Classical Poetry · LT105

Regulated Quatrains

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

37works

5dynasties

32authors

Tang

618–90723 works
  1. Thoughts in the Quiet NightLi BaiLifting my head, I gaze at the bright moon; lowering my head, I dream of home.
  2. Clear and Even Melody · Part 1 (Clouds Recall Her Raiment)Li BaiClouds recall her floating robes, blossoms her radiant face; spring breezes brush the balustrade in heavy glistening dew.
  3. Farewell to a Friend · Frosty Night on the Reed WatersXue TaoIn watery reaches reeds glisten with night frost; chill moonlight and mountain peaks merge in deep azure.
  4. Lament on Colored SilkShangguan Wan'erLeaves fall over Lake Dongting at autumn's start, longing for you across ten thousand miles. Chilly dew cools the quilt as the moon sets over vacant screens.
  5. Red CliffDu MuHad the east wind not aided Master Zhou, spring in the Bronze Sparrow Tower would have locked away the Two Qiaos.
  6. Occasional Poem on Returning HomeHe ZhizhangLeaving young and returning old, my native accent remains while temple hair has thinned. Children meet me but recognize me not, smilingly asking: 'Whence comes our guest?'
  7. Farewell to Dong DaGao ShiWorry not that no kindred spirits lie on the road ahead; under heaven, who does not recognize your renown?
  8. Going Beyond the FrontierWang ChanglingThe moon of Qin, the border passes of Han; after ten thousand leagues of marching, our soldiers have not returned. If only the Flying General of Dragon City were still here, no barbarian cavalry would ever cross the Yin Mountains.
  9. On Ascending Stork TowerWang ZhihuanThe bright sun slants along the mountains and sinks; the Yellow River surges into the eastern sea. If you desire to see a thousand leagues afar, ascend yet another story higher.
  10. Departing Early from Baidi CityLi BaiWhile gibbons on both shores wail incessantly, my swift light skiff has slipped past ten thousand fold mountain ranges.
  11. Farewell to a FriendXue TaoOver riverside reed-beds night frost settles; chilly moonlight and mountain hues merge in misty azure. Who says a thousand-mile parting begins tonight? In parting dreams my spirit shall still return to you.
  12. Lotuses on the PondXue TaoOars stir splashing waters around uneven green lily pads; leaning on the balustrade, breezes sway every fragrant stalk. Grateful to the washing maidens who left them unpicked, allowing rain-sheltering leaves to cover paired mandarin ducks.
  13. Eight ExtremesLi YeMost near yet most distant are East and West; most deep yet most shallow is the crystal brook; most high and most luminous are the Sun and Moon; most intimate yet most estranging are husband and wife.
  14. Bodhi Gatha · Originally Not a Single Thing ExistsHuineng (Sixth Patriarch)Bodhi originally has no tree, nor does the bright mirror have a stand. From the beginning not a single thing exists—where then could dust ever alight!
  15. Gatha of the Body as Bodhi TreeShenxiuThe body is the Bodhi tree; the mind is like a clear mirror on a stand. Constantly and diligently wipe it clean, never allowing dust to collect.
  16. Ever Living in Carefree EaseShideEver delighting in the carefree charm of clouded mountains, paying no heed to the fickle warmth of worldly manners. A bowl of leftover broth fills the belly; clad in a straw cloak, lying down to gaze at emerald mountain folds.
  17. The SwordsmanQiji (Monk Qiji)Drawing the sword from its sheath, the heavens grow dark; sunlight fades as frost and snow thicken. The sharp blade in hand never strikes in vain, slaying every injustice in the mortal realm!
  18. Quatrain · Quieting Essence and Energy to Nurture the SpiritLü Dongbin (Lü Yan)Quieting essence and calming breath to nurture the spirit, closing eyes and delving within to become a True Immortal. Rather than boasting of riches and rank in the human world, it is far better to delight in pristine simplicity beneath the forest boughs.
  19. Invitation to Liu the NineteenthBai JuyiAs dusk falls, snow begins to drift—will you join me for a cup?
  20. Song of LiangzhouWang HanDo not laugh if we lie drunk upon the battlefield—since ancient times, how many warriors ever return?
  21. Army Life: Part IVWang ChanglingThrough a hundred battles in yellow sands, our golden armors wear thin; until we defeat Loulan, we shall never return.
  22. After Passing the Imperial ExaminationMeng JiaoProud in the spring breeze, my horse's hooves fly fast; in a single day I see all the flowers of Chang'an.
  23. Written at Wujiang PavilionDu MuThe young men east of the Yangtze were many and gifted; had he returned, rolling up the dust again, who knows what might have been?

Ten Kingdoms

907–9791 works
  1. Poem on the Fall of the StateLady HuaruiThe King hoisted the surrender flag high upon the city wall; how could I within the deep palace have known? A hundred and forty thousand soldiers disarmed in unison—and not a single one among them was a real man!

Song

960–12795 works
  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 YouIn 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!
  4. Visiting Mount Wudang and Lodging at Zixiao PalaceQiu Chuji (Changchun Zhenren)Zixiao 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.
  5. Visiting a Garden but Finding No One HomeYe ShaowengA garden full of spring cannot be locked away.

Ming

1368–16442 works
  1. Chant of the LimeYu QianExtracted from deep mountains after a thousand hammer blows and chisels, roaring blazing fires are treated as nothing unusual. Unafraid even of having body shattered and bones ground to powder, resolved only to leave pure unblemished integrity to the mortal world.
  2. Poem Inscribed on Ink GrapesXu WeiHalf a life of destitution has turned me into an old man, standing alone in my study whistling to the evening gale. The luminous pearls beneath my brush find nowhere to sell, casually tossed and scattered among wild tangled vines.

Qing

1636–19126 works
  1. Bamboo and RockZheng BanqiaoClamping tightly upon green crags never letting go, its roots were firmly anchored in fractured rocks from the start. Enduring a thousand grindings and ten thousand strikes it remains adamantly firm, defying whatever winds blow from east, west, south, or north.
  2. Miscellaneous Poems of the Jihai Year: No. 5Gong ZizhenBoundless parting sorrow swells as the pale sun slopes westward; pointing my chanting crop to the east, the road stretches to the edge of the world. Fallen petals are not unfeeling things: turning into spring mud, they nurture future flowers all the more.
  3. Inscribed upon the Prison WallTan SitongSeeking refuge at welcoming doors recalls Zhang Jian; enduring death for a brief while awaits Du Gen. I raise my blade and laugh toward Heaven: whether leaving in exile or staying to die, our loyal spirits stand like towering Kunlun peaks!
  4. Inscribed on a Landscape Painting · Few Are Ink Drops, Many Are TearsZhu Da (Bada Shanren)Ink drops are few, yet tear drops are countless; when our ancestral mountains and rivers fall into ruin, how can one cry out? The heavens have not exhausted the sorrow of the Lisao, as cuckoos weep bitter blood all day through ivy vines.
  5. Inscribed on a Painting of PinesShi Jing'an (Eight-Fingered Monk)Heavy snow weighs down the branches; a solitary pine stands firm upon the freezing hill. Defying the frost it never yields, its verdant azure green illuminating thousand autumns.
  6. Miscellaneous Poems of the Year Jihai (No. 125)Gong ZizhenI urge the Lord of Heaven to rouse himself once more and send down talent without sticking to one mold.