Lyrics · LT203

Long Lyrics

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

185works

4dynasties

64authors

Song

100 works

960–1279

  1. Prelude to Water Melody · When Will the Moon Be Clear and Bright?Su ShiMay we live long and share the graceful moonlight across thousands of miles.
  2. Slow, Slow Song · Searching and SeekingLi QingzhaoSearching and seeking, cold and desolate, sorrowful, miserable, and forlorn.
  3. The River Turns Red · Hair Bristles in WrathYue FeiThirty years of deeds are dust and earth, eight thousand li of campaigns under clouds and moon. Do not idly let youthful hair turn white in empty grief!
  4. Charm of Niannu · Memories of the Red CliffsSu ShiThe Great River surges east, its waves sweeping away all heroes of a thousand generations.
  5. Bells in the Rain (Cold Cicadas Chill and Plaintive)Liu YongTonight when wine wears off where shall I be? On willow-lined banks, in dawn breeze beneath the waning moon.
  6. Watching the Ocean Tide (Southeast Majestic Realm)Liu YongWith autumn sweet osmanthus and ten leagues of lotus blooms.
  7. Yong Yu Le (Meditation on the Past at Beigu Pavilion in Jingkou)Xin QijiRecall those bygone days: golden lances and armored steeds, swallowing ten thousand leagues like a tiger.
  8. Tune: Yangzhou Man — The Famed City East of the HuaiJiang KuiThe Twenty-Four Bridges are still here; the water's heart ripples, and the cold moon is silent.
  9. Tune: Ba Sheng Gan Zhou — Facing the Evening Rain Sprinkling over River and SkyLiu YongBy degrees the frosty wind grows bitter and keen, passes and rivers lie cold and desolate, and the last light falls on my tower.
  10. Gui Zhi Xiang · Meditation on the Past at JinlingWang AnshiThe clear river runs a thousand li like white silk; the green peaks cluster like arrowheads.
  11. Yan Shan Ting · Seeing Apricot Blossoms on the Journey NorthZhao JiHeaven so far, earth so wide, ten thousand rivers and a thousand mountains: who knows where the old palace lies?
  12. Song of the Phoenix Flute · Locking In Endless Parting SorrowHan ZhenRosy faces change in vain, but year after year its spring scent stays new.
  13. Winding Jade Pipe · Clouds Flying over the RidgeLiu YongOne long spell of gloom; wordless all day, I go back down the tower.
  14. Lotus Gathering Song · As the Moonlight FadesLiu YongHe looks back: the city is gone; beyond the cold river, faint, two or three trees in mist.
  15. Waves Washing the Sand, Slow · A Thread of Wind Through the WindowLiu YongCurtains lowered, I would softly tell her how, night after night, I counted the cold watches.
  16. Calming the Waves · Since Spring CameLiu YongHad I known it would come to this! I regret not locking away his carved saddle.
  17. Lady Qi · A Late Autumn SkyLiu YongBy the idle window, the lamp left burning toward dawn, I hold my shadow and do not sleep.
  18. Midnight Music · Frozen Clouds on a Dim DayLiu YongEyes brimming, I look down the far road to the capital; a stray goose cries in the evening sky.
  19. Jade Butterfly · Where the Rain ClearsLiu YongGloomily I gaze; amid a stray goose's cries, I stand until the sun is gone.
  20. Lost Spirit Melody · A Small Boat Furls Its SailLiu YongThe capital is far, the tower of Qin cut off; the traveller's soul is in turmoil.
  21. Bamboo Horse · Climbing a Lonely RampartLiu YongFrom the south tower the painted horn sees off the setting sun once more.
  22. Six-Measure Song · Green Shade as Spring EndsYan JidaoAn inch of wild heart, still unspoken, already shows in her sidelong glance.
  23. Congratulating the Bridegroom · Young Swallows in a Fine HallSu Shi (Su Dongpo)When the drifting flowers and wanton blossoms are gone, it will keep you company alone.
  24. Watching the Tide · Pale Sparse Plum BlossomQin GuanUnder willows, on peach-lined paths, spring colour was scattered into every home.
