Poetry · LT103

Yuefu Ballads

Narrative folk ballads and musical court songs capturing vivid human experiences.

103works

6dynasties

45authors

Masters & Authors

24 authors

Han

17 works

202 BCE – 220 CE

  1. Song of White HairZhuo Wenjun (traditionally attributed)White as snow upon the mountain, bright as the moon between the clouds.
  2. Song of Lament (Zhaojun's Lament)Wang ZhaojunThe autumn trees grow lush, yet their leaves wither and yellow. There is a bird that dwells in the mountains, gathered upon the thick mulberry.
  3. Han Yuefu · Southeast the Peacocks FlyAnonymous (Han–Wei folk yuefu)You should be as the solid rock, I as the supple reed; the reed is tough as silk, the rock shall never move.
  4. Han Yuefu · Long Song (Time Flees Like Rivers)Anonymous (Han yuefu)A hundred rivers flow east to the sea, when will they return west? If you strive not in youth, you will grieve in vain in age.
  5. Han Yuefu · Jiangnan (Gathering Lotus)Anonymous (Han lotus pickers)Jiangnan is ripe for gathering lotus, how lush are the lily pads! Fish play among the lotus leaves.
  6. Han Yuefu · Mulberries by the PathAnonymous (Han folk yuefu)The Prefect asked Luofu: 'Would you care to ride with me?' Luofu stepped forward and replied: 'How foolish is my Lord! You have your own wife, and Luofu has her own husband!'
  7. Han Yuefu · At Fifteen Conscripted into the ArmyAnonymous (a Han veteran)Conscripted at fifteen to campaign, at eighty I finally return. On the road I meet a villager: 'Who remains in my household?' 'Look yonder where your home stands—graves beneath pines and cypresses cluster row upon row.'
  8. Han Yuefu · By HeavenAnonymous (a woman of the Han)By Heaven! I yearn to love you and be your soulmate, for a lifetime without end or waning. When mountains flatten into plains, when great rivers run dry, when winter roars with thunder, when summer falls with snow, when Heaven and Earth unite as one—only then would I dare part from you!
  9. Han Yuefu · One I Yearn ForAnonymous (a woman of the Han)There is one I yearn for, far beyond the southern sea. What gift shall I send him? A tortoiseshell hairpin with twin pearls, wrapped with fine jade cords. Hearing you have turned your heart to another, I shatter and burn it to ash. Shatter and burn it, casting its ashes into the wind!
  10. Han Yuefu · Battle South of the CityAnonymous (Han guchui music)Battling south of city walls, dying north of ramparts; dying untended in the wilds, for ravens to feast upon. Pray tell the ravens for me: 'Weep first for the fallen traveler! Left unburied in the wilderness, how could my rotten flesh flee from your beak?'
  11. Song of Harmonious AccordZhang HengI wish to be the rush mat, lying below to cover the square bed. I wish to be the silk quilt and curtain, above to shield you from wind and frost.
  12. Ballad of Resentment · The Round FanLady Ban (Ban Jieyu)Freshly sheared fine white silk from Qi, spotless and pure as frost and snow, tailored into an joined fan shaped round as the full moon. Carried in my lord's sleeves to stir gentle breezes; yet ever fearing the arrival of autumn chill, discarded into the chest when love is severed halfway.
  13. Two Qin Songs (The Phoenix Seeks His Mate)Sima Xiangru (traditionally attributed)O phoenix, O phoenix, returning to his old home, who roamed the four seas seeking his mate.
  14. Song of the GraveyardCao CaoWhite bones lie exposed in the fields; for a thousand li no cock crows.
  15. A Song of the Peerless Beauty, with PrefaceLi YannianOne glance from her topples a city; a second glance topples a state.
  16. Watering Horses at the Great Wall Spring · Green Grass by the RiverCai Yong (traditionally attributed)I called my son to cook the carp; inside was a letter on a foot of white silk.
  17. Watering Horses at the Great Wall Spring · Bones Beneath the WallChen LinIf you bear a son, take care not to raise him; if you bear a girl, feed her on dried meat.

