Poetry · LT105

Regulated Quatrains

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

165works

6dynasties

74authors

Masterpieces

13 works

Tang

99 works

618–907

  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 are just beginning to fall over Dongting; I think of you, more than ten thousand li away.
  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 ZhizhangChildren 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 ChanglingIf only the Flying General of Dragon City were still here, no barbarian cavalry would ever cross the Yin Mountains.
  9. On Ascending Stork TowerWang ZhihuanIf 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. Lotus LeavesZheng GuAs the boat moves, splashed water stirs the uneven green; leaning on the railing, the wind sways each fragrant stalk.
  12. Eight ExtremesLi YeMost lofty and bright are sun and moon; most intimate yet most estranged are husband and wife.
  13. Bodhi Gatha · Originally Not a Single Thing ExistsHuineng (Sixth Patriarch)Originally not a single thing exists—where could dust ever alight!
  14. Gatha of the Body as Bodhi TreeShenxiuThe body is a Bodhi tree, the mind a bright mirror stand; constantly wipe it clean, never letting dust settle.
  15. The SwordsmanQiji (Monk Qiji)Drawing my sword, I circle the leftover wine; the song finished, I go straight out of the gate.
  16. Quatrain · Quieting Essence and Energy to Nurture the SpiritLü Dongbin (Lü Yan)Still the essence, still the breath, and so nourish the spirit; let essence fill the cinnabar field and breath sustain the body.
  17. Invitation to Liu the NineteenthBai JuyiAs dusk falls, snow begins to drift—will you join me for a cup?
  18. Song of LiangzhouWang HanDo not laugh if we lie drunk upon the battlefield—since ancient times, how many warriors ever return?
  19. Army Life: Part IVWang ChanglingThrough a hundred battles in yellow sands, our golden armors wear thin; until we defeat Loulan, we shall never return.
  20. 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.
  21. 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?
  22. To Wang LunLi BaiThe water of Peach Blossom Pool is a thousand feet deep, yet not as deep as Wang Lun's feeling in seeing me off.
  23. Thinking of My Brothers East of the Mountains on the Double NinthWang WeiAlone in a strange land, a stranger among strangers, at every festival I miss my family twice as much.
  24. Night Mooring at Maple BridgeZhang JiBeyond the walls of Gusu, from Cold Mountain Temple, the midnight bell carries to the traveler's boat.
  25. Written on a Rainy Night, Sent NorthLi ShangyinWhen shall we trim the candle together by the west window, and talk of this night rain in the Ba hills?
  26. Pity for the Peasants, Two PoemsLi ShenWho knows that of the food upon the plate, every single grain is bitter toil?
  27. Written at a Village South of the CapitalCui HuWhere that face has gone I cannot tell; the peach blossoms, as before, smile in the spring wind.
  28. West Stream at ChuzhouWei YingwuThe spring flood, swelled by rain, runs fast at dusk; at the wild ferry no one is there, and the boat swings crosswise by itself.
  29. Viewing the Waterfall at Mount Lu, No. 2Li BaiIts flying torrent plunges straight down three thousand feet; I wonder if the Milky Way is falling from the ninth heaven.
  30. Deer EnclosureWang WeiThe returning light enters the deep forest and shines again upon the green moss.
  31. River SnowLiu ZongyuanIn a lone boat, an old man in straw cape and hat fishes alone in the snow on the cold river.
  32. Mooring on the Qinhuai RiverDu MuThe singing girls do not know the grief of a fallen kingdom; across the river they still sing "Flowers in the Rear Court."
  33. Black Robe LaneLiu YuxiThe swallows that once nested before the halls of the Wang and Xie clans now fly into the homes of ordinary people.
  34. Seeing Off Meng Haoran to Guangling at Yellow Crane TowerLi BaiMy old friend takes leave of Yellow Crane Tower in the west, going down to Yangzhou in the third month, amid mist and blossom.
  35. Gazing at Tianmen MountainLi BaiGreen mountains on both banks stand out facing each other; a single lone sail comes from beside the sun.
