Poetry · LT105

Regulated Quatrains

Concise four-line poems adhering to rigorous tonal meter and evocative imagery.

165works

6dynasties

74authors

Masterpieces

13 works

Tang

13 works

618–907

  1. Autumn Night SongWang Wei (traditionally attributed)Late into the night she plucks the silver zither with care; afraid of the empty room, she cannot bear to go back.
  2. Seeing Off Xin Jian at Hibiscus TowerWang ChanglingIf friends and kin in Luoyang ask after me: a heart of ice in a jade pot.
  3. Palace PoemBai JuyiHer rosy face not yet old, the favour has already ended; leaning on the censer cage, she sits until dawn.
  4. Meeting an Envoy Bound for the CapitalCen CanWe meet on horseback with no paper or brush; I ask you to carry word that I am safe.
  5. Master JiaLi ShangyinA pity he leaned forward at midnight in vain: he asked not about the people, but about ghosts and spirits.
  6. Easing My HeartDu MuTen years, and I wake from one dream of Yangzhou, having won only a fickle name in the pleasure houses.
  7. About to Leave for Wuxing, I Climb the Leyou PlateauDu MuAbout to carry a governor's banner off to the rivers and sea, I gaze from the Leyou Plateau toward Zhao Mausoleum.
  8. Peach Blossom CreekZhang Xu (traditionally attributed)All day long peach blossoms follow the flowing water; on which side of the clear creek is the cave?
  9. Lament of the Jade ZitherWen TingyunThe geese's cries pass far off toward the Xiao and Xiang; in the twelve towers the moon shines on alone.
  10. Spring PoemLiu YuxiWalking to the middle of the yard, she counts the flowers; a dragonfly lights on her jade hairpin.
  11. Hearing a Flute at Night on the Wall of ShouxiangLi YiWho knows where a reed pipe is playing? All night long the soldiers gaze toward home.
  12. Seeing Off Spring on the Last Day of the Third MonthJia DaoTonight, with you, there is no need to sleep: until the dawn bell has rung, it is still spring.
  13. Meeting Li Guinian in JiangnanDu FuNow, amid the fine scenery of Jiangnan, in the season of falling flowers, I meet you again.

