without, neither clinging to vines nor branching astray; its fragrance growing purer the farther it spreads, standing erect in pristine purity, to be admired from afar and not treated with vulgar familiarity.
  5. On Political FactionsOuyang Xiu · Essays & MemorialsGentlemen join with gentlemen as friends because they share the same Way; petty men join with petty men because they share the same profit. This is the natural order of things.
  6. Preface to the Biographies of the Actor-Courtiers in the History of the Five DynastiesOuyang Xiu · Essays & MemorialsAlthough the pattern of rise and decline is said to be the mandate of Heaven, is it not also the work of men?
  7. Treatise on the Six StatesSu Xun · Essays & MemorialsThe Six States were destroyed not because their weapons were blunt or their fighting poor; the fault lay in bribing Qin.
  8. Mental Artistry of CommandSu Xun · Essays & MemorialsThe way of the general is first to govern the mind: Mount Tai can collapse before him without his colour changing, and an elk can leap up beside him without his eyes blinking.
  9. Treatise on the Marquis of LiuSu Shi · Essays & MemorialsAn ordinary man, insulted, draws his sword and rises, stepping forward to fight, but this is not worth calling courage.
  10. Treatise on Jia YiSu Shi · Essays & MemorialsIt is not having talent that is hard; what is truly hard is knowing how to use it oneself.
  11. Record of Stone Bell MountainSu Shi · Travel WritingGreat rocks stood sideways a thousand feet high, like fierce beasts and strange ghosts, looming as if to pounce on us.
  12. Letter to Grand Commandant Han of the Bureau of Military AffairsSu Zhe · Letters & PrefacesI hold that writing is the form taken by one's qi; writing cannot be acquired by study, but qi can be attained by nourishing it.
  13. Record of the Pavilion of Supreme Delight in HuangzhouSu Zhe · Travel WritingHow delightful this wind! Is it something I share with the common people?
  14. Record of the Ink PoolZeng Gong · Travel WritingXizhi's calligraphy became excellent only late in life; so his skill must have been attained by his own effort and was not a gift of Heaven.
  15. Reply to Remonstrance Official SimaWang Anshi · Letters & PrefacesWhat scholars contend over above all is names and realities. When names and realities are clear, the principles of the world are grasped.
  16. Postscript on Wu Daozi's PaintingsSu Shi · Letters & PrefacesWith poetry reaching Du Zimei, prose reaching Han Tuizhi, calligraphy reaching Yan of Lu and painting reaching Wu Daozi, the changes of past and present and all the accomplishments under heaven were complete.
  17. Record of Master Yan's Shrine in Tonglu CommanderyFan Zhongyan · Epitaphs & ElegiesThe cloudy mountains are deep green, the river waters vast and wide; the Master's spirit is as high as the mountains and as long as the river!
  18. Letter to Remonstrator GaoOuyang Xiu · Letters & PrefacesYou can still show your face to the scholar-officials and go in and out of court calling yourself a remonstrance official. This means you no longer know there is such a thing as shame in the world!
  19. Letter in Reply to Xie MinshiSu Shi (Su Dongpo) · Letters & PrefacesIn general they are like drifting clouds and flowing water, with no fixed form at the outset, but always moving where they should move and stopping where they cannot but stop; their patterns are natural and their postures abundant.
  20. Comprehensive Mirror for Aid in GovernmentSima Guang · Historical NarrativeI have heard that among the duties of the Son of Heaven none is greater than ritual; within ritual nothing is greater than distinction of rank; within distinction nothing is greater than names.
  21. Brush Talks from Dream BrookShen Kuo · NotebooksA commoner named Bi Sheng went further and made movable type. His method was to carve characters in sticky clay, each as thin as the rim of a coin.
  22. A Night Stroll at Chengtian TempleSu Shi · Travel WritingThe courtyard was like a pool of still water, clear and translucent, with waterweeds crisscrossing in it: these were the shadows of the bamboo and cypress.
  23. Lament for ZhongyongWang Anshi · Essays & MemorialsHe has become entirely ordinary.

Fables & Lore

9 works

Philosophical fables, historical allusion narratives, and primordial mythology.