  25. Fragrance Fills the Courtyard · Hills Brushed with Thin CloudQin GuanBeyond the setting sun, ten thousand points of winter crows, and flowing water circling a lonely village.
  26. Fragrance Fills the Courtyard · Clouds Part at DawnQin GuanAn old regret on a cardamom spray, a ten-year dream: counting the years, I am startled.
  27. Green-Headed Duck · The Evening Clouds WithdrawChao DuanliSo long as we keep well, may the clear cup and the pale moonlight always go together.
  28. Drinking at the Green Gate · Northern Horses Neigh in the WindShi YanWhen will I ride home at a gallop and know her light smile at the gate?
  29. Song of the Auspicious Dragon · Back on Zhangtai RoadZhou BangyanA heartbreaking courtyard, a curtain of wind-blown willow down.
  30. The Romantic · A Small Pond in New GreenZhou BangyanHeaven, let us meet for just a moment: where would be the harm?
  31. Prince of Lanling · The Willow Shade Runs StraightZhou BangyanOn the road by the long pavilion, year in, year out, the soft boughs broken off must come to more than a thousand feet.
  32. Cold at the Lattice Window · Crows Cry in the Dark WillowsZhou BangyanRain on the empty steps all night, like an old friend's talk by candle at the west window.
  33. Magpies Flying by Night · Seeing Someone Off at the River BridgeZhou BangyanWild mallow and wild oats in the setting sun, grown nearly as tall as a man.
  34. Passing the Qin Tower · The Clear Moon Bathes in the WaterZhou BangyanBeneath the Milky Way, all he can do is watch a few sparse stars again.
  35. Flower Crossing · Plum Blossom by the Low White WallZhou BangyanAll that is left is to dream of one graceful branch leaning over the water at dusk.
  36. The Great Feast · As Last Night's Mist LiftsZhou BangyanWith whom could I take a candle and roam the night?
  37. Undoing the Linked Rings · A Grievance with Nowhere to RestZhou BangyanHe resigns himself to a lifetime of flowers and wine, and of tears for her.
  38. Praying to the Moon and Stars, Slow · Night Hurries the WatchesZhou BangyanWhat can be done? One thread of longing runs unbroken across streams and hills.
  39. Lament at the Silk Window · Helped onto My Horse, Still DrunkZhou BangyanNo need for the Weicheng farewell song: my tears fall before it ends.
  40. Yuchi's Cup · The Road along the Sui DykeZhou BangyanNow, in a fishing village by a river post, a night lasts a year; I burn incense and talk alone.
  41. Auspicious Crane Immortal · Quiet Fields Around the Town WallZhou BangyanLet the bright days slip past; I am still glad of my own joys in this hidden heaven.
  42. Waves Washing the Sand, Slow · A Day of Heavy OvercastZhou BangyanSpring leaves without waiting for me, toying with the night and leaving pear blossom like snow.
  43. Everlasting as Heaven · The Spring Wind Spreads WarmthZhou BangyanFar off by the market bridge, the household under the willows still knows me.
  44. The Heartless One · Light Make-up and Many CharmsHe ZhuListless, I rise from sleep, and the sun still lingers on the tips of the flowers.
  45. Song of Shizhou, Slow · A Light Rain Takes the Chill AwayHe ZhuThe plantain leaf does not unfurl, the lilac bud stays knotted.
  46. Heavenly Fragrance · Mist Threads through the WoodsHe ZhuOnly the moon, which knew my old haunts, comes with the clouds and takes my dreams back there.
  47. Gazing Toward the Xiang · Weary of Orioles at My PillowHe ZhuShe sends not one word of longing; at least the paired swallows have come home.
  48. Green-Headed Duck · My Fair One's House by the FordHe ZhuRemember: next year, once the roses fade, our tryst must not fail the drifting cloud.
  49. Song of Shizhou, Slow · Cold Water Keeps to Its Old MarksZhang YuanqianBy the time we meet again, we will have been a whole year apart.
  50. Prince of Lanling · Rolling Up the Pearl ScreenZhang YuanqianLonging can be forgotten only for a while, and only in drunkenness.
  51. Congratulating the Bridegroom · Waking to Orioles at DuskYe MengdeThe southern dream breaks at the river isle; grape-green waves cling to the sky in misty rain.
