Lyrics · LT203

Long Lyrics

Extended slow-tempo lyrics showcasing elaborate narrative and emotional range.

185works

4dynasties

64authors

Song

64 works

960–1279

  1. West River · The Land of BeautyZhou BangyanThe swallows, not knowing what age it is, fly into the homes of ordinary lanes and face each other as if telling of rise and fall, in the slanting sun.
  2. The Oriole's Joyful Move · Dawn Light Hurries the HornLiu YizhiAlas for the weary traveller, who can hardly bear the dust of the capital roads once more.
  3. Gaoyang Terrace · Again and Again the Silver TalliesHan YuI cover my clear wine cup and thank the plum blossoms for keeping me company as I softly chant.
  4. Three Terraces · Pear Blossoms Touched by the Night MoonMoqi YongHalf cold, half warm, the water-clock running long; half shade, half sun, clouds at dusk.
  5. The God Erlang · Bored, I Shoot at the MagpiesXu ShenNo letter on a goose's foot, no hoofbeats that stay; the gate shuts in a courtyard of spring.
  6. Auspicious Crane Immortal · Rosy Cheeks Printed by the PillowLu SongShe grieves that no one will tell him how, longing for him lately, her sash has grown loose.
  7. Congratulating the Bridegroom · Hearing the Shrikes in the Green TreesXin QijiThe Yi River soughs, the west wind is cold, and the whole company in caps and robes is white as snow.
  8. Charm of Niannu · Flowers Fall by the Wild PondXin QijiOld regrets flow endless as the spring river; new regrets pile up like a thousand cloudy hills.
  9. Spring in the Han Palace · Spring Has Come BackXin QijiSorrow never breaks off; who, I ask, can undo these linked rings?
  10. Congratulating the Bridegroom · The Phoenix-Tail PlectrumXin QijiThe affairs of a thousand ages fly off like clouds and vanish like smoke.
  11. Water Dragon Chant · A Thousand Li of Clear Autumn over ChuXin QijiAt the tower top in the setting sun, amid the cries of a stray wild goose, a wanderer from south of the river looks over his Wu sword and slaps every railing, and no one understands why I climbed up here.
  12. Groping for Fish · How Many More Storms Can Spring BearXin QijiHow many more bouts of wind and rain can it bear? In haste, spring is leaving again.
  13. Magnolia Blossom, Slow · Old Age Dulls the Taste of FeelingXin QijiMy eyes follow the geese falling through the autumn sky; drunk, I twang an empty bowstring.
  14. Celebrating Spring in the Palace · Twin Oars on Water-Shield WavesJiang KuiWhere is she now? Only the railing keeps me company for a moment.
  15. Joy Equal to Heaven · Master Yu Had Already Chanted of SorrowJiang KuiSet into a zither's strings, each note sounds more bitter.
  16. Pipa Immortal · When the Twin Oars CameJiang KuiTen li of Yangzhou, Du Mu in three lives: speak no more of things gone by.
  17. Eight Returns · Fragrant Lotus Sheds Its PowderJiang KuiI have long regretted our meetings were never at ease; why must we part again in the west wind?
  18. Charm of Niannu · A Boat Among Riotous RedJiang KuiSmiling sweetly as they sway, their cool fragrance flies up into my lines.
  19. Lament at the Long Pavilion, Slow · The Catkins Are Nearly Blown AwayJiang KuiIf the trees had feelings, they could never stay so green!
  20. Hidden Fragrance · Moonlight of Former DaysJiang KuiThe moonlight of former days: how many times did it shine on me playing the flute beside the plum?
  21. Song of the Kingfisher Tower · Moon Cold over the Dragon SandsJiang KuiBeyond the western hills, at evening, I roll up again a curtainful of clear autumn sky.
  22. A Single Red Calyx · In the Shade of the Old City WallJiang KuiSouth and north again, for what? Adrift on Xiang clouds and Chu waters, I gaze far and grieve.
  23. Rainbow Skirt, First of the Middle Prelude · Gazing Far from the RiverbankJiang KuiLong adrift, what heart have I now? Drunk, I lie down beside the wine-shop stove.
  24. Fragrance Fills the Courtyard · Moonlight Washes the Tall PaulowniasZhang ZiI remember as a child calling for lamps, flooding their holes, and creeping after the sound.
  25. Fragrance of Silk Gauze · Working Up a Chill to Bully the FlowersShi DazuThat day, door shut on the pear blossoms, we trimmed the lamp and talked late into the night.
  26. First Spray in the East Wind · Seeping Deftly into the Orchid's HeartShi DazuNot yet green, the willows turn white eyes; not yet red, the apricots show pale faces.
  27. Congratulating the Bridegroom · Pomegranates Bloom in the Deep CourtyardLiu KezhuangWho'd believe the poet's ghost, a thousand years on, drools under the waves for rice dumplings?
  28. Congratulating the Bridegroom · The Deep Sky Turns BlackLiu KezhuangA white-haired scholar's tears for the Divine Land, however bleak, will not be shed on Ox Mountain.
  29. Auspicious Crane Immortal · Wet Clouds Cling to the GeeseLu RuiTelling the mirror of his longing: see which of us has grown thinner.
  30. Clouds Crossing the River · A Blush of Red and a Faint RegretWu WenyingTomorrow all this grows cold with the lone smoke, and wind and rain over the lake bring grief.
  31. Night-Closing Blossom · Willows Darken the River BridgeWu WenyingTen years, one dream, and all desolate: the swallow gone from West Lake, the nest in ruins.
