Through the Dynasties · LH12

Song

Song lyrics in delicate and heroic modes, the prose of Ouyang Xiu and Su Shi, and poetry of reason and wit

892works

8forms

135authors

Masterpieces

21 works

Poetry

60 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', 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.
  20. Plum Blossoms (A Few Sprays by the Wall)Wang Anshi · Regulated QuatrainsFrom afar I know they are not snow, for a faint fragrance drifts my way.
  21. Spring Day (Seeking Flowers by the Si)Zhu Xi · Regulated QuatrainsEasily one comes to know the face of the east wind: ten thousand purples and a thousand reds, all of it is spring.
  22. Exhortation to StudyZhao Heng (traditionally attributed) · Old-Style Songsto live in peace you need not build a lofty hall: in books there is a house of gold;
  23. The Fisherman on the RiverFan Zhongyan · Regulated QuatrainsBut look at that boat like a single leaf, now seen, now lost among the wind and waves.
  24. At Ehu, Matching the Rhymes of My Elder Brother the InstructorLu Jiuyuan · Regulated OctavesThe work of ease and simplicity will in the end be lasting and great; the enterprise of fragmentation will after all drift and sink.
  25. On the Rising SunZhao Kuangyin (traditionally attributed) · Regulated QuatrainsBefore it leaves the sea floor, a thousand mountains are dark; as soon as it reaches mid-sky, ten thousand states are bright.
  26. On Mount HuaKou Zhun (traditionally attributed) · Regulated QuatrainsRaising my head, the red sun is near; looking back, the white clouds are low.
  27. Cuiwei Pavilion at ChizhouYue Fei · Regulated QuatrainsFor years dust has covered my campaign coat; I made a special trip to seek the spring and climb up to Cuiwei.
  28. Words for the Kitchen God OfferingFan Chengda · Old-Style SongsWe send you, drunk and well fed, up to Heaven's gate: say nothing of our long ladles and short ladles, and beg good fortune to bring back and share.
  29. Crabapple BlossomSu Shi (Su Dongpo) · Regulated QuatrainsAfraid only that the flowers would sleep as night deepened, I lit tall candles to shine on their rouge.
  30. Flower ShadowsSu Shi (Su Dongpo) (traditionally attributed) · Regulated QuatrainsNo sooner has the sun cleared them away than the bright moon brings them back.
  31. Fallen BlossomsZhu Shuzhen · Regulated QuatrainsIf only the Lord of Spring could reign forever and keep the blossoms from scattering on green moss.
  32. Early Summer, Away from HomeSima Guang · Regulated QuatrainsNo willow catkins rise on the wind any more; only the mallows lean toward the sun.
  33. Waking from a Nap in Early SummerYang Wanli · Regulated QuatrainsLong days: waking from a nap with no thought at all, I idly watch children chase willow floss.
  34. A Scene at HandZhu Shuzhen · Regulated QuatrainsThe crabapple has shed its flowers, the catkins have all flown; the drowsy days begin to lengthen.
  35. Farm FamilyFan Chengda · Regulated QuatrainsThe little grandchildren cannot yet plough or weave, yet in the mulberry shade they learn to plant melons.
  36. Autumn MoonCheng Hao · Regulated QuatrainsThirty li cut off from the world's red dust, white clouds and red leaves drift at their ease.
  37. Written by Chance on a Spring DayCheng Hao · Regulated QuatrainsOthers do not see the joy in my heart; they will think I steal idle hours to play the youth.
  38. Spring NightSu Shi (Su Dongpo) · Regulated QuatrainsA spring night's moment is worth a thousand gold; flowers are fragrant, the moon casts shade.
  39. Sleepless Spring NightWang Anshi · Regulated QuatrainsThe spring scene vexes me so I cannot sleep; the moon shifts flower shadows onto the rail.
  40. Attending the Lantern Festival BanquetSu Shi (Su Dongpo) · Regulated QuatrainsCourtiers stand heron-straight in Tongming Hall; one red cloud bears up the Jade Emperor.
  41. Written by Chance at the Start of SpringZhang Shi · Regulated QuatrainsAs the pitch-pipes turn at year's end, frost and ice grow few; spring comes to the human world, and grass and trees know it.
  42. North HillWang Anshi · Regulated QuatrainsI count the fallen petals, having sat so long; slowly seeking fragrant grass, I am late going home.
  43. Clear Weather in SpringWang Anshi · Regulated QuatrainsBees and butterflies stream away over the wall; I begin to think spring is next door.
  44. Written on the Wall of Master HuyinWang Anshi · Regulated QuatrainsA stream guards the fields and wraps them in green; two hills push open the door to bring in their blue.
  45. Written at Huainan TempleCheng Hao · Regulated QuatrainsA man of the Way is no mourner of autumn; let the evening hills face each other in their sorrow.
  46. The Mid-Autumn MoonSu Shi (Su Dongpo) · Regulated QuatrainsThis life, this night, will not stay fair for long; where shall I watch this bright moon next year?
  47. For Liu JingwenSu Shi (Su Dongpo) · Regulated QuatrainsThe lotus is done, with no leaves to hold up the rain; the chrysanthemums fade, yet their stems still defy the frost.
  48. Written at the South Tower in EzhouHuang Tingjian · Regulated QuatrainsThe clear breeze and the bright moon belong to no one; together they come from the south as one pure coolness.
  49. Grieving for SpringYang Wanli · Regulated QuatrainsYear after year I never have the eyes to look at flowers: if I am not sunk in sorrow, I am sick in bed.
  50. Composed by Imperial Command on the Lantern FestivalCai Xiang · Regulated OctavesHeaven's clear light lingers this evening; on earth a mild air holds back the spring gloom.
  51. In Reply to Ding YuanzhenOuyang Xiu · Regulated OctavesI doubt the spring wind ever reaches this edge of the world: in the second month the hill town has seen no flowers.
  52. Song of Flowers Worn in the HairShao Yong · Regulated OctavesI have lived through two generations of peace and seen four reigns at the height of glory.
  53. Feelings Lodged in WordsYan Shu · Regulated OctavesMoonlight flowing over the pear-blossom courtyard; a light breeze over the willow-catkin pond.
  54. QingmingHuang Tingjian · Regulated OctavesA thousand years on, who knows the wise from the fool? Weeds cover the same mounds.
  55. Summer DaysZhang Lei · Regulated OctavesSparse blinds invite the moon's shadow; a hollow pillow takes in the clamour of the stream.
  56. New BambooLu You · Regulated OctavesA clear breeze sweeps the ground and autumn comes first; under the red sun, noon passes unseen.
  57. Autumn Reflections on Greed and FameLu You · Regulated OctavesOnly at leisure do you feel a day as long as a year; drunk, even matters as big as heaven can rest.
  58. An Outing in the CountrysideCheng Hao · Regulated OctavesDrink your fill and refuse no cup; I only fear the wind will scatter the blossoms.
  59. Visiting the Moon HallCheng Hao · Regulated OctavesClouds idly mirrored in the water; under the trees a spring's sound comes of itself.
  60. Written by ChanceCheng Hao · Regulated OctavesWatched in stillness, all things are content in themselves; the fine joys of the four seasons are shared with all people.