  52. Spring in the Han Palace · The Graceful River PlumLi BingA clear brook like white silk: what is a jade hall beside a thatched hut and a sparse fence?
  53. Su Wu's Slow Song · Geese Settle on Level SandsCai ShenParting grief in two places, a cup of fine wine turned bleak; I have leaned on every high rail.
  54. Spring at the Imperial Terrace · Fragrant Grass So GreenLi JiaIf letting go, I have let go by now; but to forget, how could I ever forget?
  55. The Heartless One · Spring Late in the Green BowerLu WeilaoMy waist grows slender; my heart drifts far away with the willow catkins.
  56. Southern Shore · Wind Moans in the Painted HornKong YiPlum blossoms of home in a dream of return; sorrow wears down her green silk skirt.
  57. Water Dragon Chant · Wind and Rain in the NightCheng GaiFine springs will always come and fine flowers be seen again; it is only people who wither.
  58. Six Prefectures Song · Gazing Down the Long HuaiZhang XiaoxiangI hear that the elders left behind in the Central Plain always look south for the imperial banners.
  59. Charm of Niannu · Dongting and the Green Grass LakeZhang XiaoxiangI will scoop up all the West River, pour it with the Northern Dipper, and make all creation my guests.
  60. Six Prefectures Song · The East Wind's IntentHan YuanjiLiu returns as before: so many scenes of romance, and even the flowers should grieve.
  61. Auspicious Crane Immortal · Rain Just Past over the FieldsYuan QuhuaIf I come again some year, will that face still be there among the peach blossoms?
  62. Sword Dance Song · Rain in the NightYuan QuhuaI send secret tears down the misty waves: tell my old friend by the river how worn I am.
  63. Young Lord An · Willows of a Thousand ThreadsYuan QuhuaA sorrow as deep as Yu Xin's: for whom does it all gather between the brows?
  64. Water Dragon Chant · Towers Deep in Riotous BlossomChen LiangA whole world of blossom, unseen by any visitor, left to the orioles and swallows.
  65. Sparse Shadows · Mossy Boughs Strung with JadeJiang KuiZhaojun, never used to the far desert sands, secretly remembers the lands south and north of the river.
  66. Mountain Pavilion Banquet · Waking from a Secret DreamZhang ZiKeep her here, and never let her go home until we both grow old.
  67. The Oriole's Joyful Move · Moonlit Ripples Seem to DripShi DazuOld haunts linger in memory; Du Mu has grown old, and cannot bear the flute on the east wind.
  68. Charms of Three Beauties · Haze Shimmering on Blue TilesShi DazuI will hold her likeness in mind, as Cui Hui's was held, and paint it in secret when I return.
  69. Autumn Clearing · The River Grey and VastShi DazuCrickets grieve in the dew, a cold room by a blue lamp; over my books, sorrow whitens my hair.
  70. Night-Closing Blossom · Willows Lock the Orioles' SoulsShi DazuThose idle words of ours: late at night in flowered rooms, each of us turns them over alone.
  71. Jade Butterfly · Evening Rain Spares the Palace TreesShi DazuLate in the old garden I cling to poems and wine; the new geese fly far and bring no word.
  72. Eight Returns · Autumn River Under RainShi DazuOnly a hurried glow of sunset, and already idle sorrow hangs in the tall trees.
  73. Feast in the Pure Capital · Spring News from the Jade PipesLu ZugaoAnd worse to bear: withered grass to the sky, and plum petals flying in the dusk.
  74. Joy Equal to Heaven · Misty Waves on the West Mound RoadWu WenyingSkin like ice, fingers like scallions dipped in snow: I still recall her tender gift of melon.
  75. Gaoyang Terrace · Palace Powder and Carved TracesWu WenyingFrom the south tower I do not resent the flute that is played, but resent the dawn wind over a thousand miles of passes and hills.
  76. Auspicious Crane Immortal · Sunlit Gossamer Tangles My ThoughtsWu WenyingTrimming the lamp to write, I cannot bear it, and roll the letter up with my tears.