Three Kingdoms

10 works

220–280

  1. A Short SongCao CaoMountains never tire of their height, nor seas of their depth. Emulate Duke of Zhou in welcoming talent, and the world will unite.
  2. Gazing Across the Vast SeaCao CaoThe journeys of sun and moon seem to issue from its depths; the brilliant galaxy appears to rise from within.
  3. Song of Yan · Part 1 (Autumn Winds Bleak)Cao PiThe 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?
  4. The White HorseCao ZhiHe gives his life to meet the nation's peril, and looks on death as going home.
  5. The Fair MaidenCao ZhiThe fair maiden is lovely and serene, picking mulberry leaves where the roads fork.
  6. Eighteen Songs of a Nomad FluteCai Yan (Cai Wenji) (traditionally attributed)When I was born the world was still at peace; after my birth the fortunes of Han declined.
  7. Song by the PondLady Zhen (traditionally attributed)Many mouths can melt even gold: they made you part from me.
  8. Liangfu ChantZhuge Liang (traditionally attributed)One day they fell to slander: two peaches killed three knights.
  9. Planting KudzuCao ZhiOnce we were fish in one pool; now we are as far apart as stars that never meet.
  10. Drifting DuckweedCao ZhiA new love may be lovable, but cannot match the joy of an old one.

Jin

11 works

265–420

  1. Song of the Green Grass by the RiverFu XuanWhile we live there is no day to meet; I will wait for you beneath the Yellow Springs.
  2. The Bitter Lot of WomenFu XuanHard is the lot of one born a woman, lowly and mean beyond telling.
  3. There Is a GirlFu XuanHer beauty is radiant indeed, and her virtue as pure as autumn frost.
  4. The Morning SunFu XuanMy soul races ten thousand li; I would gladly share your grave.
  5. Song of the Bright MoonlightFu XuanDuckweed has no root; without water, on what could it rest?
  6. Song of the Autumn OrchidsFu XuanYou promised that through nine autumns you would share your clothes with me.
  7. Ballad of Chang'an in the WestFu XuanBurned incense fades day by day; a sunken ring sinks deeper with each day.
  8. Song of Wang ZhaojunShi ChongOnce I was jade in a casket; now I am a flower on a dung heap.
  9. A Song of Beauties on a Spring OutingLu JiKeeping to the music, swift as a startled swan; treading the beat like alighting phoenixes.
  10. Former Song in Slow MeasureLu JiTairong sweeps the high strings; Hongya lifts a clear song.
  11. Song by the Pond: The River LovageLu JiMen's pleasure: the clever topple the foolish; women's love: the faded give way to the fair.