Lyrics

329 works

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

  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. 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. 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.
  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. Magnolia Blossom, Shortened · 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.
  34. Fisherman's Pride · Autumn ThoughtsFan Zhongyan · Mid-Length Lyricsunder long smoke and the setting sun, the lone walled town shuts its gates
  35. Su Mu Zhe · Remembering HomeFan Zhongyan · Mid-Length LyricsBlue clouds in the sky, yellow leaves on the ground
  36. Ru Meng Ling · Last Night the Rain Was Sparse and the Wind GustyLi Qingzhao · Short LyricsI asked the maid who was rolling up the blind; she said the crabapple was just as before.
  37. Gui Zhi Xiang · Meditation on the Past at JinlingWang Anshi · Long LyricsThe clear river runs a thousand li like white silk; the green peaks cluster like arrowheads.
  38. Yan Shan Ting · Seeing Apricot Blossoms on the Journey NorthZhao Ji · Long LyricsHeaven so far, earth so wide, ten thousand rivers and a thousand mountains: who knows where the old palace lies?
  39. Little Layered Hills · Last Night the Autumn Crickets Chirped Without CeaseYue Fei · Short LyricsI would entrust my heart's concerns to the jade-inlaid zither.
  40. Spring in the South: The Waves Are VastKou Zhun · Short Lyricsduckweed fills the sandbars, and he has not come home.
  41. Butterflies Love Flowers · A Winding Railing by Green TreesYan Shu (traditionally attributed) · Short LyricsWoken from deep sleep by chattering orioles, my sweet dream is broken, nowhere to be found.
  42. Treading the Grass · Red Grows Sparse on the Little PathYan Shu · Short LyricsThe spring wind does not know how to hold back the willow down, which drifts thick and strikes the faces of passers-by.
  43. Magnolia Blossom · Orioles Chatter Above the City WallQian Weiyan · Short LyricsOnce, often ill, I shunned the fragrant cup; now I only fear the cup is not full enough.
  44. Walking the Imperial Street · Leaves Drift onto Fragrant StepsFan Zhongyan · Mid-Length LyricsAll of this, on my brows and in my heart, there is no way to escape.
  45. A Thousand Autumns · A Few Calls of the ShrikeZhang Xian · Mid-Length LyricsHeaven does not grow old, and love cannot be severed; the heart is like a double-threaded net, with a thousand, thousand knots in it.
  46. Deva-Like Barbarian · A Plaintive Zither Plays the Xiang River TuneZhang Xian · Short LyricsWhen she reaches the heartbreaking part, her brows, dark as spring hills, sink low.
  47. Drunk with the Whip Hanging · Twin Butterflies on a Silk SkirtZhang Xian · Short LyricsYesterday, as dusk darkened the tangled hills, she came with clouds on her clothes.
  48. A Cluster of Flowers · Grieving on the Heights for One Far AwayZhang Xian · Mid-Length LyricsBrooding deep on my grief, I am worse off than peach and apricot, which still know how to marry the east wind.
  49. Song of the Green Gate · Suddenly Warm, Then Chill AgainZhang Xian · Short LyricsHow can I bear it, when the bright moon sends the shadow of the swing over the wall?
  50. Silk-Washing Stream · This Brief Life and Its Measured YearsYan Shu · Short LyricsBetter to cherish the one before my eyes.
  51. Peace and Happiness · Small Characters on Red NotepaperYan Shu · Short LyricsThe wild goose is in the clouds, the fish in the water: sadly, this love cannot be sent.
  52. Peace and Happiness · The Autumn Wind Blows SoftYan Shu · Short LyricsThe paired swallows long to leave; last night behind the silver screen came a slight chill.
  53. Magnolia Blossom · After Swallows and Geese, the Orioles LeaveYan Shu · Short LyricsHow long does it last, longer than a spring dream? It scatters like autumn clouds, nowhere to be found.
  54. Magnolia Blossom · Green Pond Water, a Warm BreezeYan Shu · Short LyricsOf those who shared the flowers with me then, count them now: not half remain.
  55. Magnolia Blossom · Green Willows on the Road by the Long PavilionYan Shu · Short LyricsThe unfeeling do not suffer as those who feel; a single inch of heart becomes ten thousand threads.
  56. Treading the Grass · Farewell Songs at the Parting FeastYan Shu · Short LyricsEndless, boundless is the sorrow of parting; my thoughts search to the ends of the earth.
  57. Song of the Phoenix Flute · Locking In Endless Parting SorrowHan Zhen · Long LyricsRosy faces change in vain, but year after year its spring scent stays new.
  58. Magnolia Blossom · The East City Grows LovelySong Qi · Short LyricsOn the red apricot boughs spring is in uproar.
  59. Gathering Mulberry Leaves · West Lake After the Flowers Are GoneOuyang Xiu · Short LyricsI let down the curtains; a pair of swallows comes home through the fine rain.
  60. Telling My Heart · At Dawn the Curtain Rolls Up on Light FrostOuyang Xiu · Short LyricsAbout to sing she composes herself; wanting to smile she frowns: that breaks the heart most.
  61. Treading the Grass · Plum Blossom Fades at the Wayside InnOuyang Xiu · Short LyricsThe sorrow of parting grows endless the farther I go, stretching on and on like the waters of spring.
  62. Butterflies Love Flowers · Where Has the Drifting Cloud GoneOuyang Xiu (traditionally attributed) · Mid-Length LyricsMy tangled spring sorrow is like willow down; drifting, I cannot find him even in dreams.
  63. Magnolia Blossom · Not Knowing How Far You AreOuyang Xiu · Short LyricsFarther and farther, fewer and fewer letters; the waters are wide, the fish have sunk: where can I ask?
  64. Waves Washing the Sand · Raising My Cup to the East WindOuyang Xiu · Short LyricsThis year's flowers are redder than last year's; alas, next year's will be finer still, but who will I share them with?
  65. Green Jade Cup · How Much of Spring Is LeftOuyang Xiu (traditionally attributed) · Mid-Length LyricsLonging cannot be told, dreams cannot be trusted; only going home will do.
  66. Winding Jade Pipe · Clouds Flying over the RidgeLiu Yong · Long LyricsOne long spell of gloom; wordless all day, I go back down the tower.
  67. Butterflies Love Flowers · Leaning on a High Tower in a Light BreezeLiu Yong · Mid-Length LyricsMy sash grows ever looser, yet I never regret it; for her I am willing to waste away.
  68. Lotus Gathering Song · As the Moonlight FadesLiu Yong · Long LyricsHe looks back: the city is gone; beyond the cold river, faint, two or three trees in mist.
  69. Waves Washing the Sand, Slow · A Thread of Wind Through the WindowLiu Yong · Long LyricsCurtains lowered, I would softly tell her how, night after night, I counted the cold watches.
  70. Calming the Waves · Since Spring CameLiu Yong · Long LyricsHad I known it would come to this! I regret not locking away his carved saddle.
  71. A Youth's Wandering · Slow Horse on the Old Chang'an RoadLiu Yong · Short LyricsPleasure has lost its zest, the drinking friends are scattered; it is not like the old days.
  72. Lady Qi · A Late Autumn SkyLiu Yong · Long LyricsBy the idle window, the lamp left burning toward dawn, I hold my shadow and do not sleep.
  73. Midnight Music · Frozen Clouds on a Dim DayLiu Yong · Long LyricsEyes brimming, I look down the far road to the capital; a stray goose cries in the evening sky.
  74. Jade Butterfly · Where the Rain ClearsLiu Yong · Long LyricsGloomily I gaze; amid a stray goose's cries, I stand until the sun is gone.
  75. Lost Spirit Melody · A Small Boat Furls Its SailLiu Yong · Long LyricsThe capital is far, the tower of Qin cut off; the traveller's soul is in turmoil.
  76. Bamboo Horse · Climbing a Lonely RampartLiu Yong · Long LyricsFrom the south tower the painted horn sees off the setting sun once more.
  77. Thousand Autumns Prelude · Cold Washing-Stones at a LodgeWang Anshi · Mid-Length LyricsHelpless, bound by a little fame and profit; helpless, held back by love.
  78. Peace and Happiness · Spring Will Not StayWang Anguo · Short LyricsRefusing painted halls and vermilion doors, the willow catkins drift free in the spring wind.
  79. Immortal by the River · Towers Locked After the DreamYan Jidao · Short LyricsAmong falling petals a person stands alone; in the fine rain, swallows fly in pairs.
  80. Butterflies Love Flowers · Dreaming down the Misty Southern RoadsYan Jidao · Mid-Length LyricsI sing of parting to slack strings; heartbroken, I shift the zither bridges till they break.
  81. Butterflies Love Flowers · Drunk at Parting in the West TowerYan Jidao · Mid-Length LyricsThe red candle pities itself, with no way out; in the cold night it weeps in vain for me.
  82. Partridge Sky · Coloured Sleeves and a Jade CupYan Jidao · Short LyricsDancing until the moon sank low over the willow-girt tower, singing until no breeze stirred beneath the peach-blossom fan.
  83. Hawthorn Fruit · Long Dreams of the Frontier PassesYan Jidao · Short LyricsParting is truly hard; it is nothing like the joy of meeting again.
  84. Magnolia Blossom · The East Wind's Heartless SchemeYan Jidao · Short LyricsNow the golden cup must be deep: once the flowers have all fallen, how often can we be drunk?
  85. Magnolia Blossom · Dusk on a Courtyard with a SwingYan Jidao · Short LyricsThe bay horse still knows the old trail, neighing along the road east of the painted bridge.
  86. Peace and Happiness · She Could Not Make Him StayYan Jidao · Short LyricsWillows at the ferry, green and green: every branch and every leaf a parting.
  87. Master Ruan Returns · Old Scent and Faded PowderYan Jidao · Short LyricsEven a dream of him would be empty; how to bear it when even the dream is gone?
  88. Master Ruan Returns · Dew Turns to Frost on the Golden PalmsYan Jidao · Short LyricsI would trade sorrow for deep drunkenness; let the clear singing not break my heart.
  89. Six-Measure Song · Green Shade as Spring EndsYan Jidao · Long LyricsAn inch of wild heart, still unspoken, already shows in her sidelong glance.
  90. Walking the Imperial Street · Green Trees South of the StreetYan Jidao · Mid-Length LyricsThe fallen flowers remain, the fragrant screen stands closed; where is her face now?
  91. Beautiful Lady Yu · A Sky Like Water Beyond the RailingYan Jidao · Short LyricsShe took the moon for their promised meeting, and watched each full moon for him to return.
  92. Keeping Spring · A Painted Screen at the Edge of the SkyYan Jidao · Short LyricsIn the sound of the parting waters below the tower are the tears I shed up there that day.
  93. Longing for One Far Away · Red Leaves and Yellow FlowersYan Jidao · Short LyricsWriting on to the parting, at the depth of this feeling, the red notepaper loses its colour.
  94. Immortal by the River · Drinking by Night at the Eastern SlopeSu Shi (Su Dongpo) · Mid-Length LyricsI have long regretted that this body is not my own; when will I forget all this busy striving?
  95. Congratulating the Bridegroom · Young Swallows in a Fine HallSu Shi (Su Dongpo) · Long LyricsWhen the drifting flowers and wanton blossoms are gone, it will keep you company alone.
  96. Watching the Tide · Pale Sparse Plum BlossomQin Guan · Long LyricsUnder willows, on peach-lined paths, spring colour was scattered into every home.
  97. Eight-Six Song · Leaning on a High PavilionQin Guan · Mid-Length LyricsA curtain of quiet dreams under the night moon, ten li of tenderness in the spring wind.
  98. Fragrance Fills the Courtyard · Hills Brushed with Thin CloudQin Guan · Long LyricsBeyond the setting sun, ten thousand points of winter crows, and flowing water circling a lonely village.
  99. Fragrance Fills the Courtyard · Clouds Part at DawnQin Guan · Long LyricsAn old regret on a cardamom spray, a ten-year dream: counting the years, I am startled.
  100. Magnolia Blossom, Shortened · An Old Sorrow at the World's EdgeQin Guan · Short LyricsWeary, I lean on the high tower; the geese fly past, each one a written word of sorrow.
  101. Silk-Washing Stream · A Light Chill Climbs the Small TowerQin Guan · Short LyricsFree-flying petals, light as dreams; endless threads of rain, fine as sorrow.
  102. Master Ruan Returns · Wind and Rain under the Xiang SkyQin Guan · Short LyricsAt Hengyang geese still carry letters; at Chenyang there are not even geese.
  103. Green-Headed Duck · The Evening Clouds WithdrawChao Duanli · Long LyricsSo long as we keep well, may the clear cup and the pale moonlight always go together.
  104. Butterflies Love Flowers · Too Cold Yet to Shed the Silk RobeZhao Lingzhi · Mid-Length LyricsThe swallows again bring no word of his return; on the little screen, only the West River road.
  105. Butterflies Love Flowers · Willow Down Rolls on the WindZhao Lingzhi · Mid-Length LyricsNew wine on top of old wine's weariness; this spring's sorrow is no less than last spring's.
  106. Peace and Happiness · The Spring Wind as BeforeZhao Lingzhi · Short LyricsTo wear away a whole life in grief, how many dusks does it take?
  107. Immortal by the River · Drinking by the West PoolChao Chongzhi · Mid-Length LyricsWell I know: once spring has gone, will anyone care for the fallen flowers?
  108. Beautiful Lady Yu · The Lotuses All FallenShu Dan · Short LyricsOld friend, when you climb the high terrace, send me a plum branch, the spring of the south.
  109. Fisherman's Pride · Fine Rain and a Gentle WindZhu Fu · Mid-Length LyricsLet me drink till I am drunk, for today's pleasures are the tears of years to come.
  110. Drinking at the Green Gate · Northern Horses Neigh in the WindShi Yan · Long LyricsWhen will I ride home at a gallop and know her light smile at the gate?
  111. Spring at Xie's Pool · The Last of the Cold Melts AwayLi Zhiyi · Mid-Length LyricsWhen we are apart I long for you; when we meet it is still the same. How can meeting often compare with staying together for good?
  112. Song of Divination · I Live Where the Yangtze BeginsLi Zhiyi · Short LyricsDay after day I think of you and do not see you, yet we drink from the same river.
  113. Song of the Auspicious Dragon · Back on Zhangtai RoadZhou Bangyan · Long LyricsA heartbreaking courtyard, a curtain of wind-blown willow down.
  114. The Romantic · A Small Pond in New GreenZhou Bangyan · Long LyricsHeaven, let us meet for just a moment: where would be the harm?
  115. Prince of Lanling · The Willow Shade Runs StraightZhou Bangyan · Long LyricsOn the road by the long pavilion, year in, year out, the soft boughs broken off must come to more than a thousand feet.
  116. Cold at the Lattice Window · Crows Cry in the Dark WillowsZhou Bangyan · Long LyricsRain on the empty steps all night, like an old friend's talk by candle at the west window.
  117. Magpies Flying by Night · Seeing Someone Off at the River BridgeZhou Bangyan · Long LyricsWild mallow and wild oats in the setting sun, grown nearly as tall as a man.
  118. Passing the Qin Tower · The Clear Moon Bathes in the WaterZhou Bangyan · Long LyricsBeneath the Milky Way, all he can do is watch a few sparse stars again.
  119. Flower Crossing · Plum Blossom by the Low White WallZhou Bangyan · Long LyricsAll that is left is to dream of one graceful branch leaning over the water at dusk.
  120. The Great Feast · As Last Night's Mist LiftsZhou Bangyan · Long LyricsWith whom could I take a candle and roam the night?
  121. Butterflies Love Flowers · Crows Startled by the Bright MoonZhou Bangyan · Mid-Length LyricsThe Dipper's handle over the tower rail; cold dew, the traveller gone, cocks answering cocks.
  122. Undoing the Linked Rings · A Grievance with Nowhere to RestZhou Bangyan · Long LyricsHe resigns himself to a lifetime of flowers and wine, and of tears for her.
  123. Praying to the Moon and Stars, Slow · Night Hurries the WatchesZhou Bangyan · Long LyricsWhat can be done? One thread of longing runs unbroken across streams and hills.
  124. Passes and Rivers · Autumn Gloom Turning to DuskZhou Bangyan · Short LyricsThe wine has worn off; how shall I get through this long night?
  125. Lament at the Silk Window · Helped onto My Horse, Still DrunkZhou Bangyan · Long LyricsNo need for the Weicheng farewell song: my tears fall before it ends.
  126. Yuchi's Cup · The Road along the Sui DykeZhou Bangyan · Long LyricsNow, in a fishing village by a river post, a night lasts a year; I burn incense and talk alone.
  127. Auspicious Crane Immortal · Quiet Fields Around the Town WallZhou Bangyan · Long LyricsLet the bright days slip past; I am still glad of my own joys in this hidden heaven.
  128. Waves Washing the Sand, Slow · A Day of Heavy OvercastZhou Bangyan · Long LyricsSpring leaves without waiting for me, toying with the night and leaving pear blossom like snow.
  129. Everlasting as Heaven · The Spring Wind Spreads WarmthZhou Bangyan · Long LyricsFar off by the market bridge, the household under the willows still knows me.
  130. Night Roaming in the Palace · Falling Leaves and Sunset on the WaterZhou Bangyan · Short LyricsI leave my single quilt again and again; who knows it is to write one letter to her?
  131. Green Jade Cup · She Never Came Past Hengtang RoadHe Zhu · Mid-Length LyricsA whole river of misty grass, a city full of wind-blown willow down, rain when the plums turn yellow.
  132. Someone Crosses South · Orchids and Angelica Fill the IsletsHe Zhu · Mid-Length LyricsPlums half yellow, and toward evening a curtain of thin rain.
