Sanqu & Drama · LT301

Sanqu Songs

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

20works

2dynasties

9authors

Yuan

1271–136819 works
  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 roses, rain on lotus leaves, frost on chrysanthemums chilling fragrant courtyards; under the dark moon above plum boughs when guests disperse, who holds sway over these five seasons of wonder?
  4. Drunk in East Wind: Worlds Apart in a Single StepGuan HanqingIn an inch of space we part worlds apart; in an instant the moon wanes and petals fly. Hand grasping the farewell wine cup, eyes beholding parting tears. Barely uttering 'take care,' my heart already aches to let you go.
  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 HanqingWind drifts, rain whispers—even slumbering Immortal Chen Tuan could not find sleep. Crickets hush their song as the midnight watch sounds; thin are the pillows and mats of solitary sleep.
  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 PuBy yellow reed shores and white duckweed ferry, along green willow dikes and red smartweed shallows. Though without triumphs of imperial victory, I can purchase wine of sorrow-forgetting. Strive not for worldly riches and honor; white-haired fishermen on river shoals are accustomed to autumn moons and spring breezes.
  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 green hills, I straighten my official cap with effort. Returning wild geese cross the autumn sky; a weary traveler yearns for home. Emerald sleeves attend with care, golden goblets clink in turn, jade fingers strum the pipa. Worldly riches and honors prove far narrower than the vast boundless realm of wine!
  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 KejiuA letter of safe tidings arrives on scarce half a sheet, inscribed with a few pairs of mandarin duck characters. When blossoms opened he vowed to return; now petals have fallen, why has he not? Who knows for whom this jade-pure waist has withered and sandalwood brows have paled?
  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: Parting ReflectionsGuan YunshiKing Huai of Chu let his loyal minister leap into the Miluo River... Casting aside petty worldly fame brings supreme delight to the heart, laughing beyond the white clouds. With three or five kindred spirits, what hinders drinking to our heart's content?
  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!

Qing

1636–19121 works
  1. Commentary on the Song of Won-DoneCao XueqinIn this desolate empty hall, official ivory tablets once filled the couch; amid withered grass and barren willows, revelers once danced and sang. Cobwebs now weave across carved beams, while green gauze is freshly pasted over rustic windows. In the end, all labor is merely sewing wedding gowns for another!