Song

39 works

960–1279

  1. Summer Quatrain (Living as a Hero)Li QingzhaoIn life be a hero among men; in death be a champion among ghosts.
  2. Ascending Feilai PeakWang AnshiFear not floating clouds obstructing the view, for one stands on the highest heights.
  3. To My SonLu YouOn the day the royal armies march north to pacify Central Plains, in family ancestral rites forget not to inform your father!
  4. Visiting a Garden but Finding No One HomeYe ShaowengA garden full of spring cannot be locked away.
  5. On Huichong's Painting 'Spring River at Dusk', No. 1Su ShiWhen the spring river warms, the ducks are first to know.
  6. Leaving Jingci Temple at Dawn to See Off Lin ZifangYang WanliLotus leaves reaching to the sky, an endless green; lotus blossoms catching the sun, a red like no other.
  7. Written on the Wall of Xilin TempleSu ShiI cannot know the true face of Mount Lu, only because I myself am within this mountain.
  8. Mooring at GuazhouWang AnshiThe spring wind has greened the south bank of the river once more; when will the bright moon shine on my return?
  9. Thoughts on Reading, No. 1Zhu XiI ask it how it can be so clear; it is because living water flows in from the source.
  10. Drinking on the Lake, First Clear, Then Rain, No. 2Su ShiIf I were to compare West Lake to Xi Shi, light make-up or heavy, either way she is lovely.
  11. New Year's DayWang AnshiOn a thousand gates and ten thousand doors the rising sun shines bright; everyone puts up new peach-wood charms in place of the old.
  12. The Little PondYang WanliA little lotus leaf has only just shown its sharp tip, and already a dragonfly stands upon it.
  13. Plum Blossoms (A Few Sprays by the Wall)Wang AnshiFrom afar I know they are not snow, for a faint fragrance drifts my way.
  14. Spring Day (Seeking Flowers by the Si)Zhu XiEasily one comes to know the face of the east wind: ten thousand purples and a thousand reds, all of it is spring.
  15. The Fisherman on the RiverFan ZhongyanBut look at that boat like a single leaf, now seen, now lost among the wind and waves.
  16. On the Rising SunZhao Kuangyin (traditionally attributed)Before it leaves the sea floor, a thousand mountains are dark; as soon as it reaches mid-sky, ten thousand states are bright.
  17. On Mount HuaKou Zhun (traditionally attributed)Raising my head, the red sun is near; looking back, the white clouds are low.
  18. Cuiwei Pavilion at ChizhouYue FeiFor years dust has covered my campaign coat; I made a special trip to seek the spring and climb up to Cuiwei.
  19. Crabapple BlossomSu Shi (Su Dongpo)Afraid only that the flowers would sleep as night deepened, I lit tall candles to shine on their rouge.
  20. Flower ShadowsSu Shi (Su Dongpo) (traditionally attributed)No sooner has the sun cleared them away than the bright moon brings them back.
  21. Fallen BlossomsZhu ShuzhenIf only the Lord of Spring could reign forever and keep the blossoms from scattering on green moss.
  22. Early Summer, Away from HomeSima GuangNo willow catkins rise on the wind any more; only the mallows lean toward the sun.
  23. Waking from a Nap in Early SummerYang WanliLong days: waking from a nap with no thought at all, I idly watch children chase willow floss.
  24. A Scene at HandZhu ShuzhenThe crabapple has shed its flowers, the catkins have all flown; the drowsy days begin to lengthen.
  25. Farm FamilyFan ChengdaThe little grandchildren cannot yet plough or weave, yet in the mulberry shade they learn to plant melons.
  26. Autumn MoonCheng HaoThirty li cut off from the world's red dust, white clouds and red leaves drift at their ease.
  27. Written by Chance on a Spring DayCheng HaoOthers do not see the joy in my heart; they will think I steal idle hours to play the youth.
  28. Spring NightSu Shi (Su Dongpo)A spring night's moment is worth a thousand gold; flowers are fragrant, the moon casts shade.
  29. Sleepless Spring NightWang AnshiThe spring scene vexes me so I cannot sleep; the moon shifts flower shadows onto the rail.
  30. Attending the Lantern Festival BanquetSu Shi (Su Dongpo)Courtiers stand heron-straight in Tongming Hall; one red cloud bears up the Jade Emperor.
  31. Written by Chance at the Start of SpringZhang ShiAs 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.
  32. North HillWang AnshiI count the fallen petals, having sat so long; slowly seeking fragrant grass, I am late going home.
  33. Clear Weather in SpringWang AnshiBees and butterflies stream away over the wall; I begin to think spring is next door.
  34. Written on the Wall of Master HuyinWang AnshiA stream guards the fields and wraps them in green; two hills push open the door to bring in their blue.
  35. Written at Huainan TempleCheng HaoA man of the Way is no mourner of autumn; let the evening hills face each other in their sorrow.
  36. The Mid-Autumn MoonSu Shi (Su Dongpo)This life, this night, will not stay fair for long; where shall I watch this bright moon next year?
  37. For Liu JingwenSu Shi (Su Dongpo)The lotus is done, with no leaves to hold up the rain; the chrysanthemums fade, yet their stems still defy the frost.
  38. Written at the South Tower in EzhouHuang TingjianThe clear breeze and the bright moon belong to no one; together they come from the south as one pure coolness.
  39. Grieving for SpringYang WanliYear after year I never have the eyes to look at flowers: if I am not sunk in sorrow, I am sick in bed.

Ming

5 works

1368–1644

  1. Chant of the LimeYu QianUnafraid though its body be crushed to powder, resolved only to leave spotless purity in the human world.
  2. Poem Inscribed on Ink GrapesXu WeiLuminous pearls born beneath my brush find nowhere to sell, casually tossed among wild vines.
  3. Going to the CapitalYu QianWith only the clear breeze in my two sleeves I go to court
  4. Written on HorsebackQi JiguangOf the three hundred and sixty days in a year, most are spent on horseback with a spear across my saddle.
  5. The Moon-Hiding Mountain LodgeWang Shouren (traditionally attributed)If a man had eyes as large as the sky, he would see the hill is small and the moon much broader.

Qing

6 works

1636–1912

  1. Bamboo and RockZheng BanqiaoEnduring a thousand grindings and ten thousand strikes it stands ever resilient, defying whatever winds blow from east, west, south, or north.
  2. Miscellaneous Poems of the Jihai Year: No. 5Gong ZizhenFallen petals are not unfeeling things: turning into spring soil, they nourish future flowers all the more.
  3. Inscribed upon the Prison WallTan SitongI raise my blade and laugh aloud toward Heaven: whether leaving or staying, our loyal spirits stand like Kunlun peaks!
  4. Inscribed on a Scroll Combining Qu Wengshan's Letters, Small Landscapes by Shitao, Shixi and Bada Shanren, and Baiding's Ink OrchidsZheng Xie (Zheng Banqiao)Daubed across and brushed down, thousands upon thousands of scrolls: few are the drops of ink, many the drops of tears.
  5. Miscellaneous Poems of the Jihai Year: No. 125Gong ZizhenI urge the Lord of Heaven to rouse himself once more and send down talent without sticking to one mold.
  6. Tong PassTan SitongThe river, on the great plain, still chafes at its confines; the mountains, entering Tong Pass, refuse to lie level.