  133. The Heartless One · Light Make-up and Many CharmsHe Zhu · Long LyricsListless, I rise from sleep, and the sun still lingers on the tips of the flowers.
  134. Silk-Washing Stream · Spring Does Not Tire of the OldHe Zhu · Short LyricsOnly in drunkenness are the feelings of things true.
  135. Silk-Washing Stream · A Wisp of Rosy Cloud Fades from the TowerHe Zhu · Short LyricsMy fair one picks plum blossom by the light of the moon.
  136. Song of Shizhou, Slow · A Light Rain Takes the Chill AwayHe Zhu · Long LyricsThe plantain leaf does not unfurl, the lilac bud stays knotted.
  137. Butterflies Love Flowers · Spring Grieved Over and Ending AgainHe Zhu · Mid-Length LyricsThe wind holds back a few drops of rain; a hazy pale moon comes and goes with the clouds.
  138. Heavenly Fragrance · Mist Threads through the WoodsHe Zhu · Long LyricsOnly the moon, which knew my old haunts, comes with the clouds and takes my dreams back there.
  139. Gazing Toward the Xiang · Weary of Orioles at My PillowHe Zhu · Long LyricsShe sends not one word of longing; at least the paired swallows have come home.
  140. Green-Headed Duck · My Fair One's House by the FordHe Zhu · Long LyricsRemember: next year, once the roses fade, our tryst must not fail the drifting cloud.
  141. Song of Shizhou, Slow · Cold Water Keeps to Its Old MarksZhang Yuanqian · Long LyricsBy the time we meet again, we will have been a whole year apart.
  142. Prince of Lanling · Rolling Up the Pearl ScreenZhang Yuanqian · Long LyricsLonging can be forgotten only for a while, and only in drunkenness.
  143. Congratulating the Bridegroom · Waking to Orioles at DuskYe Mengde · Long LyricsThe southern dream breaks at the river isle; grape-green waves cling to the sky in misty rain.
  144. Spring in the Han Palace · The Graceful River PlumLi Bing · Long LyricsA clear brook like white silk: what is a jade hall beside a thatched hut and a sparse fence?
  145. Immortal by the River · Chanting the Songs of Chu on the Double FifthChen Yuyi · Mid-Length LyricsPomegranates, less red than dancing skirts; no one knows; the song done, wind fills the blind.
  146. Su Wu's Slow Song · Geese Settle on Level SandsCai Shen · Long LyricsParting grief in two places, a cup of fine wine turned bleak; I have leaned on every high rail.
  147. Green Willow Tips · A Few Cries of the ShrikeCai Shen · Short LyricsIt is simply that, like Xiuwen, I am full of feeling; wind and moon have nothing to do with it.
  148. Partridge Sky · A Lamp Burning LowZhou Zizhi · Short LyricsRain at the third watch on the parasol leaves: every leaf, every sound is parting.
  149. Treading the Grass · Love Like Drifting GossamerZhou Zizhi · Short LyricsMisty willows by the stream hang ten thousand threads, yet none can tie the orchid boat fast.
  150. Spring at the Imperial Terrace · Fragrant Grass So GreenLi Jia · Long LyricsIf letting go, I have let go by now; but to forget, how could I ever forget?
  151. Remembering the Prince · Lush Fragrant GrassLi Jia (traditionally attributed) · Short LyricsDusk is coming on; rain beats on the pear blossoms, and the door is shut deep.
  152. Crossing the Mountain Stream · Plum BlossomCao Zu · Mid-Length LyricsA single spray leans beyond the bamboo, like a fair lady in the cold at dusk.
  153. The Heartless One · Spring Late in the Green BowerLu Weilao · Long LyricsMy waist grows slender; my heart drifts far away with the willow catkins.
  154. Southern Shore · Wind Moans in the Painted HornKong Yi · Long LyricsPlum blossoms of home in a dream of return; sorrow wears down her green silk skirt.
  155. Water Dragon Chant · Wind and Rain in the NightCheng Gai · Long LyricsFine springs will always come and fine flowers be seen again; it is only people who wither.
  156. Six Prefectures Song · Gazing Down the Long HuaiZhang Xiaoxiang · Long LyricsI hear that the elders left behind in the Central Plain always look south for the imperial banners.
  157. Charm of Niannu · Dongting and the Green Grass LakeZhang Xiaoxiang · Long LyricsI will scoop up all the West River, pour it with the Northern Dipper, and make all creation my guests.
  158. Six Prefectures Song · The East Wind's IntentHan Yuanji · Long LyricsLiu returns as before: so many scenes of romance, and even the flowers should grieve.
  159. Happy Event Drawing Near · By the Old Ningbi PondHan Yuanji · Short LyricsThe apricot blossoms cannot escape spring sorrow; they too bloom beside the wild mist.
  160. Auspicious Crane Immortal · Rain Just Past over the FieldsYuan Quhua · Long LyricsIf I come again some year, will that face still be there among the peach blossoms?
  161. Sword Dance Song · Rain in the NightYuan Quhua · Long LyricsI send secret tears down the misty waves: tell my old friend by the river how worn I am.
  162. Young Lord An · Willows of a Thousand ThreadsYuan Quhua · Long LyricsA sorrow as deep as Yu Xin's: for whom does it all gather between the brows?
  163. Water Dragon Chant · Towers Deep in Riotous BlossomChen Liang · Long LyricsA whole world of blossom, unseen by any visitor, left to the orioles and swallows.
  164. Remembering the Lady of Qin · Where the Tower's Shadow BreaksFan Chengda · Short LyricsA moment's spring dream, and the sky over the land south of the river opens wide.
  165. Frosty Sky, Dawn Horn · Evening Clears and the Wind DropsFan Chengda · Short LyricsOnly two lines of low-flying geese know that someone leans in the moonlight of the painted tower.
  166. Zhu Yingtai, Short Measure · The Parted HairpinXin Qiji · Mid-Length LyricsIt was spring that brought the sorrow; now spring has gone, where to? And yet it did not think to take the sorrow with it.
  167. Sparse Shadows · Mossy Boughs Strung with JadeJiang Kui · Long LyricsZhaojun, never used to the far desert sands, secretly remembers the lands south and north of the river.
  168. Little Layered Hills · Willows Dark, Flowers Bright, Spring DeepZhang Liangneng · Short LyricsThere is no old haunt that cannot be found again; the only thing not to be found is the heart of youth.
  169. Magnolia Blossom · Spring Wind Lingers West of the GardenYan Ren · Short LyricsMy moon-bright mirror does not lie: come home tomorrow and see for yourself.
  170. Mountain Pavilion Banquet · Waking from a Secret DreamZhang Zi · Long LyricsKeep her here, and never let her go home until we both grow old.
  171. The Oriole's Joyful Move · Moonlit Ripples Seem to DripShi Dazu · Long LyricsOld haunts linger in memory; Du Mu has grown old, and cannot bear the flute on the east wind.
  172. Charms of Three Beauties · Haze Shimmering on Blue TilesShi Dazu · Long LyricsI will hold her likeness in mind, as Cui Hui's was held, and paint it in secret when I return.
  173. Autumn Clearing · The River Grey and VastShi Dazu · Long LyricsCrickets grieve in the dew, a cold room by a blue lamp; over my books, sorrow whitens my hair.
  174. Night-Closing Blossom · Willows Lock the Orioles' SoulsShi Dazu · Long LyricsThose idle words of ours: late at night in flowered rooms, each of us turns them over alone.
  175. Jade Butterfly · Evening Rain Spares the Palace TreesShi Dazu · Long LyricsLate in the old garden I cling to poems and wine; the new geese fly far and bring no word.
  176. Eight Returns · Autumn River Under RainShi Dazu · Long LyricsOnly a hurried glow of sunset, and already idle sorrow hangs in the tall trees.
  177. River Town · Curtains Rolled Up to a New Clear DayLu Zugao · Mid-Length LyricsCarrying wine and buying flowers belonged to youth; my heart is nothing like it was.
  178. Feast in the Pure Capital · Spring News from the Jade PipesLu Zugao · Long LyricsAnd worse to bear: withered grass to the sky, and plum petals flying in the dusk.
  179. Joy Equal to Heaven · Misty Waves on the West Mound RoadWu Wenying · Long LyricsSkin like ice, fingers like scallions dipped in snow: I still recall her tender gift of melon.
  180. Silk-Washing Stream · Behind the Gate, Deep in FlowersWu Wenying · Short LyricsCatkins fall without a sound, spring sheds its tears; the drifting cloud casts a shadow, the moon hides in shyness.
  181. Silk-Washing Stream · Bronze Flowers Cold on the RipplesWu Wenying · Short LyricsRiver swallows speak of home and part at dawn; the lotus red fades as if spring were done.
  182. Wind Through the Pines · Hearing Wind and Rain Past QingmingWu Wenying · Mid-Length LyricsYellow bees keep striking at the swing ropes, where the fragrance of her slender hands still clings.
  183. Gaoyang Terrace · Palace Powder and Carved TracesWu Wenying · Long LyricsFrom the south tower I do not resent the flute that is played, but resent the dawn wind over a thousand miles of passes and hills.
  184. Treading the Grass · Moist Jade Veiled in GauzeWu Wenying · Short LyricsAcross the river she is in the rain; evening wind in the wild rice stirs autumn sorrow.
  185. Auspicious Crane Immortal · Sunlit Gossamer Tangles My ThoughtsWu Wenying · Long LyricsTrimming the lamp to write, I cannot bear it, and roll the letter up with my tears.
  186. Night Roaming in the Palace · She Has Left the West TowerWu Wenying · Short LyricsTell her, who does not know: in the capital, facing the autumn lamp, how many grow old?
  187. Tangduo Tune · Where Is Sorrow Made?Wu Wenying · Mid-Length LyricsWhere is sorrow made? From autumn upon a parting heart.
  188. Spring Night Moon on the Xiang · Close to QingmingHuang Xiaomai · Long LyricsI would murmur my grief to the willow catkins, but fear they are fickle and cannot understand the sorrow of spring.
  189. Green Jade Cup · Every Year on the Village Festival DayHuang Gongshao · Mid-Length LyricsThere is no one to wear the flowers, no one to urge me to drink, and when I am drunk, no one to care.
  190. The Precious Tripod Appears · Red-Clad Riders in SpringLiu Chenweng · Long LyricsWaiting so long, spring did not come back; now spring is here, I would rather sleep.
  191. Jade Blossom · Vermilion Hairpins and Jewelled PendantsZhou Mi · Long LyricsI remember a youthful dream of Yangzhou, the moon over the Twenty-Four Bridges.
  192. Congratulating the Bridegroom · A Cold Dream of the Golden HouseJiang Jie · Long LyricsThe painted fans and red clappers remain, but no one is left who can hear the Kaiyuan tunes.
  193. Purple Dogwood Fragrance, Slow · Near the Double NinthYao Yunwen · Long LyricsLet my black gauze cap blow away in the wind; I would have heaven know my hair has turned this grey.
  194. Jinming Pool · Wide Sky and High CloudsZhong Shu · Long LyricsEven if the orioles and blossoms stayed, the east wind will not, and sorrow is all I see.
  195. Recalling the Flute on Phoenix Terrace · Incense Cold in the Gold LionLi Qingzhao · Long LyricsLately I have grown thin, not from being sick with wine, nor from grieving over autumn.
  196. Charm of Niannu · A Desolate CourtyardLi Qingzhao · Long LyricsClear dew flows in the morning, the new paulownia begins to put out leaves: so much of the mood for a spring outing.
  197. Joy of Lasting Meeting · The Setting Sun Like Molten GoldLi Qingzhao · Long LyricsBetter to stay under the curtain and listen to others laughing and talking.
  198. Treading the Grass · Late Spring: Orioles' Voices Growing OldKou Zhun · Short LyricsLeaning on the tower without a word, she watches the dim sky run on into fragrant grass.
  199. Hailing the Sage Court · Farewell: Two Parts SorrowYe Qingchen · Short LyricsOf spring's three parts, two parts are sorrow, and one more part is wind and rain.
  200. Brocade-Wrapped Road · A Spring Outing: Swallows TwitteringSong Qi · Mid-Length LyricsI ask a herd boy; he points far off to a lone village: deep among the apricot blossoms, that is where you will find a house.
  201. Swallows at the Parting Pavilion · Thoughts on the Past: River and Hills Like a PaintingZhang Sheng · Mid-Length LyricsSo many rises and falls of the Six Dynasties have all passed into the idle talk of fishermen and woodcutters.
  202. Master Ruan Returns · Walking on the Green: Mid-Spring in the Southern GardenOuyang Xiu · Short LyricsDew heavy on the flowers, mist low on the grass, and curtains lowered in every house.
  203. Song of the South · Boudoir Feelings: A Phoenix ChignonOuyang Xiu · Short LyricsIdly she lets her embroidery go, and laughing asks how to write the two words for mandarin ducks.
  204. Immortal by the River · At a Singing-Girl Banquet: Light Thunder beyond the WillowsOuyang Xiu · Mid-Length LyricsBeside the pair of crystal pillows, a fallen hairpin still lies where it dropped.
  205. The West River Moon · A Beauty: Hair Loosely CoiledSima Guang · Short LyricsTo meet her was worse than never to have met; to feel so much is still like feeling nothing.
  206. The Heavenly Immortal · Seeing Spring Off: Wine and the Water MelodyZhang Xian · Mid-Length LyricsThe clouds break, the moon comes, and flowers play with their shadows.
  207. Joy Day and Night · Remembering a Parting: When We First MetLiu Yong · Long LyricsEven on a day I do not think of her, I knit my brows a thousand times.
  208. Song of the Cave Immortal · A Summer Night: Skin of Ice, Bones of JadeSu Shi · Mid-Length LyricsI only count on my fingers when the west wind will come, and do not notice how the flowing years are being changed in secret.
  209. Butterflies Love Flowers · Spring Scene: Laughter beyond the WallSu Shi · Mid-Length LyricsOn the branches the willow down is blown thinner still; where under heaven is there no fragrant grass?
  210. Peace and Happiness · Late Spring: Where Has Spring GoneHuang Tingjian · Short LyricsTheir hundred trills no one can understand; on the wind they fly off over the roses.
  211. Spring in the Painted Hall · On Its Theme: East Wind in the WillowsHuang Tingjian · Short LyricsThe night chill seeps through her thin silk, and her thoughts have no end.
  212. Crossing the Mountain Stream · Parting Thoughts: Mandarin Ducks and KingfishersHuang Tingjian · Mid-Length LyricsWillows of the parting pavilion, do you know? A thousand miles on, I still look back.
  213. Ru Meng Ling · Spring Scene: Orioles Peck the BlossomsQin Guan · Short LyricsAs before, as before: the player and the green willows, both grown thin.
  214. Remembering an Old Friend at Peach Spring · Winter Scene: A Locked Jade TowerQin Guan · Short LyricsMoonlight and heavy frost beyond the window; I hear the plum blossom tune to its end.
  215. River Tale · For a Singing Girl: Sorrowful Brows, Tipsy EyesQin Guan · Mid-Length LyricsIt wastes me to the bone, and Heaven does not care.
  216. Sorry to Part · On Its Theme: Tears Like Dew on a FlowerMao Pang · Short LyricsThis grief we split in two; with nothing more to say, we only gaze at each other.
  217. Candle Shadows Flicker Red · Cherishing Spring: A Lightly Powdered FaceWang Shen (traditionally attributed) · Long LyricsAfter the crab-apples bloom, when the swallows come: a courtyard at dusk.
  218. Magnolia Blossom, Shortened · Spring Feelings: Painted Bridge, Flowing WaterWang Anguo · Short LyricsNot like the hanging willows, which still send their blossoms drifting into her room.
  219. A Thousand Autumns · Summer Scene: Chinaberry Blossoms on the StepsXie Yi · Mid-Length LyricsWhen everyone has gone: a hook of new moon, and a sky as clear as water.
  220. Southern Shore · Late Spring: The Gold Duck Censer Left UnlitCheng Gai · Long LyricsHow can I bear the cuckoo, who knows only how to call and call, hurrying spring away?
  221. Drunk in Times of Peace · Boudoir Feelings: High-Hearted and TrueLiu Guo · Short LyricsLonging for you, remembering you: my soul is pulled, my dreams entwined.
  222. The Oriole's Joyful Move · Leap-Month Lantern Festival: Silver MoonlightWu Lizhi · Long LyricsHeaven lets people and moon be full again, repaying every debt of romance.
  223. Swallows in Pairs · On Its Theme: After the Spring SacrificeShi Dazu · Long LyricsLightly they brush past the flower tips, green tails parting the red shadows.
  224. Phoenixes Who Changed Their Nest · Spring Feelings: Lovely as Plum BlossomShi Dazu · Long LyricsHeaven pities a lover too fond, and lets the phoenixes change nests to grow old together.
  225. Auspicious Crane Immortal · Amorous Thoughts: Apricot Mist on Her TemplesShi Dazu · Long LyricsAn inch of tender heart, after all the longing, has burned entirely to ash.
  226. A Spray of Plum Blossoms · Spring Thoughts: A Stretch of Spring SorrowJiang Jie · Mid-Length LyricsFlowing time so easily leaves us behind: it has reddened the cherries and greened the plantains.
  227. Joy of Lasting Meeting · Green Shade: Coolness Presses on the Pool PavilionJiang Jie · Long LyricsBefore the cicadas, after the butterflies, the season of flowers has gone with the stream.
  228. Partridge Sky · Parting: Jade Grieving, Flowers SorrowingNie Shengqiong · Short LyricsMy tears by the pillow and the rain by the steps, with only a window between, drip on until dawn.
  229. People and Moon Both Full · Stirred by Feeling: Sorrow of the Southern DynastiesWu Ji · Short LyricsLike the marshal of Jiangzhou, his blue robe wet with tears, we are both at the edge of the world.
  230. Slow Jade Water Clock · Thoughts in My Heart: The Road Home Lies FarYuan Haowen · Long LyricsIn the clear mirror at dawn, how many more white hairs?
  231. Rouged Lips · Boudoir Feelings: A Night of East WindZeng Yunyuan · Short LyricsBy the long pavilion the grass is green as ever, yet lovely only when you come home.