  77. Spring Night Moon on the Xiang · Close to QingmingHuang XiaomaiI would murmur my grief to the willow catkins, but fear they are fickle and cannot understand the sorrow of spring.
  78. The Precious Tripod Appears · Red-Clad Riders in SpringLiu ChenwengWaiting so long, spring did not come back; now spring is here, I would rather sleep.
  79. Jade Blossom · Vermilion Hairpins and Jewelled PendantsZhou MiI remember a youthful dream of Yangzhou, the moon over the Twenty-Four Bridges.
  80. Congratulating the Bridegroom · A Cold Dream of the Golden HouseJiang JieThe painted fans and red clappers remain, but no one is left who can hear the Kaiyuan tunes.
  81. Purple Dogwood Fragrance, Slow · Near the Double NinthYao YunwenLet my black gauze cap blow away in the wind; I would have heaven know my hair has turned this grey.
  82. Jinming Pool · Wide Sky and High CloudsZhong ShuEven if the orioles and blossoms stayed, the east wind will not, and sorrow is all I see.
  83. Recalling the Flute on Phoenix Terrace · Incense Cold in the Gold LionLi QingzhaoLately I have grown thin, not from being sick with wine, nor from grieving over autumn.
  84. Charm of Niannu · A Desolate CourtyardLi QingzhaoClear dew flows in the morning, the new paulownia begins to put out leaves: so much of the mood for a spring outing.
  85. Joy of Lasting Meeting · The Setting Sun Like Molten GoldLi QingzhaoBetter to stay under the curtain and listen to others laughing and talking.
  86. Joy Day and Night · Remembering a Parting: When We First MetLiu YongEven on a day I do not think of her, I knit my brows a thousand times.
  87. Candle Shadows Flicker Red · Cherishing Spring: A Lightly Powdered FaceWang Shen (traditionally attributed)After the crab-apples bloom, when the swallows come: a courtyard at dusk.
  88. Southern Shore · Late Spring: The Gold Duck Censer Left UnlitCheng GaiHow can I bear the cuckoo, who knows only how to call and call, hurrying spring away?
  89. The Oriole's Joyful Move · Leap-Month Lantern Festival: Silver MoonlightWu LizhiHeaven lets people and moon be full again, repaying every debt of romance.
  90. Swallows in Pairs · On Its Theme: After the Spring SacrificeShi DazuLightly they brush past the flower tips, green tails parting the red shadows.
  91. Phoenixes Who Changed Their Nest · Spring Feelings: Lovely as Plum BlossomShi DazuHeaven pities a lover too fond, and lets the phoenixes change nests to grow old together.
  92. Auspicious Crane Immortal · Amorous Thoughts: Apricot Mist on Her TemplesShi DazuAn inch of tender heart, after all the longing, has burned entirely to ash.
  93. Joy of Lasting Meeting · Green Shade: Coolness Presses on the Pool PavilionJiang JieBefore the cicadas, after the butterflies, the season of flowers has gone with the stream.
  94. Slow Jade Water Clock · Thoughts in My Heart: The Road Home Lies FarYuan HaowenIn the clear mirror at dawn, how many more white hairs?
  95. Water Dragon Chant · Like a Flower, Yet Not a FlowerSu Shi Of spring's colours, three parts in all: two parts dust, one part flowing water.
  96. Joy of Lasting Meeting · The Moon Bright as FrostSu Shi Past and present are like a dream; when has anyone woken from it? There are only old joys and new regrets.
  97. Water Dragon Chant · Why Must Spring Hurry SoChao BuzhiWho knew the peach blossoms fell to bear fruit, and not because spring grew thin?
  98. Six Uglies · Trying the New Wine in Unlined RobesZhou BangyanI wish spring would stay a while; but spring goes home like a bird on the wing, gone without a trace.
  99. Fragrance Fills the Courtyard · Wind Matures the Young OriolesZhou BangyanWind has grown the young orioles, rain has fattened the plums; at noon the fine trees cast clear round shade.
  100. Flower That Understands Words · Wind Wears Down the Candle FlamesZhou BangyanCassia brightness flows over the roof tiles; as the thin clouds part, the bright Moon Lady seems about to come down.