Writers › Writer / Poet

Bai Juyi

Mid-Tang poet who with Yuan Zhen championed plain-spoken New Music Bureau ballads and wrote the Song of Everlasting Sorrow and the Lute Song

Also known as Zi Letian · Hao Xiang Shan Ju Shi · Bai Letian · Bai Fu

Bai Juyi, courtesy name Letian and late in life the Lay Recluse of Xiangshan, was born in Xinzheng, Henan, to a family of Taiyuan origin. He passed the jinshi examination in 800, wrote the 'Song of Everlasting Sorrow' in 806 while a county sheriff, and as Hanlin academician and Reminder of the Left composed fifty 'New Music Bureau' ballads and ten 'Songs of Qin'. In 815 he urged the swift arrest of the assassins of the chief minister Wu Yuanheng and was demoted to marshal of Jiangzhou, where he wrote the 'Lute Song' the next year; his 'Letter to Yuan Jiu' argues that poems should address real events. In the 820s he governed Hangzhou, building a lake embankment for irrigation, and Suzhou. He retired as president of the Ministry of Justice, lived in Luoyang and died in 846. Yuan Zhen edited his *Collected Works of the Changqing Era* (*Baishi Changqing ji*) and wrote in the preface that his poems were copied on the walls of palaces, temples and post stations.

Life and times

  1. 772 CEBornTang
  2. 846 CEDied

Works

  1. Literature · Sayings24
    1. The Ends of the EarthTangIdiom from Bai Juyi's poem Chun Sheng: the far ends of the earth, or great distance apart
    2. Shaking Heaven and EarthTangIdiom from Bai Juyi's poem on Li Bai's tomb: earth-shaking in force or impact
    3. As Long as Heaven and EarthTangIdiom from the Daodejing, famed through Song of Everlasting Regret: lasting love
    4. Natural BeautyTangIdiom from Bai Juyi's Song of Everlasting Regret: natural, inborn beauty
    5. A Glance Back and a SmileTangIdiom from Song of Everlasting Regret: a captivating backward glance and smile
    6. +19 more
      1. Called for a Thousand TimesTangIdiom from Bai Juyi's Song of the Pipa: appearing only after endless calls
      2. The Charcoal Seller's Grizzled TemplesTangLine from Bai Juyi's The Old Charcoal Seller: a face of soot, gray temples, blackened fingers
      3. The Painted Beauties of the Six Palaces Lose Their ColorTangFamous line from Bai Juyi's Song of Everlasting Sorrow: a whole palace of beauties outshone
      4. The Marshal's Blue Robe Soaked with TearsTangIdiom from Bai Juyi's Song of the Pipa: tears of grief and fellow feeling soaking a robe
      5. This Sorrow Lingers On Without EndTangIdiom from Bai Juyi's Song of Everlasting Sorrow: a grief that outlasts heaven and earth
      6. Venting and Guiding the People's Feelings Through SongTangFamous line from Bai Juyi's Letter to Yuan Zhen: poetry as a channel for the people's feelings
      7. Poetry to Mend and Inspect the GovernmentTangLine from Bai Juyi's Letter to Yuan Zhen on poetry's duty to inform good government
      8. Coming Out Only After a Thousand CallsTangFamous line from Bai Juyi's Song of the Pipa Player: appearing only after many calls
      9. Fellow Wanderers Fallen at the Ends of the EarthTangFamous line from Bai Juyi's Song of the Pipa Player: kinship between fellow sufferers
      10. Pearls Great and Small Falling on a Jade PlateTangFamous line from Bai Juyi's Song of the Pipa Player: music like pearls on jade
      11. Fearing Cheap Charcoal, He Wishes the Weather ColderTangFamous line from Bai Juyi's The Old Charcoal Seller: a poor man wishing for the cold
      12. Writing Should Be Composed for Its Own TimesTangFamous line from Bai Juyi's Letter to Yuan Zhen, arguing that literature must engage its age
      13. Grass That Springs Up Again in the Spring WindTangFamous line from Bai Juyi's poem on the grass of the ancient plain: life that will not die
      14. A Pause in the Music More Moving Than SoundTangFamous line from Bai Juyi's Song of the Pipa, on a pause that says more than music
      15. Lovebirds Flying Wing to Wing in HeavenTangFamous line from Bai Juyi's Song of Everlasting Sorrow: a pair of lovers never apart
      16. Still Half-Hiding Her Face Behind the PipaTangFamous line from Bai Juyi's Song of the Pipa, on the player's shy first appearance
      17. Lush Grass Spreading Across the Ancient PlainTangFamous line from Bai Juyi's poem on the grass of the ancient plain: grass lush and endless
      18. Branches Grown Together as OneTangFamous line from Bai Juyi's Song of Everlasting Sorrow: lovers joined like grafted branches
      19. Wildfire Cannot Burn the Grass AwayTangFamous line from Bai Juyi's Grass on the Ancient Plain: life that no fire can destroy
  2. Literature · Poetry8
    1. Song of Everlasting RegretTangBai Juyi's long narrative song of Emperor Xuanzong and Yang Guifei, from court romance to Mawei
    2. Song of the PipaTangBai Juyi's narrative poem from exile in Jiangzhou: a pipa player's music and life story
    3. Invitation to Liu the NineteenthTangBai Juyi's quatrain inviting a friend to new wine by a small stove as snow threatens
    4. Grass on the Ancient Plain: A FarewellTangBai Juyi's youthful exam-style poem on ever-returning grass, the piece that made his name
    5. The Old Charcoal SellerTangOne of Bai Juyi's New Yuefu: an old charcoal seller robbed by the palace market of mid-Tang
    6. +3 more
      1. On Night Duty at the SecretariatTangBai Juyi's quatrain on night duty as a Secretariat drafter, quiet and lonely in office
      2. Palace PoemTangBai Juyi's quatrain on a palace lady out of favour, sleepless as songs ring from the front hall
      3. Moved by the Moon: To My Brothers Scattered by War and FamineTangBai Juyi gazes at the moon and thinks of brothers and sisters scattered by war and famine
  3. Literature · Criticism1
    1. Letter to Yuan Zhen · ExcerptTangBai Juyi's letter to Yuan Zhen setting out the New Yuefu aim: poetry written for its times
  4. Literature · Lyrics1
    1. Everlasting Longing · Parting: The Bian River FlowsTangBai Juyi's short ci of two rivers flowing south and a woman waiting by moonlight for a return

Family tree

  1. Direct kin
    Bai Xingjian (Zhiweng)Younger brother
    Bai Juyi