  232. Water Dragon Chant · Like a Flower, Yet Not a FlowerSu Shi · Long LyricsOf spring's colours, three parts in all: two parts dust, one part flowing water.
  233. Joy of Lasting Meeting · The Moon Bright as FrostSu Shi · Long LyricsPast and present are like a dream; when has anyone woken from it? There are only old joys and new regrets.
  234. Green Jade Cup · Three Years of Dreaming of the Road to WuSu Shi · Mid-Length LyricsMy spring robe is still the one Xiaoman stitched, once soaked in West Lake rain.
  235. Water Dragon Chant · Why Must Spring Hurry SoChao Buzhi · Long LyricsWho knew the peach blossoms fell to bear fruit, and not because spring grew thin?
  236. Remembering Youth · Endless Willows by the Official RoadChao Buzhi · Short LyricsEndless willows by the official road, a heartless painted boat, a rootless traveller.
  237. Song of the Cave Immortal · Where the Blue Mist SpreadsChao Buzhi · Mid-Length LyricsCarry a folding chair up the south tower to see the world turned to jade in pale autumn light.
  238. Deva-Like Barbarian · Past Red-Railed Bridge, the Fragrant StreetChen Ke · Short LyricsYoung men in yellow robes fly by on white horses, day after day below the pleasure houses.
  239. Deva-Like Barbarian · Weedy Walls round a Mossy CourtChen Ke · Short LyricsHere and there the sound of tossing coins; behind the green window, a light spring sleep.
  240. Six Uglies · Trying the New Wine in Unlined RobesZhou Bangyan · Long LyricsI wish spring would stay a while; but spring goes home like a bird on the wing, gone without a trace.
  241. Fragrance Fills the Courtyard · Wind Matures the Young OriolesZhou Bangyan · Long LyricsWind has grown the young orioles, rain has fattened the plums; at noon the fine trees cast clear round shade.
  242. Flower That Understands Words · Wind Wears Down the Candle FlamesZhou Bangyan · Long LyricsCassia brightness flows over the roof tiles; as the thin clouds part, the bright Moon Lady seems about to come down.
  243. West River · The Land of BeautyZhou Bangyan · Long LyricsThe swallows, not knowing what age it is, fly into the homes of ordinary lanes and face each other as if telling of rise and fall, in the slanting sun.
  244. Song of Heaven's Gate · Perilous Niuzhu and Heaven's GateHe Zhu · Short LyricsPerilous Niuzhu and Heaven's Gate divided north from south and were seized by rival powers.
  245. Beautiful Lady Yu · Fallen Petals Dance before the WindYe Mengde · Short LyricsFair one, do not knit your brows; I too am full of feeling, and helpless as the wine runs out.
  246. Rouged Lips · The New Moon, Fair and FineWang Zao · Short LyricsAfter the crows have cawed in disarray, the wish to go home grows strong as wine.
  247. The Oriole's Joyful Move · Dawn Light Hurries the HornLiu Yizhi · Long LyricsAlas for the weary traveller, who can hardly bear the dust of the capital roads once more.
  248. Gaoyang Terrace · Again and Again the Silver TalliesHan Yu · Long LyricsI cover my clear wine cup and thank the plum blossoms for keeping me company as I softly chant.
  249. Immortal by the River · Drinking Long Ago on Noon BridgeChen Yuyi · Mid-Length LyricsThe moon flowed away down the long channel without a sound; among the sparse shadows of apricot blossoms we played the flute until dawn.
  250. Three Terraces · Pear Blossoms Touched by the Night MoonMoqi Yong · Long LyricsHalf cold, half warm, the water-clock running long; half shade, half sun, clouds at dusk.
  251. The God Erlang · Bored, I Shoot at the MagpiesXu Shen · Long LyricsNo letter on a goose's foot, no hoofbeats that stay; the gate shuts in a courtyard of spring.
  252. Auspicious Crane Immortal · Rosy Cheeks Printed by the PillowLu Song · Long LyricsShe grieves that no one will tell him how, longing for him lately, her sash has grown loose.
  253. Charming Eyes · Drowsy Sunbeams and Floating Purple HazeFan Chengda · Short LyricsSpring languor is just like the water of the spring pond: a sheet of crinkled ripples, all sorrow.
  254. Congratulating the Bridegroom · Hearing the Shrikes in the Green TreesXin Qiji · Long LyricsThe Yi River soughs, the west wind is cold, and the whole company in caps and robes is white as snow.
  255. Charm of Niannu · Flowers Fall by the Wild PondXin Qiji · Long LyricsOld regrets flow endless as the spring river; new regrets pile up like a thousand cloudy hills.
  256. Spring in the Han Palace · Spring Has Come BackXin Qiji · Long LyricsSorrow never breaks off; who, I ask, can undo these linked rings?
  257. Congratulating the Bridegroom · The Phoenix-Tail PlectrumXin Qiji · Long LyricsThe affairs of a thousand ages fly off like clouds and vanish like smoke.
  258. Water Dragon Chant · A Thousand Li of Clear Autumn over ChuXin Qiji · Long LyricsAt the tower top in the setting sun, amid the cries of a stray wild goose, a wanderer from south of the river looks over his Wu sword and slaps every railing, and no one understands why I climbed up here.
  259. Groping for Fish · How Many More Storms Can Spring BearXin Qiji · Long LyricsHow many more bouts of wind and rain can it bear? In haste, spring is leaving again.
  260. Magnolia Blossom, Slow · Old Age Dulls the Taste of FeelingXin Qiji · Long LyricsMy eyes follow the geese falling through the autumn sky; drunk, I twang an empty bowstring.
  261. Partridge Sky · Pillow and Mat Cool in the Stream HallXin Qiji · Short LyricsI cannot tell how far my strength has failed; I only feel lately too lazy to climb the tower.
  262. Rouged Lips · The Northern Geese Have No CaresJiang Kui · Short LyricsA few peaks, pure and bitter, are deliberating over an evening rain.
  263. Partridge Sky · The Fei River Flows East Without EndJiang Kui · Short LyricsThe Fei River flows east with no end; I should never have planted longing back then.
  264. Treading the Grass · Light as a Swallow, Soft as an OrioleJiang Kui · Short LyricsOver Huainan the bright moon chills a thousand hills; in the dark she goes back, with no one to care for her.
  265. Celebrating Spring in the Palace · Twin Oars on Water-Shield WavesJiang Kui · Long LyricsWhere is she now? Only the railing keeps me company for a moment.
  266. Joy Equal to Heaven · Master Yu Had Already Chanted of SorrowJiang Kui · Long LyricsSet into a zither's strings, each note sounds more bitter.
  267. Pipa Immortal · When the Twin Oars CameJiang Kui · Long LyricsTen li of Yangzhou, Du Mu in three lives: speak no more of things gone by.
  268. Eight Returns · Fragrant Lotus Sheds Its PowderJiang Kui · Long LyricsI have long regretted our meetings were never at ease; why must we part again in the west wind?
  269. Charm of Niannu · A Boat Among Riotous RedJiang Kui · Long LyricsSmiling sweetly as they sway, their cool fragrance flies up into my lines.
  270. Lament at the Long Pavilion, Slow · The Catkins Are Nearly Blown AwayJiang Kui · Long LyricsIf the trees had feelings, they could never stay so green!
  271. Pale Yellow Willows · Dawn Horns in an Empty CityJiang Kui · Mid-Length LyricsThe swallows fly back and ask where spring is; only the pond stays green on its own.
  272. Hidden Fragrance · Moonlight of Former DaysJiang Kui · Long LyricsThe moonlight of former days: how many times did it shine on me playing the flute beside the plum?
  273. Song of the Kingfisher Tower · Moon Cold over the Dragon SandsJiang Kui · Long LyricsBeyond the western hills, at evening, I roll up again a curtainful of clear autumn sky.
  274. Apricot Blossom Sky · Green Threads Brush the Mandarin Duck ShoreJiang Kui · Short LyricsFragrant grass fills the islets, yet I cannot go home; at dusk, where shall I move my boat now?
  275. A Single Red Calyx · In the Shade of the Old City WallJiang Kui · Long LyricsSouth and north again, for what? Adrift on Xiang clouds and Chu waters, I gaze far and grieve.
  276. Rainbow Skirt, First of the Middle Prelude · Gazing Far from the RiverbankJiang Kui · Long LyricsLong adrift, what heart have I now? Drunk, I lie down beside the wine-shop stove.
  277. Tangduo Tune · Reed Leaves Cover the IsletsLiu Guo · Mid-Length LyricsI would buy cassia flowers and take wine along, but in the end it is not like the roaming of youth.
  278. Fragrance Fills the Courtyard · Moonlight Washes the Tall PaulowniasZhang Zi · Long LyricsI remember as a child calling for lamps, flooding their holes, and creeping after the sound.
  279. Fragrance of Silk Gauze · Working Up a Chill to Bully the FlowersShi Dazu · Long LyricsThat day, door shut on the pear blossoms, we trimmed the lamp and talked late into the night.
  280. First Spray in the East Wind · Seeping Deftly into the Orchid's HeartShi Dazu · Long LyricsNot yet green, the willows turn white eyes; not yet red, the apricots show pale faces.
  281. Hawthorn Fruit · Crowded Lanterns Outshine the MoonLiu Kezhuang · Short LyricsThe sights are the same as in years gone by; the feelings of middle age are different.
  282. Congratulating the Bridegroom · Pomegranates Bloom in the Deep CourtyardLiu Kezhuang · Long LyricsWho'd believe the poet's ghost, a thousand years on, drools under the waves for rice dumplings?
  283. Congratulating the Bridegroom · The Deep Sky Turns BlackLiu Kezhuang · Long LyricsA white-haired scholar's tears for the Divine Land, however bleak, will not be shed on Ox Mountain.
  284. Magnolia Blossom · Year After Year Riding Through the CapitalLiu Kezhuang · Short LyricsA man has the Divine Land to the northwest; do not shed your tears by the bridge west of the water.
  285. Song of the Southland · Dreading to Lean on the RailingPan Fang · Short LyricsThe moon sinks, the frost falls; late in the night he picks a plum spray to gaze at alone.
  286. Auspicious Crane Immortal · Wet Clouds Cling to the GeeseLu Rui · Long LyricsTelling the mirror of his longing: see which of us has grown thinner.
  287. Clouds Crossing the River · A Blush of Red and a Faint RegretWu Wenying · Long LyricsTomorrow all this grows cold with the lone smoke, and wind and rain over the lake bring grief.
  288. Night-Closing Blossom · Willows Darken the River BridgeWu Wenying · Long LyricsTen years, one dream, and all desolate: the swallow gone from West Lake, the nest in ruins.
  289. Frosted Leaves Flying · Broken Mist and Thoughts of PartingWu Wenying · Long LyricsHe looks closely at the dogwood and only vows to climb the green heights next year.
  290. Feast in the Pure Capital · An Embroidered Canopy on Mandarin-Duck PostsWu Wenying · Long LyricsTelling of the old vow, never to fail their spring pledge, red at morning and green at dusk.
  291. Flower Crossing · A Small, Graceful BeautyWu Wenying · Long LyricsThe goddess of the Xiang became this hidden fragrance, her regret left on cloudy sands.
  292. Rouged Lips · The Gloomy Clouds All Rolled AwayWu Wenying · Short LyricsLove like water; in a small tower, a scented quilt, a spring dream among pipes and songs.
  293. Zhu Yingtai, Short Measure · Gathering Hidden FragranceWu Wenying · Mid-Length LyricsGrey at both temples, another Cold Food Day comes and again he is deep among cloudy hills.
  294. Zhu Yingtai, Short Measure · Cutting Red Feeling, Trimming GreenWu Wenying · Mid-Length LyricsA thousand flecks of frost in his hair that never melt, facing plum petals falling like rain.
  295. Bathing in Orchid Fragrance · Coiled Silk at the WristWu Wenying · Long LyricsHe can only gaze in sorrow at a thread of new moon that follows him to the sky's edge.
  296. Prelude of the Oriole's Song · Lingering Cold and Wine-SicknessWu Wenying · Long LyricsLeaning on the silver screen, spring was wide and the dream narrow; her fallen tears wet the silk fan of songs and the gold-threaded robe.
  297. Cherishing Chrysanthemums, Slow · Seeing a Guest Off on the Banks of WuWu Wenying · Long LyricsPale autumn will not follow the boat; the faded red rides one leaf on the cold waves.
  298. Gaoyang Terrace · Tall Bamboos in Finished Make-upWu Wenying · Long LyricsIf falling petals reach the bed of West Lake, every fish stirring the green waves will grieve.
  299. Charms of Three Beauties · Lakes and Hills Used to My DrinkingWu Wenying · Long LyricsThe dancing stopped, the songs sank away; before the flowers faded, her rosy face had changed.
  300. Eight Beats of Ganzhou · Mist Stretches Vast on All SidesWu Wenying · Long LyricsI question the grey waves, and they say nothing; what can white hair do against hills that stay green?
  301. Partridge Sky · Red Lotus on the Pool Beside the RailingWu Wenying · Short LyricsThe dream of home is narrow, water and sky are wide; at the window, brows pale as autumn hills.
  302. Congratulating the Bridegroom · Tall Old Trees Breathe Out CloudWu Wenying · Long LyricsThe future will not match today, nor today the past; they face the Canglang water in silence.
  303. Great Abundance · Before the Horse-Play TerracePan Xibai · Long LyricsHow often he recalled the water-shield and perch of home, before the frost, after the geese.
  304. Prince of Lanling · Seeing Spring OffLiu Chenweng · Long LyricsSeeing spring off: once spring is gone, there is no road left in the human world.
  305. Joy of Lasting Meeting · A Jade-Disc Moon in a Clearing SkyLiu Chenweng · Long LyricsSleepless before a guttering lamp, he hears village festival drums all around.
  306. Groping for Fish · How Can One Know Where Spring Has GoneLiu Chenweng · Long LyricsClasping hands at parting: laughing over poems and music, when will they meet like this again?
  307. Gaoyang Terrace · Banners Lighting Up the FieldsZhou Mi · Long LyricsThe east wind greens the shores of West Lake; the geese are back, but he has not come south.
  308. Autumn in the Jade Capital · Misty Waters Stretch WideZhou Mi · Long LyricsThe flute of Chu sobs: who will send the pale moon over the west tower?
  309. Song of a Spring Outing · Beyond the Palace GardensZhou Mi · Long LyricsThe whole lake is broken moonlight and swaying flowers: how could anyone leave now?
  310. Flower Crossing · On the Bank of the Chu RiverZhou Mi · Long LyricsWaking from a quiet dream: clear dew trickling, a single stem in the lamplight.
  311. Auspicious Crane Immortal · Dark Mist Hides the GeeseJiang Jie · Long LyricsHe fears the world has changed its tunes to frontier airs the moon goddess has never known.
  312. The Daoist Priestess · Orchid Blossoms in FragranceJiang Jie · Long LyricsI mean to write the scenes of former days into idle talk.
  313. Heavenly Fragrance · Smoke Coiled round a Lone PeakWang Yisun · Long LyricsIn vain I cherish the lingering scent: an empty censer frame, a plain quilt.
  314. Charming Brows · A New Crescent Hanging in the WillowsWang Yisun · Long LyricsThough the jade axe is slowly ground, the golden mirror is hard to mend.
  315. Joy Equal to Heaven · A Breast Full of Lingering GriefWang Yisun · Long LyricsThe bronze immortal's leaden tears stream as if washed; alas, the plate has been carried far away, and the falling dew cannot be stored.
  316. Lament at the Long Pavilion, Slow · Drifting in a Lone Skiff by the East BankWang Yisun · Long LyricsThe water is far, and beyond the flowing water the tangled hills are farther still.
  317. Gaoyang Terrace · Lingering Snow in the Courtyard ShadeWang Yisun · Long LyricsAnd how many more east winds, how many more flying petals can I bear?
  318. Dharma Melody Offering Immortal Music · Layered Green, Towering HighWang Yisun · Long LyricsI can only break off a spray with care, to ease a breast full of quiet grief.
  319. Sparse Shadows · The River Empty, No One CrossingPeng Yuanxun · Long LyricsRound the lonely city the leaves fall rustling, and day and night the river's voice flows on.
  320. Six Uglies · Like the East Wind Grown OldPeng Yuanxun · Long LyricsFull of feeling, gathered by no one, it is only lodged among rivers and hills.
  321. He Manzi · Autumn Lament: Gazing Sadly at a Floating LifeSun Zhu · Mid-Length LyricsIf heaven had feelings, heaven too would grow old; this restless hidden grief is hard to bear.
  322. Song of Divination · Seeing Bao Haoran Off to Eastern ZheWang Guan · Short LyricsThe water is a glance of eyes, flowing level; the hills are brows gathered into peaks.
  323. Song of the Cave Immortal · The Snow Clouds Have ScatteredLi Yuanying · Mid-Length LyricsThe best of the year's spring lies not in heavy blossom: small, sparse, faintly fragrant flowers are the loveliest.
  324. River Town, Slow · An Autumn Moon on the Jade StandTian Wei · Long LyricsThe courtyard flowers have fallen, spring is gone, and the far moon coldly waxes and wanes.
  325. Congratulating the Bridegroom · Incense Coils Fade in the Golden CenserLi Yu · Long LyricsShe waits in vain till the plane tree's shadow moves: who will keep her company at the mirror?
  326. Candle Shadows Flicker Red · Spring Haze over the Painted TowerLiao Shimei · Long LyricsEvening clears, the waves still sound of rain; no one about, a boat lies across the wild ford.
  327. Candle Shadows Flicker Red · Twin Gate Towers Rise to the SkyZhang Lun · Long LyricsA heart full of hidden sorrow, a few cold lamps, a few cries of homing geese.
  328. Wind Through the Pines · All Spring Spent Buying FlowersYu Guobao · Mid-Length LyricsPipes and drums amid the scent of red apricots; swings in the shade of green willows.
  329. Groping for Fish · Facing the West WindZhu Sifa · Long LyricsShade and shine follow heaven's will alone; in vain the jade wastes and the fragrance breaks.