  32. Frosted Leaves Flying · Broken Mist and Thoughts of PartingWu WenyingHe looks closely at the dogwood and only vows to climb the green heights next year.
  33. Feast in the Pure Capital · An Embroidered Canopy on Mandarin-Duck PostsWu WenyingTelling of the old vow, never to fail their spring pledge, red at morning and green at dusk.
  34. Flower Crossing · A Small, Graceful BeautyWu WenyingThe goddess of the Xiang became this hidden fragrance, her regret left on cloudy sands.
  35. Bathing in Orchid Fragrance · Coiled Silk at the WristWu WenyingHe can only gaze in sorrow at a thread of new moon that follows him to the sky's edge.
  36. Prelude of the Oriole's Song · Lingering Cold and Wine-SicknessWu WenyingLeaning on the silver screen, spring was wide and the dream narrow; her fallen tears wet the silk fan of songs and the gold-threaded robe.
  37. Cherishing Chrysanthemums, Slow · Seeing a Guest Off on the Banks of WuWu WenyingPale autumn will not follow the boat; the faded red rides one leaf on the cold waves.
  38. Gaoyang Terrace · Tall Bamboos in Finished Make-upWu WenyingIf falling petals reach the bed of West Lake, every fish stirring the green waves will grieve.
  39. Charms of Three Beauties · Lakes and Hills Used to My DrinkingWu WenyingThe dancing stopped, the songs sank away; before the flowers faded, her rosy face had changed.
  40. Eight Beats of Ganzhou · Mist Stretches Vast on All SidesWu WenyingI question the grey waves, and they say nothing; what can white hair do against hills that stay green?
  41. Congratulating the Bridegroom · Tall Old Trees Breathe Out CloudWu WenyingThe future will not match today, nor today the past; they face the Canglang water in silence.
  42. Great Abundance · Before the Horse-Play TerracePan XibaiHow often he recalled the water-shield and perch of home, before the frost, after the geese.
  43. Prince of Lanling · Seeing Spring OffLiu ChenwengSeeing spring off: once spring is gone, there is no road left in the human world.
  44. Joy of Lasting Meeting · A Jade-Disc Moon in a Clearing SkyLiu ChenwengSleepless before a guttering lamp, he hears village festival drums all around.
  45. Groping for Fish · How Can One Know Where Spring Has GoneLiu ChenwengClasping hands at parting: laughing over poems and music, when will they meet like this again?
  46. Gaoyang Terrace · Banners Lighting Up the FieldsZhou MiThe east wind greens the shores of West Lake; the geese are back, but he has not come south.
  47. Autumn in the Jade Capital · Misty Waters Stretch WideZhou MiThe flute of Chu sobs: who will send the pale moon over the west tower?
  48. Song of a Spring Outing · Beyond the Palace GardensZhou MiThe whole lake is broken moonlight and swaying flowers: how could anyone leave now?
  49. Flower Crossing · On the Bank of the Chu RiverZhou MiWaking from a quiet dream: clear dew trickling, a single stem in the lamplight.
  50. Auspicious Crane Immortal · Dark Mist Hides the GeeseJiang JieHe fears the world has changed its tunes to frontier airs the moon goddess has never known.
  51. The Daoist Priestess · Orchid Blossoms in FragranceJiang JieI mean to write the scenes of former days into idle talk.
  52. Heavenly Fragrance · Smoke Coiled round a Lone PeakWang YisunIn vain I cherish the lingering scent: an empty censer frame, a plain quilt.
  53. Charming Brows · A New Crescent Hanging in the WillowsWang YisunThough the jade axe is slowly ground, the golden mirror is hard to mend.
  54. Joy Equal to Heaven · A Breast Full of Lingering GriefWang YisunThe bronze immortal's leaden tears stream as if washed; alas, the plate has been carried far away, and the falling dew cannot be stored.
  55. Lament at the Long Pavilion, Slow · Drifting in a Lone Skiff by the East BankWang YisunThe water is far, and beyond the flowing water the tangled hills are farther still.
  56. Gaoyang Terrace · Lingering Snow in the Courtyard ShadeWang YisunAnd how many more east winds, how many more flying petals can I bear?
  57. Dharma Melody Offering Immortal Music · Layered Green, Towering HighWang YisunI can only break off a spray with care, to ease a breast full of quiet grief.
  58. Sparse Shadows · The River Empty, No One CrossingPeng YuanxunRound the lonely city the leaves fall rustling, and day and night the river's voice flows on.
  59. Six Uglies · Like the East Wind Grown OldPeng YuanxunFull of feeling, gathered by no one, it is only lodged among rivers and hills.
  60. River Town, Slow · An Autumn Moon on the Jade StandTian WeiThe courtyard flowers have fallen, spring is gone, and the far moon coldly waxes and wanes.
  61. Congratulating the Bridegroom · Incense Coils Fade in the Golden CenserLi YuShe waits in vain till the plane tree's shadow moves: who will keep her company at the mirror?
  62. Candle Shadows Flicker Red · Spring Haze over the Painted TowerLiao ShimeiEvening clears, the waves still sound of rain; no one about, a boat lies across the wild ford.
  63. Candle Shadows Flicker Red · Twin Gate Towers Rise to the SkyZhang LunA heart full of hidden sorrow, a few cold lamps, a few cries of homing geese.
  64. Groping for Fish · Facing the West WindZhu SifaShade and shine follow heaven's will alone; in vain the jade wastes and the fragrance breaks.

