Through the Dynasties · LH6

Three Kingdoms

Tripartite division of Wei, Shu, and Wu and strategic rivalry

42works

6forms

10authors

Classical Poetry

12 works

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

  1. A Short SongCao Cao · Yuefu BalladsMountains never tire of their height, nor seas of their depth. Emulate Duke of Zhou in welcoming talent, and the world will unite.
  2. Singing of My Thoughts · Poem 1 (Night Cannot Sleep)Ruan Ji · Old-Style SongsThin curtains reflect the bright moon, cool breezes brush my robe. Pacing, what is there to see? Sorrow wounds my solitary heart.
  3. Gazing Across the Vast SeaCao Cao · Yuefu BalladsThe journeys of sun and moon seem to issue from its depths; the brilliant galaxy appears to rise from within.
  4. Seven Steps PoemCao Zhi · Old-Style SongsBorn from the very same root, why oppress each other with such haste?
  5. Song of Yan · Part 1 (Autumn Winds Bleak)Cao Pi · Yuefu BalladsThe bright moon illuminates my bed, the Milky Way flows west before the night ends. The Cowherd and Weaver gaze from afar: what guilt bars them behind the heavenly stream?
  6. The White HorseCao Zhi · Yuefu BalladsHe gives his life to meet the nation's peril, and looks on death as going home.
  7. The Fair MaidenCao Zhi · Yuefu BalladsThe fair maiden is lovely and serene, picking mulberry leaves where the roads fork.
  8. To Biao, King of BaimaCao Zhi · Old-Style SongsA man's resolve spans the four seas; ten thousand li are like next door. If love and kindness suffer no loss, distance only makes us closer day by day.
  9. Poem of Sorrow and IndignationCai Wenji (Cai Yan) · Old-Style SongsFrom the horses' sides hung men's heads; behind the horses rode captive women.
  10. Poem of Sorrow and Indignation · Part ICai Yan (Cai Wenji) · Old-Style SongsThey hacked and slew until none remained; corpses and bones lay propped against one another. From the horses' sides hung men's heads; behind on the horses they carried off women.
  11. Poem of Sorrow and Indignation · Part II (Sao Form)Cai Yan (Cai Wenji) · Chu ElegiesThe Hu reed pipes sound, the border horses neigh; a lone wild goose flies home, crying plaintively.
  12. Eighteen Songs of a Nomad FluteCai Yan (Cai Wenji) (traditionally attributed) · Yuefu BalladsWhen I was born the world was still at peace; after my birth the fortunes of Han declined.

Rhapsody & Parallel Prose

3 works

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

  1. Rhapsody on the Goddess of the Luo RiverCao Zhi · Short RhapsodiesLight as a startled swan, supple as a swimming dragon, brighter than autumn chrysanthemums, lusher than spring pines.
  2. Rhapsody on Ascending the TowerWang Can · Short RhapsodiesThough truly beautiful, it is not my land; how could it be enough to make me stay even a little?
  3. Rhapsody on Secluded LongingCao Zhi · Short RhapsodiesI lean on the winding corner of the high terrace, dwelling in secluded, quiet depths.

Classical Prose

7 works

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

  1. First Memorial on the ExpeditionZhuge Liang · Essays & MemorialsI took up my charge amid military collapse, and received my mission in perilous danger.
  2. Letter Breaking Ties with Shan JuyuanJi Kang · Letters & PrefacesMoreover I constantly disparage Tang and Wu and belittle the Duke of Zhou and Confucius.
  3. Letter to Wu Zhi · Remembering Past WanderingsCao Pi (Emperor Wen of Wei) · Letters & PrefacesIn the old days when we went about together, we rode with carriages side by side and sat with mats touching.
  4. Letter to Yang DezuCao Zhi · Letters & PrefacesEveryone thought he held the pearl of the numinous snake and every family thought it had the jade of Mount Jing.
  5. Letter of Admonition to My SonZhuge Liang · Letters & PrefacesWithout living simply, one cannot clarify one's aspirations; without stillness, one cannot reach far horizons.
  6. Treatise on Nurturing LifeJi Kang · Essays & MemorialsThey are pure, empty, still and calm, with few selfish thoughts and few desires.
  7. Second Memorial on Dispatching the TroopsZhuge Liang · Essays & MemorialsI shall bend my body in devotion and exhaust my strength until death.

Sayings & Idioms

18 works

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

  1. Separating Heaven and EarthXu Zheng · IdiomsFrom the myth of Pangu splitting heaven from earth; since the dawn of time, or an unprecedented feat.
  2. Three Visits to the Thatched CottageZhuge Liang · IdiomsLiu Bei visited Zhuge Liang's cottage three times to recruit him; sincerely and repeatedly seeking out talent.
  3. Bowing in Devotion Until ExhaustedZhuge Liang · IdiomsServing with reverent care and giving all one's strength; lifelong, wholehearted devotion to duty.
  4. Facing Wine, One Should SingCao Cao · IdiomsSing over your wine, for life is short; originally a lament on fleeting time, later carefree revelry.
  5. Through Boiling Water and FireJi Kang · IdiomsBraving any danger; willing to go through fire and water for a cause.
  6. Pooling Wisdom for Greater BenefitZhuge Liang · IdiomsDrawing on collective wisdom and useful suggestions to achieve better results.
  7. Belittling Oneself Without CauseZhuge Liang · IdiomsTo underrate oneself without reason; undue self-deprecation.
  8. Looking Left and RightCao Zhi · IdiomsGlancing left and right; originally self-satisfied, now looking around or hesitating.
  9. Versed in Past and PresentAnonymous · IdiomsWell versed in both ancient and modern matters; broadly learned.
  10. Not Knowing What One Is SayingZhuge Liang · IdiomsOriginally humble; now for speech or writing so muddled one can't tell its point.
  11. Driving Straight InCao Cao · IdiomsDriving deep into enemy territory unopposed; an irresistible advance.
  12. Bending to the Task Until DeathZhuge Liang · AphorismsI will bend myself to the task with all my strength and stop only at death; as for success or failure, advantage or setback, that is beyond what my wisdom can foresee.
  13. A Time of Life-or-Death CrisisZhuge Liang · IdiomsThe late emperor passed away before his great work was half done; now the realm is split in three and Yi Province is worn out. This is truly a time when our survival hangs in the balance.
  14. Writers Belittle One AnotherCao Pi · IdiomsMen of letters belittle one another; it has been so since ancient times.
  15. Bright Moon, Sparse StarsCao Cao · IdiomsThe moon is bright, the stars are few; crows and magpies fly southward.
  16. Light as a Startled SwanCao Zhi · IdiomsHer form: as light as a startled swan, as supple as a swimming dragon.
  17. Committing Crimes and Breaking the LawZhuge Liang · IdiomsIf there are any who do evil and break the law, or who are loyal and good, they should be handed to the proper officials to decide their punishment or reward, so as to show Your Majesty's fair and enlightened rule; there should be no partiality that makes the law differ inside and outside the palace.
  18. Evenly MatchedCao Pi · IdiomsFu Yi stood to Ban Gu as younger brother to elder, nearly equal, yet Ban Gu belittled him, writing to his brother Chao: 'Wuzhong became an archivist at the Orchid Terrace because he could write, but once he takes up the brush he cannot stop.'