Rhapsodies

10 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.
  5. Inscription for the Hall of Three Pagoda TreesSu Shi · Admonitions, Inscriptions & EulogiesMan, when settled, overcomes Heaven; Heaven, when settled, also overcomes man.
  6. The Western InscriptionZhang Zai · Admonitions, Inscriptions & EulogiesThe people are my brothers and sisters; all things are my companions.
  7. Inscription for the Lotus Clepsydra of XuzhouSu Shi · Admonitions, Inscriptions & EulogiesSinking is no disgrace, rising no glory.
  8. Inscription for the Terrace of the Nine MovementsSu Shi · Admonitions, Inscriptions & EulogiesThough the Shao music is lost, something of it is not lost and remains.
  9. In Praise of Han Gan's Painted HorsesSu Shi · Admonitions, Inscriptions & EulogiesFree and easy, like worthy officials and young lords loosening belts to wash their cap-strings.
  10. In Praise of Wen Yuke's Flying-White CalligraphySu Shi · Admonitions, Inscriptions & EulogiesDrifting like light clouds veiling the moon, fluttering like a long wind rolling up a banner.

Prose

226 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 · Travel WritingThe 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 (comp.) · 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.
  24. Collected Commentaries on the Four BooksZhu Xi · Pre-Qin MastersHeaven's course turns in a cycle, and nothing goes that does not return.
  25. On Frugality, for My Son KangSima Guang · Letters & PrefacesEveryone takes extravagance as glory; my heart alone takes frugality and plainness as beauty.
  26. Classified Conversations of Master ZhuZhu Xi · NotebooksBefore Heaven and Earth existed there was after all only principle.
  27. Record of a Dream of Splendour in the Eastern CapitalMeng Yuanlao · NotebooksPeace had long prevailed and people and goods were plentiful.
  28. Afterword to the Records of Metal and StoneLi Qingzhao · Letters & PrefacesI happened to have a good memory, and every day after dinner we sat in the Guilai Hall brewing tea; pointing to the piles of books and histories, we would say in which book, which juan, which page and line a certain matter was, and whoever was right won and drank first. When I won, I would raise my cup and laugh so hard that the tea spilled into my lap and I got up without drinking it.
  29. Record of the Names Inscribed at the Remonstrance BureauSima Guang · Epitaphs & ElegiesThose who chase eagerly after fame are like those who chase eagerly after profit: how far apart are they really?
  30. Oath Written at the Shrine of the Five PeaksYue Fei · Epitaphs & ElegiesTo welcome the two emperors back to the capital, restore the lost lands to our maps, so that the court has no cares and our sovereign can rest his head in peace: this is my wish.
  31. Collected Works of Master XiangshanLu Jiuyuan · Essays & MemorialsSo the student's aim must be distinguished.
  32. Old History of the Five DynastiesXue Juzheng (comp.) · Historical NarrativeThis is as easy as turning over one's hand.
  33. New Book of TangOuyang Xiu (comp.) · Historical NarrativeHuang Chao rode in a golden carriage, his guards all in embroidered robes and fine headcloths.
  34. New History of the Five DynastiesOuyang Xiu (comp.) · Historical NarrativeThe pattern of rise and fall may be called the will of Heaven, but is it not also the work of men?
  35. Old Affairs of WulinZhou Mi · NotebooksZhou Mi's recollection of court ceremony and city life in Southern Song Hangzhou.
  36. Chronicle of the Buddhas and PatriarchsZhipan · Historical NarrativeA general history of Buddhism on the model of the dynastic histories, in fifty-four juan.
  37. Record of the Chief Ministers' Waiting HallWang Yucheng · Travel WritingA state's government and ten thousand lives hang on the chief minister: can he not be careful?
  38. Record of the Bamboo Tower at HuanggangWang Yucheng · Travel WritingIn summer it suits a sudden rain, which sounds like a waterfall; in winter it suits a heavy snow, which sounds like shattering jade.
  39. Afterword to the Records of Famous Gardens of LuoyangLi Gefei · Letters & PrefacesThe rise and fall of Luoyang is the sign of order and disorder in the realm.
  40. Record of the Charitable EstateQian Gongfu · Travel WritingAll he left his sons was the duty of helping the poor and sustaining the clan.
  41. Record of the Prefectural School of YuanzhouLi Gou · Travel WritingDie loyal as a subject, and filial as a son.
  42. On the Release of Condemned PrisonersOuyang Xiu · Essays & MemorialsThey did not do the strange to seem lofty, nor go against human feeling to court praise.
  43. Preface to the Poems of the Monk MiyanOuyang Xiu · Letters & PrefacesManqing hid in wine and Miyan in the Buddhist order; both were remarkable men.
  44. Preface to the Collected Poems of Mei ShengyuOuyang Xiu · Letters & PrefacesIt is not, then, that poetry brings men to straits; rather, only those in straits come to write fine poetry.
  45. Preface Seeing Off Yang ZhiOuyang Xiu · Letters & PrefacesIn joy, anger, sorrow and delight, it moves people deeply.
  46. Essay on the Eunuchs from the History of the Five DynastiesOuyang Xiu · Essays & MemorialsSince ancient times eunuchs have brought states to ruin, and the root of it runs deeper than the disasters caused by women.
  47. Record of the Hall of Daytime Brocade at XiangzhouOuyang Xiu · Travel WritingTo rise in office to general and chief minister and return home in wealth and honour: this is what human feeling counts as glory, and it is the same now as in the past.
  48. Record of the Pavilion of Abundance and JoyOuyang Xiu · Travel WritingTo proclaim the ruler's kindness and share joy with the people is the prefect's duty.
  49. Offering to Shi ManqingOuyang Xiu · Epitaphs & ElegiesAlas, Manqing! In life you were a hero, and in death a spirit.
  50. Grave Marker at ShuanggangOuyang Xiu · Epitaphs & ElegiesA rich offering now is not as good as poor care while she lived.
  51. On Guan ZhongSu Xun · Essays & MemorialsA state rises through one man and falls through one man.
  52. On Discerning the TreacherousSu Xun · Essays & MemorialsA halo round the moon means wind; damp on the plinth stones means rain: everyone knows this.
  53. Record of the Portrait of Zhang of YizhouSu Xun · Travel WritingBefore disorder or after it, ruling is easy; the hard time is when disorder is about to begin.
  54. On Rewards and Punishments as the Height of Loyal GenerositySu Shi · Essays & MemorialsSo one may go too far in humaneness, but not in righteousness.
  55. Treatise on Fan ZengSu Shi · Essays & MemorialsThings must first rot before worms grow in them; a man must first be suspicious before slander can get in.
  56. Treatise on Chao CuoSu Shi · Essays & MemorialsThose who achieved great things in ancient times had not only talent beyond their age but also a will that endured and could not be shaken.
  57. Letter to Lecturer MeiSu Shi · Letters & PrefacesOne must not grasp at wealth and rank by any means, nor sit idle in poverty.
  58. Record of the Pavilion of Welcome RainSu Shi · Travel WritingIf Heaven rained pearls, the cold could not make jackets of them; if Heaven rained jade, the hungry could not make grain of it.
  59. Record of the Terrace Above the VoidSu Shi · Travel WritingNo one can know how things will rise and fall, be built and be ruined.
  60. Record of the Terrace of TranscendenceSu Shi · Travel WritingThey roam within things, not outside them.
  61. Record of the Crane-Releasing PavilionSu Shi · Travel WritingNot even a ruler on his throne could trade places with a hermit.
  62. Stele for the Temple of Han Wengong at ChaozhouSu Shi · Epitaphs & ElegiesA common man becomes the teacher of a hundred generations; a single word becomes the law of the realm.
  63. Memorial Asking to Edit Lu Zhi's Memorials for the ThroneSu Shi · Essays & MemorialsThe medicine comes from the physician's hand, but the prescription comes from the ancients.
  64. Biography of Master FangshanSu Shi · Historical NarrativeHe gave up carriage and cap and went about on foot, and no one in the hills knew who he was.
  65. Essay on the Six StatesSu Zhe · Essays & MemorialsQin fought the lords for the realm not in Qi, Chu, Yan or Zhao, but on Han and Wei's borders.
  66. Letter to Secretariat Drafter OuyangZeng Gong · Letters & PrefacesOnly one who has stored up the Way and virtue and can write well can do it.
  67. Preface Presented to the Two Scholars Li and AnZeng Gong · Letters & PrefacesI know to trust the ancients but not how to fit the age; I know to set my mind on the Way but not how to go along with custom.
  68. On Reading the Biography of Lord MengchangWang Anshi · Essays & MemorialsLord Mengchang was merely the chief of men who crowed like cocks and stole like dogs; how can he be said to have won scholars?
  69. Fellow Learners: A Farewell to ZiguWang Anshi · Letters & PrefacesThey simply learn from the sages!
  70. Epitaph for Mr Xu, Registrar of Hailing County in TaizhouWang Anshi · Epitaphs & ElegiesSome lifted him, none pushed him down; yet his life ended here, and who made it so?
  71. On the Difficulty of Being a Ruler, Part OneOuyang Xiu · Essays & MemorialsIt is hard to be a ruler, the saying goes; and nothing is harder than employing men.
  72. On the Difficulty of Being a Ruler, Part TwoOuyang Xiu · Essays & MemorialsHard as it is to employ men, it is not as hard as listening to advice.
  73. On the Tang DynastyZeng Gong · Essays & MemorialsHe had the aspiration, the capacity and the results of governing the realm.
  74. On the Book of ChangesSu Xun · Essays & MemorialsThe Way of the sages gained trust through the rites and reverence through the Changes.
  75. On MusicSu Xun · Essays & MemorialsWhere the rites do not reach, music reaches.
  76. On the Book of SongsSu Xun · Essays & MemorialsThe Way of the sages is strict in the Rites and accommodating in the Songs.
  77. On the Book of DocumentsSu Xun · Essays & MemorialsChanges in custom are the work of the sages.
  78. On Clear SightSu Xun · Essays & MemorialsConcentrate on what you can reach, and your reach will be fine.
  79. On Remonstrance, Part OneSu Xun · Essays & MemorialsIndirect and direct are one; what matters is the art of using them.
  80. On Remonstrance, Part TwoSu Xun · Essays & MemorialsThey made reward the thousand pieces of gold and punishment the fierce tiger.
  81. Essays on Expediency: Sun WuSu Xun · Essays & MemorialsOne who is sought and never exhausted is a rare talent of the world.
  82. Essays on Expediency: Emperor GaozuSu Xun · Essays & MemorialsGaozu's wisdom was clear in great things and dim in small ones.
  83. Essays on Expediency: Xiang JiSu Xun · Essays & MemorialsXiang Ji had the talent to take the realm but not the forethought; Cao Cao had the forethought but not the magnanimity; Liu Bei had the magnanimity but not the talent.
  84. Essays on Balance: Handling GeneralsSu Xun · Essays & MemorialsHandling generals is hard, and handling talented generals is harder still.
  85. Essays on Balance: Enforcing the LawSu Xun · Essays & MemorialsThe laws of old were simple; the laws of today are complex.
  86. Essays on Balance: The Land SystemSu Xun · Essays & MemorialsWithout the well-field system, gain the benefits of the well fields.
  87. King Ping and the Move EastSu Shi · Essays & MemorialsOf all Zhou's mistakes, none was as wrong as the move east.
  88. Duke Yin of LuSu Shi · Essays & MemorialsThe gentleman does what is right without weighing profit and harm.
  89. Fan Li and the Crow's BeakSu Shi · Essays & MemorialsWhen the flying birds are gone, the good bow is put away; when the cunning hare is dead, the hunting dog is cooked.
  90. Retainers and Knights of the Warring StatesSu Shi · Essays & MemorialsTurning a million tigers and wolves loose in the hills and leaving them hungry.
  91. The First Emperor and FusuSu Shi · Essays & MemorialsWhoever poisons the realm with law will see it turn back on himself and his heirs.
  92. Treatise on Yi YinSu Shi · Essays & MemorialsBecause the whole realm could not move his heart, his talent stayed whole.
  93. Treatise on XunziSu Shi · Essays & MemorialsWhen the father kills for revenge, the son will turn robber.
  94. Treatise on Han FeiSu Shi · Essays & MemorialsLove makes us unable to bear some things; wariness makes us not dare others.
  95. Treatise on the First Emperor and the RitesSu Shi · Essays & MemorialsThe rites that sit closest to human feeling are not the highest rites.
  96. Treatise on Great Ministers, Part OneSu Shi · Essays & MemorialsSetting the ruler right by duty without harming the state: that is a great minister.
  97. Treatise on Great Ministers, Part TwoSu Shi · Essays & MemorialsPress petty men and they band together; give them room and they fall apart.
  98. Treatise on the ShangSu Zhe · Essays & MemorialsWhat is strong breaks easily; what is soft and yielding lasts.
  99. Treatise on the Three KingdomsSu Zhe · Essays & MemorialsWhen the brave meets the brave, courage is no longer enough.
  100. Treatise on Emperor Wen of HanSu Zhe · Essays & MemorialsEmperor Wen ruled by softness, and the hard and strong all bent before him.
  101. Treatise on the Tang Balance of PowerSu Zhe · Essays & MemorialsWeight inside breeds trouble within; weight outside breeds trouble from without.
  102. Inquiry into FaultsWang Anshi · Essays & MemorialsHeaven and earth have faults yet keep covering and bearing: they return to the normal.
  103. Explaining RevengeWang Anshi · Essays & MemorialsIf revenge is not taken, that is Heaven's doing; not forgetting it is our own.
  104. Preface to the Bibliographic Treatise of the Tang HistoryOuyang Xiu · Letters & PrefacesThrough the rise and decline of the ages, literature has risen and fallen with its times.
  105. Preface to the Treatise on Administrative Geography in the History of the Five DynastiesOuyang Xiu · Letters & PrefacesIf one grasps the essentials, even ten thousand states can be governed.
  106. Preface to the Biographies of Men of Singular Conduct in the History of the Five DynastiesOuyang Xiu · Letters & PrefacesI have held that loyal ministers and righteous men mostly come from ages of disorder.
  107. Preface to the Catalogue of the Collected Records of AntiquityOuyang Xiu · Letters & PrefacesStrength is not as good as love, and love is not as good as single-minded love.
  108. Preface to the Collected Writings of Su ZimeiOuyang Xiu · Letters & PrefacesThis writing is gold and jade.
  109. Preface to the Collected Writings of Jiang LinjiOuyang Xiu · Letters & PrefacesNot only are good men hard to find and easy to lose; my friends have fallen away like this.
  110. Preface to the Collected Writings of the Monk WeiyanOuyang Xiu · Letters & PrefacesBecause I do not befriend reckless men, I can win the gentlemen of the realm.
  111. Preface to the Table of Contents of the Stratagems of the Warring StatesZeng Gong · Letters & PrefacesLaw is what adapts to change, and need not be the same; the Way is what establishes the root, and must be one.
  112. Preface to the Table of Contents of New NarrativesZeng Gong · Letters & PrefacesThose of old who governed the realm made morality one and customs the same.
  113. Preface to the Table of Contents of the Biographies of Exemplary WomenZeng Gong · Letters & PrefacesThe gentlemen of old always transformed others by their own example.
  114. Preface to the Table of Contents of Xu Gan's Balanced DiscoursesZeng Gong · Letters & PrefacesHe examined the Six Arts and set out the meaning of Confucius and Mencius.
  115. Preface to the Collected Memorials of Fan GuanzhiZeng Gong · Letters & PrefacesTo rely on others and not on oneself is the way of Heaven.
  116. Postface to the Collected Works of My Late GrandfatherZeng Gong · Letters & PrefacesHis utter loyalty and the emperor's acceptance of his words: why look to the ancients?
  117. Preface to the Academicians' Farewell Poems for Qian Chunlao Going to Govern WuzhouZeng Gong · Letters & PrefacesIt shows the refined ways of gentlemen, earnest in putting one another first.
  118. Written after the Biography of Wei Zheng, Duke of ZhengZeng Gong · Letters & PrefacesThe loss of their ministers' remonstrance only exposes these rulers' wickedness the more.
  119. Introduction to the Su Clan GenealogySu Xun · Letters & PrefacesWhoever looks at my genealogy may feel filial and brotherly love spring up in him.