Northern and Southern

63 works

420–589

  1. Han & Northern Yuefu · Ballad of MulanAnonymous (Northern Dynasties folk song)Ten thousand miles marching to war, crossing passes swift as flight. Chill air rings the watch clapper, cold light shines on armor. Generals die in a hundred battles, warriors return after ten years.
  2. Song of the Chile PlainsAnonymous (Northern Dynasties folk song)The Chile Plains beneath Mount Yinshan. The sky is like a grand yurt canopy covering all four wildernesses. The blue heaven is boundless, the vast wilderness unending—the wind blows, grass bends low, and cattle and sheep appear.
  3. Song of the Western IsletAnonymous (Southern Dynasties folk song)Gathering lotus in South Pond in autumn, lotus blossoms rise taller than human heads. Bending low to play with lotus seeds, seeds as crystal-clear as water. If the south wind knows my heart, blow my dreams across to the Western Islet.
  4. Song of the Water in the RiverXiao Yan (Emperor Wu of Liang) (traditionally attributed)What more in life could wealth and rank hope for? My regret is not having married Wang next door to the east.
  5. The Shrike Flies EastXiao Yan (traditionally attributed)The shrike flies east, the swallow west; the Herd-boy and the Weaving Girl meet only at their season.
  6. Song of the Roosting CrowsXiao GangAt the singing house in the tall tree the crows would roost; the silk curtains and kingfisher hangings are lowered for you.
  7. After the Song of the Capital at LuoyangBao ZhaoSince ancient times all love has thinned and ended; why should your feeling alone stay strong?
  8. Imitating the Yuefu "Song of White Hair"Bao ZhaoStraight as a red silk string, clear as ice in a jade jar.
  9. Two White Swans Come FlyingWu MaiyuanAt every step a tear falls; a thousand li away I still wait for you.
  10. Song of Sunny SpringWu MaiyuanSong Yu sang 'Sunny Spring', and the men of Ba only heaved long sighs.
  11. Long PartingWu MaiyuanHow is it that I parted from you just when I was in the prime of my years?
  12. Endless LongingWu MaiyuanThe eaves are hidden by a tree of a thousand frosts; a ten-year orchid withers in the yard.
  13. Mount Wu Is HighWang RongDisconsolate, I sit and long for her, as the autumn wind comes down on the green of the court.
  14. Song of the Concubine of the Prince of ZhongshanLu JueThis humble wife is finished in the end; and you, my lord, where will you go at last?
  15. Song of the Bright Moon over the Eastern HillsBao ZhaoWhat is a thousand in gold worth? What counts lies in the spirit between us.
  16. Song of the East Gate: A Traveller PartsBao ZhaoA wounded bird dreads the bowstring; a weary traveller dreads the sound of parting.
  17. The Flowering Tree in Early SpringWang RongThose who come and go and linger here: the fair one cannot be met.
  18. The Singing Girls of Bronze Sparrow TerraceXie TiaoEven the jade throne is silent and lonely; how much more so a concubine of no weight.
  19. Song of Handan and Cong TerraceLu JueLonging, I would lift my skirts and go; at Cong Terrace the sun has already set.
  20. Since You Went Away · The Willows SwayYu XiYou left, and no word has come; I see only the yellow cranes in flight.
  21. Lament of Zhaojun · From the Pixiang HallShen YueShe began with the tune of Bright Spring, and ends with a Song of Bitter Cold.
  22. Song of Walking Hand in HandShen YueWhat she fears is that rosy cheeks are brief, and a lord's favour cannot last long.
  23. There Is One I Long For · Westward to LongshouShen YueMarching west, I climb Longshou; looking east, I cannot see my home.
  24. Song of Night After Night · The River of StarsShen YueThe lone lamp is dim and gives no light; at the cold loom I am still weaving at dawn.
  25. Imitating 'The Three Wives'Shen YueThe youngest wife alone has nothing to do; she faces the mirror and paints her moth brows.
  26. Alone and UnseenLiu YunHolding a broom in the Changxin Palace, who knows that she alone is never seen?
  27. Crossing the Mountain PassesLiu YunMy heart grows more troubled day by day, as the autumn wind sings in the slender branches.
  28. Lament of the Changmen PalaceLiu YunNo more does he think of the golden house; how would he see the heart in the Changmen Palace?
  29. Southern River Song · White Duckweed on the SandbarLiu YunOn the sandbar I gather white duckweed; the sun goes down on spring south of the river.
  30. She Rises in the NightLiu YunDewdrops gleam on the kingfisher net; moonlight comes into the orchid terrace.
  31. The Frivolous Youths of Chang'anHe XunHis mulberry slingshot fires pearls for pellets; his white horse wears a golden bridle.