  1. The Oil Seller's SkillOuyang Xiu · Satirical ParablesMastery holds no secret; it comes from practice repeated until it is second nature.
  2. Beating the Grass and Startling the SnakeZheng Wenbao · Satirical ParablesA guilty conscience trembles when others like it are punished.
  3. Honey on the Lips, a Sword in the BellySima Guang · Satirical ParablesSweet words may hide deadly intent; judge people by their deeds.
  4. Falling Behind Sun ShanFan Gongcheng · Satirical ParablesDelivering bad news with tact lets the listener keep their dignity.
  5. Please Step into the UrnSima Guang · Satirical ParablesThe cruel methods you devise for others may one day be turned on you.
  6. Dripping Water Wears Through StoneLuo Dajing · Satirical ParablesEven the smallest force, applied persistently, achieves remarkable results.
  7. Turning Pale at the Mention of a TigerCheng Hao and Cheng Yi · Satirical ParablesOnly knowledge gained through experience is true, deeply felt knowledge.
  8. Serving as the Tiger's Ghostly AccompliceLi Fang et al. · Satirical ParablesBecoming the accomplice of the power that harmed you is the saddest betrayal.
  9. Asking the Tiger for Its SkinLi Fang et al. · Satirical ParablesAsking someone to sacrifice their core interests is futile and dangerous.

Literary Criticism

2 works

Classical literary aesthetics, treatises on poetic craft, and critical commentaries.

  1. On WritingSu Shi · Rhetoric & StyleMy writing is like a spring gushing ten thousand measures of water, surging forth everywhere without choosing its ground. On level ground it flows surging and smooth, traversing a thousand li in a single day with ease. When winding against mountain boulders, it shapes itself to whatever it meets. All that can be known is: it flows whenever it ought to flow, and stops where it cannot but stop—and that is all.
  2. Canglang's Remarks on PoetryYan Yu · Poetry TalksThe way of Chan lies in wondrous awakening, and so does the way of poetry.

Sayings & Idioms

69 works

Living Chinese linguistic heritage comprising idioms, proverbs, aphorisms, and couplets.