  120. Later Record to the Su Clan GenealogySu Xun · Letters & PrefacesAll the Su take Fan of Kunwu as their ancestor.
  121. Preface to the Yuanyou State AccountsSu Zhe · Letters & PrefacesWithout virtue there is no security, and without law there is no duration.
  122. Preface to the Section on the People's TaxesSu Zhe · Letters & PrefacesThose who run a state should attend to reality and not seek the name.
  123. Preface to the Meaning of the Rites of ZhouWang Anshi · Letters & PrefacesTo regulate and use it lies in the law; to extend and carry it out lies in men.
  124. Preface to the Meanings of the Book of DocumentsWang Anshi · Letters & PrefacesThis honour serves only to shame me.
  125. Preface to the Meanings of the Book of OdesWang Anshi · Letters & PrefacesWhat we have learned is a torch-flame: how could it add to the light of sun and moon?
  126. On Reading the Hereditary House of ConfuciusWang Anshi · Essays & MemorialsAs a Hereditary House the Way of Confucius grows no greater; as a Biography, no smaller.
  127. On Reading the Biographies of the AssassinsWang Anshi · Essays & MemorialsWhat, then, of those who carry the Way and its virtue as they wait upon the world?
  128. Written after the Collected Works of Li WengongWang Anshi · Letters & PrefacesWengong's excess: was it not the very thing that made him worthy?
  129. Preface to the Linggu PoemsWang Anshi · Letters & PrefacesHe carves the myriad things and adorns them with colour: who but a skilled poet could do this?
  130. Memorial Presented at Court When Passing the Capital on Transfer to CangzhouZeng Gong · Essays & MemorialsSince the birth of the people, none has matched the glory of the great Song.
  131. Letter Remonstrating against War, Written for Zhang FangpingSu Shi · Essays & MemorialsI have heard that a love of war is like a love of lust.
  132. Memorandum on a Century of Peace under Our DynastyWang Anshi · Essays & MemorialsIf you know that Heaven's help cannot always be relied on and that human effort must not slacken at the end, then the time for great achievement is today.
  133. Memorial Offering AdmonitionsWang Anshi · Essays & MemorialsHeaven is sparing with a sage's gifts, and men rarely live in a sage's time.
  134. Policy Outline, Part OneSu Shi · Essays & MemorialsThe realm's greatest danger is trouble that comes on without anyone knowing why.
  135. Policy Outline, Part FourSu Shi · Essays & MemorialsBreak down the arguments of mediocre men and open the gate to merit and fame.
  136. Clearing Away ObstructionSu Shi · Essays & MemorialsNothing in the realm, however small, can be done without money.
  137. Do Not Discourage the GoodSu Shi · Essays & MemorialsWhoever is cut off should not be employed; whoever is employed should not be cut off.
  138. Cutting Wasteful ExpenditureSu Shi · Essays & MemorialsTaking widely to fund spending is not as easy as spending frugally and taking sparingly.
  139. Building a Reserve of Able MenSu Shi · Essays & MemorialsThe realm has never lacked talent; the trouble is that the ways of seeking it fall short.
  140. Making the Army Fit for WarSu Shi · Essays & MemorialsTo have soldiers who cannot be sent to fight is called throwing away wealth.
  141. Leaders Who Go First in CourageSu Shi · Essays & MemorialsCourage needs one man to go first, and such men are best made by favour.
  142. Teaching the People War and DefenceSu Shi · Essays & MemorialsSo even when the realm was at peace, they did not dare forget war.
  143. Decisive Policies on War, Middle EssaySu Shi · Essays & MemorialsIn war one must always do what the enemy cannot.
  144. On the Ruler's Arts, Fifth Policy EssaySu Zhe · Essays & MemorialsSo the realm too must be given a little release, to go along with its wishes.
  145. On the Ministers' Service, First Policy EssaySu Zhe · Essays & MemorialsThe realm cannot bear a powerful minister for a day, nor lack a weighty one for a day.
  146. On Governing the People, First Policy EssaySu Zhe · Essays & MemorialsThe Kingly Way begins in the people's pleasure in their work and ends in their mutual love.
  147. On Governing the People, Second Policy EssaySu Zhe · Essays & MemorialsWhat I want is herding, yet woodcutting is what pays: that is no wonder.
  148. Letter of Thanks to Chancellor DuZeng Gong · Letters & PrefacesThe only way I can repay you is with the righteousness of the realm.
  149. Letter to Privy Councillor HanSu Xun · Letters & PrefacesSoldiers are the unrighteous men of the world gathered together, handed the instruments of inhumanity and taught the business of killing.
  150. Letter to Hanlin Academician OuyangSu Xun · Letters & PrefacesMaster Han's prose is like the Yangzi and the Yellow River, vast and rolling onward, with fish, turtles, krakens and dragons, ten thousand marvels bewildering the eye.
  151. Letter to Minister Wang of the Ministry of WarSu Shi · Letters & PrefacesIt is not only princes and dukes who choose scholars; scholars too have their choices.
  152. Letter in Reply to Li DuanshuSu Shi · Letters & PrefacesA tree has its burls, a stone its halos, a rhinoceros horn its veins, and they win people's admiration by them, yet all are flaws of the things.
  153. Reply to Palace Assistant Zhang of ShaozhouWang Anshi · Letters & PrefacesSo the good is not all handed down, and what is handed down cannot all be believed.
  154. Preface Seeing Off Xu Wudang on His Return SouthOuyang Xiu · Letters & PrefacesWhat makes them sages and worthies is cultivation in themselves, application in affairs, and expression in words: these three are what make them imperishable and enduring.
  155. Preface Seeing Off Zhou of the State Farms BureauZeng Gong · Letters & PrefacesNot dwelling in honour, what danger has he of disgrace?
  156. Preface Seeing Off Jiang RenZeng Gong · Letters & PrefacesOf men of the nine provinces each employed in their own lands, who comes closer than this?
  157. Preface Seeing Off Fu Xianglao to Be Magistrate of Rui'anZeng Gong · Letters & PrefacesThe ancient way has hardly any use today, so what he holds to will be hard to fit.
  158. Preface Seeing Off Shi Changyan as Envoy to the NorthSu Xun · Letters & PrefacesA great man who never becomes a general may be content to win his battles as an envoy.
  159. On Giving My Second Brother the Style Name WenfuSu Xun · Essays & MemorialsNot seeking each other, meeting by chance: and pattern is born.
  160. On Naming My Two SonsSu Xun · Essays & MemorialsZhe, my son, I know that you will come through.
  161. A Sigh: Seeing Off Qin ShaozhangSu Shi · Letters & PrefacesA scholar is like fine gold or jade: the market has its fixed price.
  162. The Parable of the Sun, for Wu YanlüSu Shi · Letters & PrefacesThe Way can be brought, but cannot be sought.
  163. On Crops: Seeing Off Zhang HuSu Shi · Essays & MemorialsRead widely and choose sparingly; store up much and give out little.
  164. Preface Seeing Off Sun ZhengzhiWang Anshi · Letters & PrefacesAffirming what the times affirm makes a common man; affirming by oneself, a gentleman.
  165. Account of the Conduct of Lord Xie, Drafter in the Ministry of WarWang Anshi · Historical NarrativeYet in daring to speak and keeping to himself, he stood firm as a strong man.
  166. Stele of the Temple to Manifest LoyaltySu Shi · Epitaphs & ElegiesWithout loyalty there is no lord; without filial piety, no kin.
  167. Spirit-Way Stele for Lord Wang Wenzheng, Grand CommandantOuyang Xiu · Epitaphs & ElegiesWithout the tortoise or the yarrow, the Duke was our oracle.
  168. Grave Marker for Mr Zhang, Recorder of Henan PrefectureOuyang Xiu · Epitaphs & ElegiesOnly those who do good have heirs, and what is entrusted to writing lasts without end.
  169. Grave Marker for Master HuOuyang Xiu · Epitaphs & ElegiesThe Master's virtue lives in people and will be seen by later ages without a marker.
  170. Grave Marker for Lian the Retired ScholarOuyang Xiu · Epitaphs & ElegiesTo be a man like Master Lian is enough.
  171. Grave Marker for Mr Zhou, Erudite of the Court of Imperial SacrificesOuyang Xiu · Epitaphs & ElegiesHe served the living with full filial piety, mourned with full grief, and did it by the rites.
  172. Grave Marker for Shi ManqingOuyang Xiu · Epitaphs & ElegiesHe would rather lose himself in the crowd to stay lofty than bend a little to fit the world.
  173. Grave Marker for Mr Ou, Magistrate of YongchunOuyang Xiu · Epitaphs & ElegiesThe three men's way was in nothing different; yet how different their success and failure!
  174. Grave Marker for Mr Tang, Posthumous General of the Right Feathered Forest GuardOuyang Xiu · Epitaphs & ElegiesHidden virtue will surely come to light in time; how soon rests with one's descendants.
  175. Spirit-Way Stele for Lord Li, Posthumous Chief Minister of the Imperial RegaliaWang Anshi · Epitaphs & ElegiesHe followed virtue and righteousness, sought no glory for himself, and taught his sons well.
  176. Tomb Stele for Mr Sun, Fiscal Commissioner of GuangxiWang Anshi · Epitaphs & ElegiesAn orphan boy, he went on foot to study and to serve, and in the end made his own way.
  177. Grave Marker for Lord Chang, Edict Attendant of the Baowen PavilionWang Anshi · Epitaphs & ElegiesHe went against custom to suit himself, walked alone and stood apart.
  178. Epitaph with Preface for Mr Liu, Fiscal Supervisor of Jinghu NorthWang Anshi · Epitaphs & ElegiesAh, Mr Liu, who should have lived long and been eminent: why stored so long, used so little?
  179. Tomb Tablet for Lady Xiahou, Grand Lady of Xianyuan CountyWang Anshi · Epitaphs & ElegiesCompliant as a wife, careful with kin; strict as a mother, lenient with the maids.
  180. Record of Emperor Renzong's Flying-White CalligraphyOuyang Xiu · Travel WritingJade wrapped in stone, pearls hidden in the deep: their light always shows outside.
  181. Record of the Temple of Confucius in Gucheng County, XiangzhouOuyang Xiu · Travel WritingOnly those who follow antiquity and love learning will give it their whole hearts.
  182. Record of the Youmei HallOuyang Xiu · Travel WritingQiantang holds all the beauties of the realm, and this hall holds all the beauties of Qiantang.
  183. Record of the Pavilion on Mount XianOuyang Xiu · Travel WritingHe knew that hills and valleys change, but not that stone in time wears away.
  184. Record of the Pavilion of Swimming MinnowsOuyang Xiu · Travel WritingTo see wealth and rank unmoved, and keep a boundless heart in hardship: that is true bravery.
  185. Record of the Stone of Lingxi CreekOuyang Xiu · Travel WritingWhen a rare thing lies lost in some remote place, it is a pity.
  186. Record of the East Garden at ZhenzhouOuyang Xiu · Travel WritingAll this was once grey mist, white dew and thorny brambles.
  187. Record of the Spring Water of Mount FuchaOuyang Xiu · Travel WritingMountain water is best, river water next, well water last.
  188. Record of the Pavilion in Scholar Li's East GardenOuyang Xiu · Travel WritingThe saplings have grown an armspan thick; the trees that were an armspan are stumps.
  189. Record of the Disaster at the Temple of Marquis FanOuyang Xiu · Travel WritingCould he match ten thousand men in life, yet in death not shield his own body?
  190. Record of the Pavilion of Massed GreenOuyang Xiu · Travel WritingIt stands above all the peaks and cannot be hidden.
  191. Record of the County School of YihuangZeng Gong · Travel WritingThe spread of teaching and the return of virtue are not far from people.
  192. Record of the Prefectural School of JunzhouZeng Gong · Travel WritingWhat those above love, those below will love still more.
  193. Record of the Shrine Hall of Xu RuziZeng Gong · Travel WritingWhen a great tree is about to fall, one rope cannot hold it up.
  194. Record of the Long Canal of Yicheng County in XiangzhouZeng Gong · Travel WritingMuch effort is spent and little result is won.
  195. Record of Lord Zhao's Famine Relief at YuezhouZeng Gong · Travel WritingThough his measures were in Yue, his humanity can serve as an example to the realm.
  196. Record of the Terrace That Rivals Mount XianZeng Gong · Travel WritingOne never tires of looking, and even the wise cannot exhaust its forms.
  197. Record of the Rebuilt Drum and Horn Tower of Guangde CommanderyZeng Gong · Travel WritingGrand without overstepping, fine without extravagance.
  198. Record of the Study HutZeng Gong · Travel WritingThis is what suits me.
  199. Record of the Two Halls at QizhouZeng Gong · Travel WritingQi has many sweet springs, the finest in the realm.
  200. Preface to the Map of Mirror Lake in YuezhouZeng Gong · Letters & PrefacesThe laws are not enforced, and the habit of making do prevails.
  201. Record of the Driftwood MountainSu Xun · Travel WritingEven among the luckiest, there are some unlucky ones.
  202. Record of an Excursion to Mount HuanSu Shi · Travel WritingThe Marshal's evil, like the stone, will not wear away.
  203. Record of the Hall of Drunken BaiSu Shi · Travel WritingHe neither prided himself on what he had nor belittled himself for what he lacked.
  204. Record of the Zhang Family Garden Pavilion at LingbiSu Shi · Travel WritingThe gentlemen of old did not insist on serving, nor insist on not serving.
  205. The Nine-Bend Pavilion at WuchangSu Zhe · Travel WritingFor the joys of the world are endless, and what pleases is whatever suits one's mind.
  206. The East StudioSu Zhe · Travel WritingToiling over salt and rice without a single day's rest.
  207. The County School of CixiWang Anshi · Travel WritingThe world cannot go a single day without government and teaching.
  208. Names on the Wall of the Revenue Vice Commissioner's HallWang Anshi · Travel WritingIf officials are not good, there is law but no one keeps it.
  209. The Lingzhi PavilionWang Anshi · Travel WritingThe same fungus is prized by an emperor in one age and by a lone scholar in the next.
  210. A Trip to the North Hills of XinchengChao Buzhi · Travel WritingNot knowing what world we had wandered into.
  211. Offering to Lord Fan of the Zizheng HallOuyang Xiu · Epitaphs & ElegiesSlander did not hurt you; praise did not please you.
  212. Offering to Yin ShiluOuyang Xiu · Epitaphs & ElegiesYour eloquence could exhaust the ten thousand things, yet could not withstand a single prison clerk; your ambition could make the four seas seem narrow, yet found no place to set your one body.
  213. Offering to Su ZimeiOuyang Xiu · Epitaphs & ElegiesOne lifetime is short; ten thousand ages are long.
  214. Offering to Mei ShengyuOuyang Xiu · Epitaphs & ElegiesOnly my voice and tears come from my own heart.
  215. Offering to Liu ZiyuSu Shi · Epitaphs & ElegiesYuan is slight and Bai is common, Meng Jiao is cold and Jia Dao lean.
  216. Offering to Chancellor Sima on Behalf of the Three DepartmentsSu Zhe · Epitaphs & ElegiesYour body like withered wood, your heart like metal and stone.
  217. Offering to Academician Ding YuanzhenWang Anshi · Epitaphs & ElegiesHad it not been for my Yuanzhen, I would never have grown.
  218. Offering to Wang Hui, ShenfuWang Anshi · Epitaphs & ElegiesYou have taken my mother, and now you rob me of my friend.
  219. Offering to Registrar Gao ShixiongWang Anshi · Epitaphs & ElegiesThe days and months of a lifetime pass faster than a juggler's leaping balls.
  220. Offering to Erudite Zeng YizhanWang Anshi · Epitaphs & ElegiesThat fate ran against talent, people truly know.
  221. Offering to Vice Commissioner Li ShoupengWang Anshi · Epitaphs & ElegiesYou laughed and talked at ease, better even than usual.
  222. Offering to Zhou JidaoWang Anshi · Epitaphs & ElegiesMy conduct was at odds with the world; you alone held to me tenderly.
  223. Offering to Shu Xiang YuandaoWang Anshi · Epitaphs & ElegiesLike a fine steed in harness, yoked to a firewood cart.
  224. Offering to Zhang Anguo, Examiner of the SecretariatWang Anshi · Epitaphs & ElegiesThat goodness need not bring blessing has long been so.
  225. Letter to the Emperor from XuzhouSu Shi · Essays & MemorialsA king's use of men is like the great rivers: where the rivers run, the hundred streams flow to them.
  226. Memorandum on Six Arguments for the Joint Sacrifice at the Round AltarSu Shi · Essays & MemorialsA king serves Heaven as his father and Earth as his mother, and may not favour one.