  36. Seeing Off Yuan the Second on a Mission to AnxiWang WeiI urge you to drain one more cup of wine: west of Yang Pass you will have no old friends.
  37. Spring DawnMeng HaoranIn the night came the sound of wind and rain; how many blossoms have fallen, who can tell?
  38. Mountain WalkDu MuI stop my carriage simply because I love the maple wood at dusk; the frost-touched leaves are redder than the flowers of the second month.
  39. Ode to the WillowHe ZhizhangWho cut out these slender leaves, I wonder? The spring wind of the second month, like a pair of scissors.
  40. Autumn Song, No. 1 of TwoLiu YuxiSince ancient times men meet autumn grieving its loneliness; I say an autumn day surpasses a spring morning.
  41. On the Chrysanthemum, Written after Failing the ExaminationHuang Chao (traditionally attributed)Wait until autumn comes, the eighth of the ninth month: when my flower blooms, all other flowers will die.
  42. Presented to Xiao YuLi Shimin (Emperor Taizong of Tang)In a fierce wind one knows the sturdy grass; in times of turmoil one recognises the loyal minister.
  43. As You WishWu ZetianOpen the chest and examine my pomegranate-red skirt.
  44. On the ChrysanthemumHuang Chao (traditionally attributed)If one day I become the Green Emperor, I will order them to bloom together with the peach blossoms.
  45. Written on Climbing the Wall of YazhouLi DeyuAlone I climb the high tower and gaze towards the imperial capital; even for a bird it is still half a year's journey.
  46. Qingming FestivalDu Mu (traditionally attributed)"May I ask where a wine shop might be found?" A herd boy points far off to Apricot Blossom Village.
  47. Cold Food DayHan HongAt dusk candles are passed out from the Han palace, and their light smoke drifts into the homes of the Five Marquises.
  48. Village Altar FestivalWang JiaMulberry shadows lengthen as the spring festival ends; every family helps a drunk one home.
  49. The Lodge in the Bamboo GroveWang WeiIn the deep wood no one knows I am here; the bright moon comes to shine on me.
  50. Farewell at the Yi RiverLuo BinwangThe men of that day are long gone; today the water is still cold.
  51. Song of Changgan: The Chance MeetingCui HaoI stop my boat just to ask: perhaps we come from the same village.
  52. Reply to the Prefect of WulingWang ChanglingOnce I was a guest in Daliang; I will not betray the Lord of Xinling's kindness.
  53. Climbing the Leyou PlainLi ShangyinThe setting sun is boundlessly fine; it is only that dusk is near.
  54. LongingWang WeiI hope you will gather many; these above all speak of longing.
  55. GrievanceLi BaiOne sees only the wet traces of tears, and cannot tell whom her heart resents.
  56. Seeing Off Zhao Zong at NightYang JiongI see you off, back to your old home; bright moonlight fills the river ahead.
  57. Mooring on the Jiande RiverMeng HaoranThe plain is wide, the sky sinks below the trees; the river is clear, the moon draws near.
  58. Calling on Yuan the Reminder and Not Finding HimMeng HaoranI hear the plum blossom comes early there, but how can it match the spring here?
  59. Seeing Off Granary Officer GuoWang ChanglingThe bright moon follows the good officer; the spring tide grows deeper night after night.
  60. Sitting Alone by Jingting MountainLi BaiWe gaze at each other and never tire: there is only Jingting Mountain.
  61. Written at the Yuan Family VillaHe ZhizhangDon't trouble yourself about buying wine; I have money in my own purse.
  62. Seeing Off Zhu the Eldest to QinMeng HaoranAt parting I unbuckle it as a gift: a whole life's true heart.
  63. On HistoryGao ShiHe did not know a man fit for the whole realm, and still saw him as a commoner.
  64. Reply to Li HuanWei YingwuIn the woods I finish reading the Changes; by the stream I idle, facing the gulls.
  65. Call of the Autumn WindLiu YuxiIn the morning it enters the courtyard trees, and the lonely traveller hears it first.
  66. Sent to Vice Director Qiu on an Autumn NightWei YingwuIn the empty hills pine cones fall; my recluse friend must still be awake.
  67. Written in the PalaceLi AngGazing from the height, my thoughts have no end, and no attendant knows them any more.
