Drama · LT301

Sanqu Songs

Single-tune lyric songs expressing personal reflections in lively vernacular language.

20works

1dynasties

9authors

Yuan

20 works

1260–1368

  1. Autumn ThoughtsMa ZhiyuanWithered vines, old trees, evening crows; a small bridge, flowing water, a cottage home; an ancient road, west wind, a lean horse. The evening sun sinks in the west; a heartbroken traveler wanders at the world's end.
  2. Sails Returning to Distant ShoresMa ZhiyuanBeneath the sunset glow, tavern banners hang calm; two or three skiffs have yet to moor. Falling blossoms scent the dusk waters by thatched huts; at the broken bridgehead, the fishmongers disperse.
  3. Falling Plum Wind: Rose DewMa ZhiyuanDew on the roses, rain on the lotus leaves, frost on the chrysanthemums: a chill fragrance fills the courtyard.
  4. Drunk in East Wind: Worlds Apart in a Single StepGuan HanqingSo near, yet as far apart as the south of heaven and the north of earth; in an instant the moon wanes and the flowers fly.
  5. Four Pieces of Jade: Parting LongingGuan HanqingSince our parting, my heart aches to let go; when will this ember of longing ever cease? Leaning on the balustrade, sleeves brush away snowy willow catkins. The stream bends, the hills conceal—my beloved is gone!
  6. Song of Great Virtue: AutumnGuan HanqingThe wind gusts, the rain patters; even Chen Tuan could not sleep through this.
  7. AutumnBai PuA lonely hamlet, setting sun, lingering twilight; light mist, old trees, chilly crows; a solitary wild goose casts its fleeting shadow. Blue mountains, green waters, bleached grasses, crimson maple leaves, and yellow chrysanthemums.
  8. SpringBai PuSpring mountains, warm sunlight, gentle breeze; balustrades, lofty pavilions, screened casements; weeping willows and swings in the courtyard. Warbling orioles, dancing swallows, a small bridge, flowing water, and fluttering red petals.
  9. FishermanBai PuYellow-reed banks and white-duckweed ferry landings; green-willow dikes and red-smartweed shoals.
  10. Meditations at Tongguan PassZhang YanghaoMountain peaks gather close, wild billows surge in wrath; fortress pass of Tongguan framed by mountains and rushing stream. Gazing toward the Western Capital, hesitation weighs upon my soul. Sorrow strikes traversing the ancient lands of Qin and Han: ten thousand palace halls have all turned to dust. In imperial rise, the common people suffer; in imperial fall, the common people suffer.
  11. Meditations at Mount LiZhang YanghaoSurveying Mount Li on all four sides, the Epang Palace burnt in a single torch: where is that imperial luxury today? Only sparse overgrown weeds remain, and streams winding in solitude. Lingering historical regrets shroud misty trees. Feudal kingdoms of Zhou, Qi, Qin, Han, and Chu: winner, all turned to dust; loser, all turned to dust!
  12. Praising JiangnanZhang YanghaoMisty river waters reflect clear mountain hazes, dwellings on both shores join painted eaves, lotus clusters embrace a tranquil autumn light. Watching sand gulls dance again and again, rolling up fragrant breezes through ten miles of pearl curtains. Painted skiffs arrive from the horizon, wine flags flutter in the breeze: how I adore Jiangnan!
  13. Double Ninth FestivalZhang KejiuFacing the green hills, I force myself to straighten my black gauze cap. Returning geese cross the autumn sky; the weary traveller longs for home.
  14. Meditations on HistoryZhang KejiuThe beauty took her life by the banks of the Wujiang River; flames of war once scorched the Red Cliff cliffs; valiant generals aged in vain at the Jade Gate Pass. Heartbroken by Qin and Han, when innocent lives were trampled as ashes—the scholar gives a long, deep sigh!
  15. Spring ThoughtsZhang KejiuYellow orioles cry wildly in the willows outside the gate, after the fine rain of Qingming.
  16. Self-AccountQiao JiNo champion in imperial civil examinations, no official salary in imperial rolls. Accustomed to chasing wild butterflies and bees amid blossoms and wine. Laughing proudly amid forests and springs, casting aside fame and profit. Wandering in east winds, ten years a dream—let it all rest, calculate no more!
  17. Seeking Plum BlossomsQiao JiBefore and after winter through several hamlets, north and south of streams with frost on both shoes, searching atop and beneath trees on Lonely Hill. Whence comes this sudden fragrance in the chilling breeze? Met unexpectedly, standing still in rapt gaze: snowy bones, icy flesh, jade essence, orchid fragrance.
  18. Palace Joy: King Huai of ChuGuan YunshiKing Huai of Chu: his loyal minister leapt into the Miluo River.
  19. Song of You and MeGuan DaoshengYou and I, our love is overwhelmingly deep; where love is so deep, it blazes like fire! Take a lump of clay, mold a you, and shape a me. Smash both of us together, mix with water, then mold another you and shape another me. In my clay there is you, in your clay there is me!
  20. Withered Lotus LeavesLiu BingzhongAll because of last night's frost, they lie forlorn on the autumn river.