Fables

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.

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

255 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 (comp.) · 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 (comp.) · 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.
  70. Writing That Wells Up Like a Boundless SpringSu Shi · AphorismsMy writing is like a spring of ten thousand bushels: it does not choose its ground, and can rise anywhere.
  71. Thirty Years of Fame, Mere Dust and EarthYue Fei · AphorismsThirty years of fame and merit are but dust and earth; eight thousand li of road, under cloud and moon.
  72. Osmanthus of the Three Autumn Months in HangzhouLiu Yong · AphorismsThere is osmanthus through the three months of autumn, and lotus for ten li.
  73. To Be Admired From Afar, Never Trifled WithZhou Dunyi · AphorismsIt may be admired from afar, but never handled lightly.
  74. Neither Sprawling Nor Branching Like the Lotus StemZhou Dunyi · IdiomsHollow within and straight without, neither sprawling nor branching, its fragrance purer the farther it goes, it stands tall and clean, to be admired from afar but never trifled with.
  75. A Ruler Sharing His Pleasures With the PeopleOuyang Xiu · IdiomsThere is no other reason: he shares his joy with the people.
  76. Wine at Dusk by the Eastern HedgeLi Qingzhao · AphorismsAfter dusk I hold my wine by the eastern hedge, and a hidden fragrance fills my sleeves.
  77. Chicken and Pork for Guests in a Bountiful YearLu You · AphorismsDo not laugh at the farmers' cloudy winter wine; in a bumper year they keep their guests with plenty of chicken and pork.
  78. Scattered Red Petals Flying Past the SwingOuyang Xiu · AphorismsWith tearful eyes I ask the flowers, but they say nothing; scattered red petals fly past the swing and away.
  79. The Twenty-Four Bridges of YangzhouJiang Kui · AphorismsThe Twenty-Four Bridges are still here; the waves ripple at their heart, and the cold moon is silent.
  80. A Tryst Set for After DuskOuyang Xiu · IdiomsThe moon rose to the willow tips; we met by appointment after dusk.
  81. Gathering a Living From Above and BelowLi Qingzhao · IdiomsLater we lived in retirement in the countryside for ten years, gathering a living from above and below, with food and clothing to spare.
  82. First to Worry, Last to Rejoice for the RealmFan Zhongyan · IdiomsWorry before the world worries, and rejoice only after the world rejoices.
  83. Eight Thousand Leagues Under Cloud and MoonYue Fei · AphorismsThirty years of fame are dust and earth; eight thousand li of road, with only cloud and moon.
  84. Frontier Passes and Rivers Turn Cold and DesolateLiu Yong · AphorismsThe frosty wind grows sharp and cold, the passes and rivers lie deserted, and the last light falls on the tower.
  85. Chill and Cheerless, Hushed and LonelyLi Qingzhao · AphorismsSearching and seeking, chill and cheerless, bleak and wretched and grieving.
  86. Bleak and Wretched, Full of GriefLi Qingzhao · AphorismsSearching and seeking, chill and cheerless, bleak and wretched and grieving.
  87. Ten Miles of Lotus Blossoms on West LakeLiu Yong · AphorismsLayered lakes and stacked hills, clear and lovely; osmanthus in the third autumn month and ten li of lotus flowers.
  88. The Rise and Fall of a Thousand Ages at Beigu PavilionXin Qiji · AphorismsHow many rises and falls through the ages? Long gone, long gone, while the endless Yangtze rolls on and on.
  89. A Thousand Tender Feelings with No One to ShareLiu Yong · AphorismsYear after year apart, every fine hour and lovely scene will be wasted. Even with a thousand tender feelings, whom could I tell?
  90. Gone from the Brow, Back in the HeartLi Qingzhao · AphorismsThere is no way to dispel this feeling: it has just left my brow, and already it rises in my heart.
  91. Gentlemen Who Share the Way Become FriendsOuyang Xiu · AphorismsGenerally, gentlemen join with gentlemen through a shared Way, and petty men with petty men through shared profit; this is the natural order of things.
  92. Sun Quan Holds the Southeast FirmXin Qiji · AphorismsYoung, he led ten thousand helmeted men, held the southeast firm and never ceased to fight.
  93. Vowing to Be a Great Wall on the FrontierLu You · AphorismsIn vain I vowed to be a Great Wall on the frontier; in the mirror my fading temples have already turned gray.
  94. Song, Beauty, Hounds and HorsesLi Qingzhao · IdiomsOur desks were covered and our pillows surrounded by books; we understood each other without words, and our joy was greater than that of song, beauty, hounds and horses.
  95. As If Sobbing, As If PleadingSu Shi · IdiomsIts sound was low and sobbing, as if resentful, as if yearning, as if weeping, as if pleading; the lingering notes trailed on like an unbroken thread.
  96. Favor and Disgrace Both ForgottenFan Zhongyan · AphorismsClimbing this tower, one feels the heart open and the spirit lift, forgets favor and disgrace alike, raises a cup to the wind, and is filled with joy.
  97. Searching, Seeking: Li Qingzhao's LamentLi Qingzhao · AphorismsSearching, seeking, cold and lonely, wretched, miserable, grieving.
  98. A Shattered Land Like Catkins in the WindWen Tianxiang · AphorismsMy land is shattered, catkins scattered by the wind; my fortunes rise and sink, duckweed beaten by the rain.
  99. Vows Firm as Mountains Still RemainLu You · AphorismsThough our mountain-firm vows remain, no brocade letter can be entrusted to carry them.
  100. High Mountains and a Small Moon Over Red CliffSu Shi · AphorismsThe river roars, the sheer bank rises a thousand feet; the mountains are high, the moon is small, the water has fallen and the rocks stand out.
  101. Pearls and Gems Lining Hangzhou's MarketsLiu Yong · AphorismsMarkets display pearls and gems, homes brim with silks and brocades, and all vie in luxury.
  102. Deep, Deep the Courtyard LiesOuyang Xiu · AphorismsDeep, deep the courtyard lies, how deep? Willows pile up mist, and curtains hang beyond counting.
  103. Homes Brimming With Silk Gauze and BrocadeLiu Yong · AphorismsMarkets display pearls and gems, homes brim with silk gauze and brocade, and all vie in luxury.
  104. Just Gone From the Brows, Back Upon the HeartLi Qingzhao · AphorismsThere is no way to dispel this longing: it has just left my brows, and already it rises in my heart.
  105. Passing Over Every Cold BranchSu Shi · AphorismsIt tries every cold branch but will not perch; lonely, the sandbar is cold.
  106. The Chill Spring Wind That SobersSu Shi · AphorismsThe chilly spring wind blows me sober; a little cold, yet the slanting sun on the hilltop comes to greet me.
  107. Speechless and Choked with Tears at PartingLiu Yong · AphorismsHolding hands, we gaze at each other's tear-filled eyes, and choked with sobs, we cannot say a word.
  108. Gaining Day by Day, Advancing Month by MonthLi Qingzhao · IdiomsGaining day by day and advancing month by month, the collection steadily grew.
  109. Hair Gone Gray Before Its TimeSu Shi · AphorismsMy spirit wanders the old land; so sentimental, I should be laughed at for my hair gone gray before its time.
  110. Ten Miles of Spring Breeze in YangzhouJiang Kui · AphorismsI pass where ten li of spring breeze once blew, and all is green with shepherd's purse and wheat.
  111. Hidden Fragrance Filling the SleevesLi Qingzhao · AphorismsHolding wine by the eastern fence after dusk, a hidden fragrance fills my sleeves.
  112. The Moon Rising Over the Willow TipsOuyang Xiu · AphorismsThe moon rose over the willow tips; we met after dusk.
  113. Cups and Plates Strewn About After the FeastSu Shi · IdiomsWhen the dishes and fruit were finished, cups and plates lay strewn about.
  114. Towered Warships on a Snowy Night at GuazhouLu You · AphorismsTowered warships on a snowy night at the Guazhou ford; armored horses in the autumn wind at Dasan Pass.
  115. On the Verge of Speaking, Then Holding BackXin Qiji · AphorismsNow that I have tasted every sorrow, I want to speak but stop.
  116. Water Shimmering in the Sun on West LakeSu Shi · AphorismsThe shimmering water is lovely in sunshine; the misty hills are wonderful in rain.
  117. Asking the Flowers Through TearsOuyang Xiu · AphorismsThrough tears I ask the flowers; the flowers do not speak, and scattered petals fly away past the swing.
  118. Vast and Surging Waters of Dongting LakeFan Zhongyan · IdiomsIt holds the distant hills in its mouth and swallows the Yangtze, vast and surging, boundless on every side.
  119. Moonlight Leaping Like Gold on the LakeFan Zhongyan · IdiomsSometimes the long mist clears completely, the bright moon shines a thousand li, light floats and leaps like gold, and the still reflection sinks like a jade disc.
  120. Light or Rich Makeup, Always BecomingSu Shi · IdiomsI would liken West Lake to Xi Shi: in light makeup or rich, she is always lovely.
  121. Rosy Cheeks Turned to Withered WoodOuyang Xiu · AphorismsNo wonder the rosy-cheeked turn to withered wood and the jet-black-haired turn speckled grey.
  122. There, Where the Lantern Light Grows DimXin Qiji · AphorismsSuddenly I turn my head, and there that person is, where the lantern light grows dim.
  123. No Victory Yet Carved on Mount YanranFan Zhongyan · AphorismsA cup of cloudy wine, and home ten thousand li away; with no victory yet carved on Mount Yanran, there is no road back.
  124. Ox and Thoroughbred at One TroughWen Tianxiang · IdiomsOx and thoroughbred share a single trough; the phoenix feeds in the chickens' roost.
  125. The Day the Royal Army Retakes the NorthLu You · AphorismsOn the day the royal army marches north and pacifies the Central Plains, at the family sacrifice do not forget to tell your father.
  126. Every Neglected Task Taken Up AnewFan Zhongyan · IdiomsGovernment ran smoothly, the people lived in harmony, and every neglected undertaking was revived.
  127. Seeing and Hearing for Oneself at Stone Bell MountainSu Shi · IdiomsIf one has not seen a thing with one's own eyes or heard it with one's own ears, can one judge by guesswork whether it exists?
  128. Gazing at Each Other in Silence, Tears in a Thousand LinesSu Shi · AphorismsWe looked at each other without a word; there were only tears, a thousand lines of them.
  129. Bamboo Staff and Straw Sandals, Lighter Than a HorseSu Shi · AphorismsBamboo staff and straw sandals are lighter than a horse: who is afraid? In a straw cape, through mist and rain, I will live my life as I please.
  130. Reds Fading and Greens Thinning in Late AutumnLiu Yong · IdiomsEverywhere reds fade and greens grow thin; little by little the beauty of things comes to rest.
  131. Green Leaves Plump, Red Blossoms ThinLi Qingzhao · IdiomsDon't you know, don't you know? It must be green grown plump and red grown thin.
  132. Turning Back Suddenly Amid the Fading LanternsXin Qiji · AphorismsIn the crowd I sought her a thousand times; suddenly turning my head, there she was, where the lantern light was dim.
  133. A Life Tossed Like Duckweed in the RainWen Tianxiang · AphorismsThe broken land drifts like willow down in the wind; my fortunes rise and sink like duckweed in the rain.
  134. Floating Free of the World at Red CliffSu Shi · IdiomsLight and free, as if leaving the world to stand alone, growing wings and rising as an immortal.
  135. Wine Entering a Sorrowful Heart Turns to TearsFan Zhongyan · AphorismsWhen the moon is bright, do not lean alone on the high tower; wine entering a sorrowing heart turns into tears of longing.
  136. Armored Horses and Autumn Wind at Dasan PassLu You · AphorismsTowered warships on a snowy night at Guazhou ferry; armoured horses in the autumn wind at Dasan Pass.
  137. A Brocade Letter That Cannot Be SentLu You · AphorismsOur mountain-firm vows remain, but a brocade letter is hard to send. No, no, no!
  138. Long Smoke, Setting Sun and a Lone Walled TownFan Zhongyan · AphorismsOn all sides the border sounds rise with the horns; among a thousand peaks, long smoke, the setting sun, and a lone town shut tight.
  139. As the Moon Has Its Dim and Full PhasesSu Shi · AphorismsPeople have sorrow and joy, parting and reunion; the moon has dim and bright, full and waning; since ancient times this has never been perfect.
  140. Water That Takes the Shape of Whatever It MeetsSu Shi · IdiomsWhen it meets mountains and rocks, winding and turning, it takes the shape of whatever it meets, in ways that cannot be known.
  141. Moon's Still Reflection Like a Sunken Jade DiscFan Zhongyan · IdiomsFloating light leaps like gold; the still reflection sinks like a jade disc.
  142. The Lotus Scent Grows Purer with DistanceZhou Dunyi · AphorismsHollow within and straight without, with no tendrils and no branches; its scent grows purer the farther it goes, and it stands upright and clean.
  143. Grief of the Drooping Millet in Ruined YangzhouJiang Kui · AphorismsThe Old Man of a Thousand Cliffs felt it carried the grief of Shu Li.
  144. Boiling Cauldrons Sweet as Malt SugarWen Tianxiang · IdiomsThe boiling cauldron is as sweet as malt sugar to me; I seek it and cannot have it.
  145. One Longing Shared, Sorrow in Two PlacesLi Qingzhao · AphorismsPetals fall on their own, water flows on its own. One longing, sorrow idling in two places.
  146. In a Straw Cape, Taking Life's Misty Rain as It ComesSu Shi · AphorismsBamboo staff and straw sandals are lighter than a horse; who is afraid? In a straw cape through misty rain, I take whatever life brings.
  147. Xiang Yu Would Not Cross Back East of the RiverLi Qingzhao · AphorismsIn life be a hero among men; in death, a hero among ghosts. To this day I think of Xiang Yu, who would not cross back east of the river.
  148. The East Wind Sets a Thousand Trees of Lanterns AblazeXin Qiji · AphorismsAt night the east wind sets a thousand trees in bloom, and blows down more, stars falling like rain.
  149. Forcing Talk of Sorrow to Compose New VerseXin Qiji · AphorismsWhen young I did not know the taste of sorrow and loved to climb high towers; loved to climb high towers, and to write a new verse forced myself to speak of sorrow.
  150. The Nine Provinces Reunited: Lu You's Last WishLu You · AphorismsIn death, I always knew, all things are empty; I grieve only that I shall not see the Nine Provinces united.
  151. Neither Wind and Rain nor Clear Skies: Su Shi Turns for HomeSu Shi · AphorismsI look back at the place where the wind blew bleak; going home, there was neither wind and rain nor clear skies.
  152. To Settle the Sovereign's Affairs of the RealmXin Qiji · AphorismsTo settle the sovereign's affairs of the realm and win renown in life and after death. Alas, my hair has turned white!
  153. Shooting the Tiger Myself, Like Young Sun QuanSu Shi · AphorismsTo repay the whole town for following their prefect, I will shoot the tiger myself; watch me, like young Sun Quan.
  154. Thinner Than the Yellow Chrysanthemums: Li Qingzhao's Double NinthLi Qingzhao · AphorismsDo not say the soul is not consumed: when the west wind lifts the curtain, I am thinner than the yellow chrysanthemums.
  155. Since Ancient Times, Who Has Escaped Death: Wen Tianxiang at LingdingWen Tianxiang · IdiomsSince ancient times, who has escaped death? Let me leave a loyal heart to shine in the annals of history.
  156. Searching the Crowd a Thousand Times on Lantern NightXin Qiji · AphorismsIn the crowd I searched for her a thousand times; suddenly I turned my head, and there she was, where the lantern light was dim.
  157. New Ideas Within the Rules: Su Shi on Wu DaoziSu Shi · AphorismsHe brought forth new ideas within the rules, and lodged subtle principles beyond bold freedom.
  158. Ten Years Between the Living and the DeadSu Shi · AphorismsTen years, the living and the dead, both lost in a blur. I do not try to think of you, yet I cannot forget.
  159. Calm When Calamity Strikes Without WarningSu Shi · AphorismsThose under heaven with great courage are not alarmed when things come upon them suddenly, nor angered when insulted without cause, for what they hold is very great and their aims very far.
  160. The Ancients' Way Shines on My FaceWen Tianxiang · AphorismsUnder the windy eaves I spread my books to read; the ancients' way shines upon my face.
  161. Only Its Fragrance Remains UnchangedLu You · AphorismsFallen into mud and ground to dust, only its fragrance remains as before.