  68. Looking for the Recluse and Not Finding HimJia DaoHe is somewhere on this mountain, but the clouds are too deep to tell where.
  69. Behind Schedule on the Shu RoadZhang ShuoThe autumn wind would not wait for me; it reached Luoyang first.
  70. Song of QiupuLi BaiMy white hair is three thousand zhang long; my sorrow has grown just as long.
  71. For Attendant QiaoChen Zi'angPity the censor on his dappled horse: white-haired now, for whom was his valour?
  72. On the Double Ninth with the Army, Thinking of My Old Home in Chang'anCen CanFrom afar I pity my old garden's chrysanthemums, surely blooming beside the battlefield.
  73. Lament on the Jade StepsLi BaiShe lets down the crystal blind and still gazes at the glittering autumn moon.
  74. A Song South of the YangziLi YiHad I known the tide keeps its time, I would have married a boy who rides the tides.
  75. The Detached PalaceYuan ZhenWhite-haired palace women remain, sitting idle and talking of Xuanzong.
  76. Miscellaneous PoemWang WeiThe day you left, by my latticed window, had the winter plum begun to bloom?
  77. The Eightfold Battle ArrayDu FuHis merit crowned the land split three ways; his fame was made by the Eightfold Array.
  78. Autumn NightDu MuOn the palace steps the night is cool as water; she lies watching the Herd Boy and Weaver stars.
  79. Frost and MoonLi ShangyinThe Frost Maiden and the Moon Goddess both bear the cold, vying in beauty in moon and frost.
  80. Chang'eLi ShangyinChang'e must regret stealing the elixir: blue sea, blue sky, her heart alone night after night.
  81. Written on the Wall of an InnZheng GuTapping till her jade hairpin breaks by the cold red candle, she reckons he must have reached Changshan.
  82. Beyond the FrontierWang ZhihuanWhy must the Qiang flute lament the willow? The spring wind never crosses the Jade Gate Pass.
  83. The Jasper PoolLi ShangyinThe eight steeds run thirty thousand li a day; why has King Mu never come again?
  84. To Director LinghuLi ShangyinDo not ask after the old guest of the Liang garden: in Maoling's autumn rain, Xiangru lies sick.
  85. Because There IsLi ShangyinFor no reason she wed a husband with a golden turtle; he forsakes the scented quilt for the dawn court.
  86. The Golden Valley GardenDu MuThe falling petals still seem like the woman who fell from the tower.
  87. To Han Chuo, Administrator at YangzhouDu MuThe Twenty-Four Bridges on a moonlit night; where are you teaching a fair one the flute?
  88. Already CoolHan WoAn eight-foot rush mat and square brocade quilt; the air already cool but not yet cold.
  89. Song of the Spring PalaceWang ChanglingThe dancer from Pingyang is newly in favour; in the spring chill beyond the curtain, a brocade robe is bestowed.
  90. A Young Wife's LamentWang ChanglingSuddenly she sees the roadside willows green; she regrets sending her husband to win a title.
  91. At PartingDu MuSlender and graceful, just past thirteen, a cardamom bud at the branch tip in early second month.
  92. Light Rain in Early SpringHan YuFine rain on the capital streets, soft as cream; grass shows green from afar, none close by.
  93. Spring in JiangnanDu MuThe Southern Dynasties' four hundred eighty temples: how many towers stand in the misty rain?
  94. Song of a TravellerLi BaiIf only my host can make his guest drunk, I will not know which land is foreign.
  95. Peach Blossoms at Xuandu TempleLiu YuxiIn Xuandu Temple, a thousand peach trees, all planted after Master Liu went away.
  96. Revisiting Xuandu TempleLiu YuxiWhere has the Taoist who planted the peaches gone? Master Liu of last time is here again today.
  97. Listening to a Flute on Yellow Crane Tower with Director Shi QinLi BaiIn Yellow Crane Tower someone plays a jade flute; in the river city, in the fifth month, plum blossoms fall.
  98. On Night Duty at the SecretariatBai JuyiSitting alone at dusk, who keeps me company? The crape myrtle faces the Crape Myrtle Gentleman.
  99. Lament of the Changxin PalaceWang ChanglingHer jade-fair face is worth less than the winter crows, which still come bearing the sunlight of Zhaoyang Palace.