Yuan

16 works

1260–1368

  1. Sounds of Heaven CollectionBai PuWho, I ask, can make his heart as calm as the water in autumn
  2. Eight Immortals Gather at the Jade Terrace · Sending My Mood: The Lovely Autumn MoonZhang YanTen years of a lone sword over endless miles: how can it match watering a garden of my own?
  3. Water Dragon Chant · White Lotus: Lotus on the Immortal's PalmZhang YanLightly made up above the water, slender and upright as jade, she sways as if to dance.
  4. Fragrance of Silk Gauze · Red Leaves: Frost Flying Ten Thousand MilesZhang YanIn vain they lean on new make-up; they will never enter the flower register of Luoyang.
  5. Sparse Shadows · Shadows of Plum Blossom: A Sliver of Moon at DuskZhang YanBrows lightly brushed in the mirror: her beauty lies not in looks, but in a lonely purity.
  6. Charm of Niannu · The Stone City: Atop the Stone CitySa DoulaBanners that hid the sun, masts and oars that joined the clouds: white bones lie scattered like snow.
  7. Flowers on the Path · Remembering: Across Passes and Hills in a DreamZhang ZhuGreen notepaper closely records the tender past; each time I read it my heart breaks again.
  8. First Spray in the East Wind · Remembering the Plum: The Old Tree Mossed All OverZhang ZhuThin pale clouds, the powder fading; a soft light wind, the frozen fragrance falling again.
  9. Groping for Fish · Seeing Spring Off: The West Lake RisingZhang ZhuThe hills and waters are as fine as ever; only the silk-clad company has scattered like clouds.
  10. Many Beauties · West Lake: The Evening Hills Are GreenZhang ZhuDeep in the lotus, kingfishers cool in the rain; on soft wild rice the wind teases dragonflies.
  11. Gaoyang Terrace · Orioles Nesting in Linked LeavesZhang YanEast wind, stay a while with the roses; by the time the roses come, spring is already to be pitied.
  12. Clouds Crossing the River · Empty Hills, the Sky Sinking into the SeaZhang YanEven if letters come from far away, how is it there are no dreams at all?
  13. Eight Beats of Ganzhou · Remembering Snow at the Jade Gate PassZhang YanI break off reed flowers to send far away; all of me is scattered autumn.
  14. Undoing the Linked Rings · The Chu River Empty at DuskZhang YanIt cannot form a letter; it can send only a single dot of longing.
  15. Sparse Shadows · Green and Round, Pure of ItselfZhang YanClear dew in the leaf's heart like leaden water, and another night the west wind snaps it.
  16. Flute Beneath the Moon · A Lone Cloud Ten Thousand Miles AwayZhang YanA weary traveller at the edge of the world, my heart is bitter at this hour.

Qing

4 works

1636–1912

  1. The River Turns Red: Sojourning in the CapitalQiu JinThough my body cannot stand in the ranks of men, my heart burns fiercer than any man's!
  2. Hidden Fragrance · On Red Love-Beans: Like Congealed PearlsZhu YizunUnder the candle she opens a jade box and, hidden from everyone, counts the beans in secret.
  3. Celebrating the Spring Marsh · Recording Regret: Bridge Shadows a Flowing RainbowZhu YizunBetween blue heaven and the Yellow Springs, where is there left to look for her?
  4. Song of the Kingfisher Tower · The Soul: The Moon's Soul Vague and WildHuang ZhijunCan it be kept? She only fears it is so light it will drift off as willow down.