  1. Unity of Heaven and HumanityZhang Zai · IdiomsThe philosophical ideal that heaven and humankind form one whole; harmony between people and nature.
  2. Grinding an Iron Pestle into a NeedleZhu Mu · IdiomsAn old woman grinds an iron rod into a needle, inspiring young Li Bai; persistence achieves the impossible.
  3. A Wild Goose's Tracks in the SnowSu Shi · IdiomsClaw prints left by a wild goose on snowy mud; faint traces of the past, and life's wandering course.
  4. Mountains upon Mountains, Rivers upon RiversLu You · IdiomsEndless ridges and winding streams; a tortuous path, or a predicament that seems to have no way out.
  5. Shady Willows and Bright FlowersLu You · IdiomsDark willows and bright blossoms open onto a new village; a sudden turn for the better after hardship.
  6. A Red Apricot Branch Over the WallYe Shaoweng · IdiomsOriginally a spring image of apricot blossoms spilling over a wall; later, a married woman's infidelity.
  7. Life Is But a DreamSu Shi · IdiomsLife is like a dream, brief and illusory; a sigh over the transience of human life.
  8. Flowers in a Mirror, Moon in the WaterYan Yu · IdiomsFlowers in a mirror and the moon in water; illusions beyond grasp, or ethereal, suggestive poetic imagery.
  9. The Path Winds Round the PeaksOuyang Xiu · IdiomsA trail winding around mountain peaks; a twisting path, or a situation taking a new and hopeful turn.
  10. When the Water Falls, the Rocks AppearSu Shi · IdiomsAs the river recedes the stones emerge; the truth finally comes to light.
  11. Having the Whole Bamboo in One's MindSu Shi · IdiomsBefore painting, the artist already sees the whole bamboo; having a well-thought-out plan and full confidence.
  12. Talent Worth Eight MeasuresAnonymous · IdiomsXie Lingyun said Cao Zhi alone held eight of the world's ten measures of talent; extraordinary literary gifts.
  13. Swallowing Dates WholeBai Ting · IdiomsAccepting or learning something wholesale without understanding it.
  14. Adding Flowers to BrocadeWang Anshi · IdiomsMaking something already beautiful even better.
  15. Striving for Ever Greater PerfectionZhu Xi · IdiomsNever satisfied with good; always striving to make it better.
  16. Practice Makes PerfectOuyang Xiu · IdiomsSkill and ingenuity come from repeated practice.
  17. Opening the Door to See the MountainYan Yu · IdiomsComing straight to the point from the very beginning.
  18. Unprecedented and UnrepeatableAnonymous · IdiomsNever seen before and never to be seen again; utterly unique.
  19. A Thousand Ways and a Hundred SchemesZhu Xi · IdiomsTo try every possible means; to leave no stone unturned.
  20. Joy Beyond ExpectationSu Shi · IdiomsOverjoyed by an unexpected piece of good fortune.
  21. Heart at Ease, Spirit DelightedFan Zhongyan · IdiomsCarefree and joyful; a heart open and spirit refreshed.
  22. Cutting Nails and Slicing IronDaoyuan · IdiomsDecisive and resolute, like cutting through nails and iron.
  23. Never Tired of RereadingSu Shi · IdiomsNever tiresome even after a hundred readings; praises writing of lasting appeal.
  24. Showing No SignOuyang Xiu · IdiomsBetraying no emotion in voice or face; calm and composed.
  25. A Grain of Millet in the Vast SeaSu Shi · IdiomsA single grain of millet in the vast sea; utterly insignificant in the scheme of things.
  26. Point Against PointShi Daoyuan · IdiomsNeedle point against needle point; sharply opposed positions or tit-for-tat response.
  27. Upright and OpenZhu Xi · IdiomsUpright, honest and selfless in word and deed; acting openly without hidden schemes.
  28. Deceiving Oneself and OthersZhu Xi · IdiomsFooling oneself as well as others with what one knows to be untrue.
  29. Just as One WishesZhu Dunru · IdiomsEntirely to one's liking; perfectly satisfying.
  30. Head and Shoulders Above OthersOuyang Xiu · IdiomsRising above others in talent or status; standing out from the crowd.
  31. Open and AboveboardZhu Xi · IdiomsFrank, open-hearted and upright, with nothing to hide.
  32. Spitting Blood at OthersShi Puji · IdiomsSlandering others with fabricated accusations.
  33. Honeyed WordsZhu Xi · IdiomsSweet but insincere talk, often used to deceive.
  34. Feet Firmly on the GroundShao Bowen · IdiomsKeeping one's feet on solid ground; working in a practical, earnest way.
  35. Beating the Grass Startles the SnakeZheng Wenbao · IdiomsBeating the grass alerts the snake; a careless move that forewarns one's target.
  36. Great Talent Put to Petty UseLu You · IdiomsUsing great timber for small purposes; wasting a talented person on minor work.
  37. Honey on the Lips, a Sword in the BellySima Guang · IdiomsSweet words with a dagger hidden within; outwardly friendly but inwardly treacherous.
  38. Name Falls Below Sun ShanFan Gongcheng · IdiomsOne's name falls below Sun Shan, last on the list; a tactful way to say one failed an exam.
  39. Please Step into the UrnSima Guang · IdiomsPlease get into the urn; turning a person's own cruel method against him.
  40. Dripping Water Wears Through StoneLuo Dajing · IdiomsConstant dripping wears through stone; persistence overcomes great difficulty.
  41. Turning Pale at the Mention of TigersCheng Brothers · IdiomsBlanching at the mere mention of tigers; fear of something one has suffered from.