  32. Mount Wu Is High · Lofty Without EndFan YunThick and soft, the morning clouds depart; dim and dark, the evening rain returns.
  33. Song by the Pond: The Marsh OrchidShen YueWhen wealth is spent, dealings end; when the bloom falls, love can hardly last.
  34. Mulberries by the Path · Soft and Swaying BoughsWu Jun Does my old love know of this? The grief of parting sears my heart.
  35. The King of Qin Folds His RobesWu Jun In Xianyang the spring grass is fragrant; the Qin ruler folds away his robes.
  36. Gathering Lotus · A Brocade Sash and Flowered PinsWu Jun I wish you would come back soon, while these lotus flowers are still fresh.
  37. Hand in Hand · Spring on the Banks of the Clear LuoWu Jun Old friends were once just like this; will new acquaintances ever remember us?
  38. There Is One I Long For · Night Wind and FirefliesWang SengruI know you are a wanderer by nature; but what of me, who also came from a singing house?
  39. Gathering Water Caltrops · My Home by the Five LakesFei ChangAs if there in the middle of the water: in vain we two keep longing for each other.
  40. The Empress's Lament at Changmen PalaceFei ChangIn the days when you kept your darling in a golden house, who would have said you would not come in?
  41. Mount Wu Is High · Light Fading on the MountainFei ChangMorning clouds rise where they strike the rocks; evening rain dampens silken robes.
  42. There Is One I Long For · Crows Settling in Shanglin ParkFei ChangWhen the blind stirs I think you have come; thunder sounds like your carriage passing.
  43. Lady Ban, at the Prince of Xiangdong's Command · Dusk at Changxin PalaceHe SichengLong and slow she watches the sun go down, then once more brushes the dust from the empty bed.
  44. Where Shall I Dwell?Wu Jun I keep my watch at dusk in vain; how can I meet again the days of the blue tower?
  45. The Charms of Three WivesWu Jun The youngest wife, full of graces, presses the clear wine cup on you with a smile.
  46. The Fragrant Tree · Fanned by the Evening WindFei ChangIts boughs droop as if about to dance; its flowers open as if smiling.
  47. Song of Gathering Water Caltrops · Hand in Hand in a Fine MonthXu MianGathering and gathering, we cannot go home; gazing and gazing, we linger long.
  48. Imitating 'Chang'an Has a Narrow Lane' · Three Sons and Three Wives of LuoyangXiao YanThe youngest wife alone is at leisure, tuning her reed organ by the winding pool.
  49. Imitating 'The Bright Moon Shines on the High Tower'Xiao YanYou are the light of the eastern sun-tree; I am the mist by the western willows.
  50. The Fragrant Tree · Layered Blossoms in the Spring WindXiao YanOne leaf passes through the spring wind, and blossom joins blossom of itself.
  51. There Is One I Long For · A Sash Knotted in DreamsXiao YanThe twin silk sash at my waist ties itself in dreams into a lover's knot.
  52. Song of Beauty in Eighteen Rhymes · The Singing Girl and Her GallantXiao GangThe dodder clings to the side of the pine; sweet melons trail east of the well.
  53. Songs and Strings of Shu · Ten RhymesXiao GangIn a spring gown she rinses silk in the brocade waves, turning her fan from the sun-crow.
  54. The Concubine's Ill Fate · Ten RhymesXiao GangParted alive, who pats my back? A sudden death would hardly come too late.
  55. The Lady of Chu Sighs · A Long Night in the Quiet ChamberXiao GangA faint smile is not yet joy; a slight sigh turns back into grief.
  56. The Road of Luoyang · Fruit Piled in Tall CarriagesXiao GangGolden saddles flash on dragon-steeds; silk sleeves brush the spring mulberries.
  57. Breaking Willow Twigs · Pipes in the Empty WoodsXiao GangLeaves so dense that flying birds are blocked; wind so light the petals fall slowly.
  58. South Lake · From the Songs of YongzhouXiao GangLotus scent mingles with the musk on their clothes; the sound of oars follows the swift current.
  59. North Isle · From the Songs of YongzhouXiao GangGreen water splashes their long sleeves; floating moss stains the light oars.
  60. The Great Embankment · From the Songs of YongzhouXiao GangA cast-off wife skilled at weaving silk; a bewitching beauty used to counting coin.
  61. Song of Beauty · Cinnamon Door and Apricot BeamsXiao GangA slanting window lets in the scent of buds; a thin crack draws in motes of light.
  62. Resentment · The Fan and the Autumn WindXiao GangThe autumn wind and the white round fan were never at ease together.
  63. In the Manner of Marquis Shen's 'Night After Night'Xiao GangWeeping on my pillow, I keep powder on my cheeks; my body never settles on the bed.