  162. Sadly, White Hair Has GrownXin Qiji · AphorismsTo finish the king's great task of the realm, and win a name in life and after death. Alas, my hair has turned white!
  163. What a Cool and Lovely Autumn DayXin Qiji · AphorismsI want to speak and stop; instead I say: the weather's cool, what a fine autumn!
  164. Shadow of a Solitary Wild GooseSu Shi · AphorismsWho sees the recluse coming and going alone? Only the faint shadow of a solitary wild goose.
  165. Tell Your Father at the Family AltarLu You · AphorismsOn the day the imperial army settles the Central Plains in the north, at the family rites do not forget to tell your father.
  166. Cold and Lonely on the SandbarSu Shi · AphorismsIt tries every cold branch but will not perch; lonely and cold upon the sandbar.
  167. Subtle Principles Lodged in Bold FreedomSu Shi · AphorismsHe brings forth new ideas within the rules, and lodges subtle principles beyond boldness.
  168. Shooting Down the Wolf StarSu Shi · AphorismsI will draw my carved bow round as the full moon, gaze to the northwest, and shoot the Wolf Star.
  169. Youth Knows Nothing of Sorrow's TasteXin Qiji · AphorismsIn youth I knew nothing of the taste of sorrow, and loved to climb high towers.
  170. The Wild Spirit of Youth RekindledSu Shi · AphorismsThis old man will for once let loose a young man's wildness: yellow hound on the left, grey falcon on the right, brocade caps and sable furs, a thousand horsemen sweeping the level ridge.
  171. Yellow Hound in Hand, Grey Falcon on ArmSu Shi · AphorismsYellow hound on the left, grey falcon on the right; brocade caps and sable furs, a thousand horsemen sweeping the level ridge.
  172. The True Face of Mount LuSu Shi · IdiomsI cannot know the true face of Mount Lu, only because I am standing within this mountain.
  173. Lian Po Has Grown Old, but Can He Still EatXin Qiji · AphorismsWho will come to ask: Lian Po has grown old, but can he still eat?
  174. How Could One Word Like Sorrow Hold It AllLi Qingzhao · AphorismsAt such a time as this, how could one word, sorrow, hold it all!
  175. Holding Hands and Gazing Through TearsLiu Yong · AphorismsHolding hands, we gaze at each other's tearful eyes, so choked that no words come.
  176. Recovering the Old Hills and Rivers of the RealmYue Fei · AphorismsLet us begin anew, recover our old hills and rivers, and then pay homage at the palace gates.
  177. Ducks Are First to Know the Spring River Has WarmedSu Shi · AphorismsBeyond the bamboo, two or three sprays of peach blossom; when the spring river warms, the ducks know first.
  178. Returning in Triumph to the Palace GatesYue Fei · AphorismsLet us begin anew, recover our old hills and rivers, and then pay homage at the palace gates.
  179. Willow Banks in the Dawn Wind Under a Waning MoonLiu Yong · AphorismsWhere shall I be tonight when I wake from the wine? On a willow bank, in the dawn wind, under a waning moon.
  180. Seen Across, a Ridge; Seen Edgewise, a PeakSu Shi · AphorismsSeen across, it is a ridge; seen edgewise, a peak; from far or near, high or low, it is never the same.
  181. The Enemy Fleet Gone in Flying Ash and SmokeSu Shi · AphorismsWith feather fan and silk cap, talking and laughing, he turned their masts and oars to flying ash and vanishing smoke.
  182. In Death, Still a Hero Among the ShadesLi Qingzhao · AphorismsIn life, be a hero among men; in death, a hero among the shades.
  183. Swallowing Ten Thousand Li with a Tiger's MightXin Qiji · AphorismsThink of those days: golden spears and armoured horses, swallowing ten thousand li like a tiger.
  184. A Thousand Lines of Tears at a Dream ReunionSu Shi · AphorismsWe looked at each other without a word; there were only a thousand lines of tears.
  185. Heroes Washed Away by the Waves of the Great RiverSu Shi · AphorismsThe great river flows east; its waves have washed away the heroes of a thousand ages.
  186. The Clear Breeze and Bright Moon Were Never for SaleOuyang Xiu · AphorismsThe clear breeze and bright moon are beyond price; what a pity they sold for only forty thousand cash.
  187. Washed by Clear Ripples Yet Never ShowyZhou Dunyi · AphorismsI alone love the lotus, which rises from the mud unstained and is washed by clear ripples yet never showy.
  188. A Son Should Be Like Sun Quan of WuXin Qiji · AphorismsWho among the world's heroes could match him? Only Cao and Liu. A son should be like Sun Zhongmou.
  189. In Life, Be a Hero Among MenLi Qingzhao · AphorismsIn life, be a hero among men; in death, a hero among the shades.
  190. Leaving a Loyal Heart to Shine in the Annals of HistoryWen Tianxiang · AphorismsSince ancient times, who has not died? Let me leave a loyal heart to shine in the annals of history.
  191. The Low Ridge of Young Pines over a Beloved GraveSu Shi · AphorismsI know the place that breaks my heart year after year: the moonlit night, the low ridge of young pines.
  192. Grieving in Vain When Hair Turns WhiteYue Fei · AphorismsDo not let your young head turn white in idleness, only to grieve in vain!
  193. Envied by All the Other BlossomsLu You · AphorismsIt has no wish to struggle for the spring, and lets all the other flowers envy it as they will.
  194. Petals Drift Down as the River Flows OnLi Qingzhao · AphorismsPetals drift down of themselves, the river flows on of itself; one longing, two places of quiet sorrow.
  195. Do Not Let Youth Slip By IdlyYue Fei · AphorismsDo not let your young head turn white in idleness, only to grieve in vain!
  196. Flowing Where It Ought to FlowSu Shi · AphorismsAll that can be known is that it always flows where it ought to flow and always stops where it cannot help but stop; that is all!
  197. Standing Inside the Mountain ItselfSu Shi · AphorismsI cannot know the true face of Mount Lu only because I stand inside the mountain itself.
  198. Too Laden with Sorrow to FloatLi Qingzhao · AphorismsI only fear the little grasshopper boat on the Twin Streams could never carry so much sorrow.
  199. Drunk, I Trim the Lamp to Gaze at My SwordXin Qiji · AphorismsDrunk, I trim the lamp to gaze at my sword; waking from dreams, I hear bugles across camp after camp.
  200. Duckweed Battered by the RainWen Tianxiang · AphorismsOur land lies shattered like willow down in the wind; my own life rises and sinks like duckweed battered by rain.
  201. Fallen to Mud and Ground into DustLu You · AphorismsFallen to mud and ground into dust, only its fragrance stays as it was.
  202. Green Hills Cannot Hold the River BackXin Qiji · AphorismsThe green hills cannot hold it back; in the end the river flows away to the east.
  203. All the Old Glory Swept Away by Rain and WindXin Qiji · AphorismsDance halls and singing terraces, all that heroic glory, have been beaten away by rain and wind.
  204. Too Cold Up in the Jade TowersSu Shi · AphorismsI would ride the wind back home, yet fear the towers of jasper and jade are so high I could not bear the cold.
  205. Ten Thousand Rivers and a Thousand MountainsZhao Ji · IdiomsHeaven is far and the earth is wide; across ten thousand rivers and a thousand mountains, who knows where my old palace lies?
  206. Ten Thousand Purples and a Thousand RedsZhu Xi · IdiomsEasily one recognises the face of the east wind: ten thousand purples and a thousand reds, all of it is spring.
  207. Unafraid of Clouds That Block the ViewWang Anshi · AphorismsI do not fear the drifting clouds that block my view, simply because I stand on the highest level.
  208. Serving as the Tiger's Ghostly AccompliceLi Fang et al. (comp.) · IdiomsThe chang ghost is a person who was eaten by a tiger; it goes before the tiger, calling out to clear the way.
  209. Keep Faithfully to the Mean: The Khitan Investiture of Shi JingtangXue Juzheng (comp.) · IdiomsMay you protect the people for ever, hold to one virtue, be careful in your position, and keep faithfully to the mean.
  210. Promote What Benefits, Abolish What HarmsWang Anshi · IdiomsTo revive the government of the former kings in order to promote what benefits and abolish what harms is not stirring up trouble.
  211. Trimming the Cold Lamp Through a Sleepless NightZhu Shuzhen · AphorismsGrief and illness follow one upon another; I trim the cold lamp to its end, yet no dream will come.
  212. Educating the People to Form Good CustomsZhu Xi · IdiomsYet for the state's aim of transforming the people and perfecting their customs, and for the scholar's way of cultivating himself and governing others, it may not be without some small help.
  213. Half an Acre of Square PondZhu Xi · AphorismsHalf an acre of square pond opens like a mirror; the light of the sky and the shadows of clouds drift together upon it.
  214. Sky Light and Cloud Shadows on the Square PondZhu Xi · AphorismsA half-acre square pond opens like a mirror; sky light and cloud shadows drift together upon it.
  215. Having Given My All: Wang Anshi at Baochan MountainWang Anshi · AphorismsIf I have given my all and still cannot arrive, I may have no regrets; who then could mock me?
  216. How Refreshing Is This WindSu Zhe · AphorismsHow refreshing is this wind! Is this something I share with the common people?
  217. Deluding the World and Deceiving the PeopleZhu Xi · IdiomsThose that delude the world, deceive the people and block humaneness and righteousness sprang up in confusion among them.
  218. Naming Any Object, He Wrote a Poem on ItWang Anshi · AphorismsFrom then on, whenever an object was named, he wrote a poem on it at once, and its style and thought had merit.
  219. No Going Forth Without a ReturnZhu Xi · IdiomsHeaven's course turns in cycles; there is no going forth without a return.
  220. Pared Away Day by Day, Month by MonthSu Xun · IdiomsCoerced by Qin's accumulated might, they were pared away day by day and month by month, and so hastened to their ruin.
  221. Ten Thousand Cash a Day Spent on FoodSima Guang · IdiomsHe Zeng spent ten thousand cash a day on food, and by his grandsons' time the family was ruined by arrogance and excess.
  222. As Easy as Turning Over One's PalmXue Juzheng (comp.) · IdiomsThis matter is as easy as turning over one's hand; success or failure lies in the hands of the Pacification Commissioner, Lord Yang.
  223. Once More the Spring Wind Greens the Southern ShoreWang Anshi · AphorismsThe spring wind once more greens the southern shore of the river; when will the bright moon light my way home?
  224. Darkened, Blinded and BlockedZhu Xi · IdiomsDarkened, blinded and blocked, its ills turning ever more chronic, until with the decline of the Five Dynasties ruin and disorder reached their extreme!
  225. The Ferry Crossing Lost in Moonlit MistQin Guan · AphorismsMist swallows the towers, the moon blurs the ferry crossing; I gaze until my eyes give out, and the Peach Blossom Spring is nowhere to be found.
  226. Lotus Leaves Clear and Round Upon the WaterZhou Bangyan · AphorismsThe early sun on the leaves dries the night's rain; on the water, clear and round, one by one the lotuses lift in the wind.
  227. Depth in Seeking and ReflectingWang Anshi · AphorismsBecause their seeking and reflecting were deep, and there was nowhere they did not reach.
  228. Sunk Back Among the Ordinary CrowdWang Anshi · AphorismsThey said: 'He has sunk back among the ordinary crowd.'
  229. Walking the Straight Path: Sima Guang on Thrift and IntegritySima Guang · IdiomsA gentleman with few desires is not enslaved by things and can walk the straight path.
  230. Like a Sound in the Air: Yan Yu on the Magic of PoetryYan Yu · AphorismsLike a sound in the air, colour in a form, the moon in water, an image in a mirror; the words come to an end, but the meaning is endless.
  231. Won by Effort, Not Given by Heaven: Zeng Gong's Ink PondZeng Gong · AphorismsXizhi's calligraphy became excellent only late in life, so his ability must have been won by his own effort, not given by nature.
  232. Slender Clouds Weave Their Artful Patterns on QixiQin Guan · AphorismsSlender clouds weave artful patterns, shooting stars carry their grief, and across the far Milky Way they secretly cross.
  233. The Antelope Hangs by Its Horns: Poetry Without a TraceYan Yu · IdiomsLike an antelope hanging by its horns, they leave no trace to be found.
  234. Golden Wind and Jade Dew of the Double SeventhQin Guan · IdiomsOne meeting in the golden wind and jade dew outweighs countless meetings in the human world.
  235. Brocade Robes and Jade-Fine FoodSima Guang · IdiomsGoing from thrift to luxury is easy; going from luxury to thrift is hard.
  236. Clearing Away the Old to Lay Out the NewWang Anshi · IdiomsA comet is the means by which the old is swept away and the new laid out.
  237. Towers Lost in the Mist at ChenzhouQin Guan · AphorismsIn the mist the towers are lost; in the moonlight the ferries vanish; I gaze to the end of sight, and the Peach Blossom Spring is nowhere to be found.
  238. Extraordinary Sights Found Only in Remote PlacesWang Anshi · AphorismsYet the wonderful, magnificent, strange and extraordinary sights of the world are often in dangerous and remote places that people rarely reach, so those without determination cannot get there.
  239. Plum Blossoms Sent by Post RiderQin Guan · IdiomsPlum blossoms sent by post rider, silk letters carried by fish, pile up into sorrow beyond counting.
  240. A Silk Letter Carried in a FishQin Guan · IdiomsPlum blossoms sent by post rider, silk letters carried by fish, pile up into sorrow beyond counting.
  241. Letting No Outward Thing Wound One's Inner NatureSu Zhe · AphorismsIf his heart is at ease and he lets no outward thing wound his nature, where will he go and not be happy?
  242. A House of Gold Lies in BooksZhao Heng (traditionally attributed) · AphorismsTo live in comfort you need not build a lofty hall; within books there is a house of gold.
  243. Swallows Return, as if Known BeforeYan Shu · AphorismsNothing can be done: the flowers fall away; as if I knew them before, the swallows come back.
  244. Plum Blossoms Opening Alone in the ColdWang Anshi · AphorismsIn the corner of the wall, a few sprays of plum open alone, braving the cold.
  245. Fifteen Strings of CashAnonymous (Song–Yuan storytellers) · AphorismsI was at my wits' end and had no other way, so I had to pawn you to a merchant; and because I could not bear to part with you, I only took fifteen strings of cash.
  246. A Pagoda a Thousand Fathoms HighWang Anshi · AphorismsOn Feilai Hill stands a pagoda a thousand fathoms high; I have heard that at cockcrow one sees the sun rise from it.
  247. The Little Lotus Just Shows Its Pointed TipYang Wanli · AphorismsThe little lotus has just shown its pointed tip, and already a dragonfly stands on top of it.
  248. New Peach Charms Replace the OldWang Anshi · AphorismsOn a thousand gates and ten thousand homes the bright sun shines, and all replace the old peach charms with new.
  249. Unmoved Though Mount Tai Collapse Before Him: Su Xun on GeneralshipSu Xun · AphorismsThe way of the general is first to govern his mind. When Mount Tai collapses before him and his face does not change, when a deer springs up at his side and his eyes do not blink, then he can master gain and loss and face the enemy.
  250. Burning Aloeswood to Dispel the Summer HeatZhou Bangyan · AphorismsI burn aloeswood to dispel the sultry summer heat.
  251. Firecrackers Sound Out the Old Year: Wang Anshi's New Year's DayWang Anshi · AphorismsAmid the crackle of firecrackers the old year departs; the spring wind brings warmth into the Tusu wine.
  252. From Thrift to Luxury Is Easy, Back Is Hard: Sima Guang's Letter to His SonSima Guang · AphorismsBut it is human nature that from thrift to luxury is easy, and from luxury back to thrift is hard.
  253. Words End, Meaning Goes On: Yan Yu on Tang PoetryYan Yu · IdiomsLike a sound in the air, the colour of an appearance, the moon in water, an image in a mirror: the words come to an end, but the meaning has no end.
  254. Because I Stand on the Highest Level: Wang Anshi on Feilai PeakWang Anshi · AphorismsI do not fear drifting clouds will block my view, simply because I stand on the highest level.
  255. Each Lotus Leaf Lifted by the Wind: Zhou Bangyan's Summer PondZhou Bangyan · AphorismsThe early sun dries last night's rain on the leaves; on the water, fresh and round, the lotus leaves are lifted one by one by the wind.