  42. Three Character ClassicWang Yinglin (traditionally attributed) · Rhymes & JinglesAt the start of life, human nature is good; by nature people are close, by practice they drift apart.
  43. Good Government, Contented PeopleFan Zhongyan · IdiomsBy the following year, government ran smoothly and the people lived in harmony, and all neglected works were revived; so he rebuilt Yueyang Tower, enlarged its old structure, carved on it poems and rhapsodies by Tang worthies and men of today, and asked me to write an account of it.
  44. Ten Thousand Changing ScenesFan Zhongyan · IdiomsBright at dawn and dim at dusk, its scenery changes in ten thousand ways;
  45. The Old Drunkard's Mind Is Not on the WineOuyang Xiu · IdiomsThe Old Drunkard's mind is not on the wine, but on the hills and streams.
  46. Cups and Tallies CrisscrossingOuyang Xiu · IdiomsThe joy of the feast lies not in strings or pipes: the pitch-pot thrower hits the mark, the chess player wins, cups and tallies crisscross, people rise and sit in noisy clamor — the guests are all delighted.
  47. Rising from the Mud UnstainedZhou Dunyi · IdiomsI alone love the lotus: it rises from the mud yet stays unstained, is washed by clear ripples yet is not coquettish; hollow within and straight without, it neither sprawls nor branches; its fragrance grows purer the farther it travels; it stands tall and clean, to be admired from afar but never trifled with.
  48. Joys and Sorrows, Partings and ReunionsSu Shi · IdiomsPeople know sorrow and joy, parting and reunion; the moon is dim or bright, full or waning; such things have never been perfect since ancient times.
  49. Gone in Ash and SmokeSu Shi · IdiomsWith feather fan and silk headscarf, laughing and talking, he saw the enemy's masts and oars vanish in flying ash and smoke.
  50. A Landscape Like a PaintingSu Shi · IdiomsThe landscape is like a painting; how many heroes there were in that age!
  51. Hair Bristling Against the CapYue Fei · IdiomsMy hair bristles in fury against my cap; I lean on the railing where the pattering rain has stopped.
  52. Beyond Dark Willows, Bright Blossoms and Another VillageLu You · IdiomsHills upon hills, streams upon streams, I fear there is no road; then past dark willows and bright blossoms, another village.
  53. Not Knowing Mount Lu's True FaceSu Shi · IdiomsI cannot know the true face of Mount Lu, only because I myself am within the mountain.
  54. Things Remain, People Are GoneLi Qingzhao · IdiomsThings remain as before, the people do not, and all is at an end; I would speak, but my tears flow first.
  55. As If Met BeforeYan Shu · IdiomsNothing can be done as the flowers fall away; the swallows return, as if I had met them before.
  56. Wind's Sound and Cranes' CrySima Guang · IdiomsThose who fled, hearing the sound of the wind and the cry of cranes, all thought the Jin troops were about to arrive; day and night they dared not rest, moving through grass and sleeping in the dew, and with hunger and cold on top of it, seven or eight in ten died.
  57. No Place for a Hero to Use His ArmsSima Guang · IdiomsA hero has no place to use his arms, and so Liu of Yuzhou has fled here; I hope you, general, will weigh your strength and act accordingly.
  58. Carrying Firewood to Fight a FireSu Xun · IdiomsThe ancients said: 'Serving Qin with land is like carrying firewood to put out a fire: as long as the firewood is not used up, the fire will not go out.'
  59. Living Water from the SourceZhu Xi · IdiomsBecause living water keeps flowing in from the source.
  60. Scratching an Itch Through the BootYan Yu · IdiomsIn meaning, value thorough clarity; do not scratch the itch through the boot;
  61. Feather Fan and Silk KerchiefSu Shi · IdiomsFeather fan and silk kerchief, amid talk and laughter, the masts and oars turned to flying ash and vanishing smoke.
  62. The Great River Flows EastSu Shi · IdiomsThe great river flows east; its waves have washed away the brilliant figures of a thousand ages.
  63. Helplessly the Flowers FallYan Shu · IdiomsHelplessly the flowers fall away; swallows I seem to know come flying back.
  64. Mild Spring and Bright SunshineFan Zhongyan · IdiomsAnd when spring is mild and the sun is bright, the waves are still, the light of the sky above and below is one, a single sheet of green across ten thousand acres;
  65. Lingering Notes Curling in the AirSu Shi · IdiomsIts sound was sobbing, as if resentful, as if longing, as if weeping, as if confiding; the lingering notes curled on and on, unbroken like a silken thread.
  66. Jade Towers and Jasper HallsSu Shi · IdiomsI long to ride the wind back home, yet fear that in those jade towers and jasper halls the heights will be too cold to bear.
  67. Straightening the Robe and Sitting UprightSu Shi · IdiomsSu Zi grew solemn, straightened his robe, sat upright, and asked the guest: "Why does it sound like that?
  68. Trailing Mud and WaterYan Yu · IdiomsLanguage prizes freedom and ease; it must not trail mud and water.
  69. Golden Spears and Armored HorsesXin Qiji · IdiomsThink of those years: golden spears and armored horses, a spirit that swallowed ten thousand li like a tiger.