In “River Snow,” Liu Zongyuan paints a scene of profound isolation amid a winter landscape. The first two lines emphasize utter desolation—countless mountains and paths h⋯ Read the full article

In “Drunken Gift to Magistrate Liu the 28th,” Bai Juyi reflects on camaraderie, longing, and the weight of time—all mingled with wine’s intoxicating haze. The poem begins⋯ Read the full article

In his “New Yuefu” series, Bai Juyi sought to rejuvenate the ancient Yuefu (Music Bureau) tradition by blending poignant social commentary with accessible language and me⋯ Read the full article

In “Green Gate Willows” (青门柳), Bai Juyi captures how something as ordinary as a line of willow trees can become charged with emotion—especially for those departing on ⋯ Read the full article

In this concise yet affecting poem, Bai Juyi captures the delicate tension between love, memory, and the necessity of letting go. Set at a place called “the southern shor⋯ Read the full article

“Remembrance of Jiangnan (No. 1)” is one of Bai Juyi’s best-known short lyric poems (词) in the Chinese tradition. Written in the Ci form, it celebrates the region south ⋯ Read the full article

While an exact historical text for “Evening Slumber” (暮寝) by Bai Juyi is not firmly documented, the poem above is rendered in a style reminiscent of his gentle, introsp⋯ Read the full article

While Bai Juyi is widely recognized for poems such as “Song of the Pipa” or “Selling Charcoal,” his repertoire also includes more intimate, shorter works reflecting on se⋯ Read the full article

In this short yet poignant poem, Bai Juyi offers a window into the secluded and often sorrowful lives of women in the imperial harem. The speaker, presumably a palace lad⋯ Read the full article

Although the exact historical text of “宿紫阁山北村” (Staying Overnight at the Northern Village of Mount Zige) is sparse in modern records, this reconstructed poem in Bai⋯ Read the full article

In this well-known quatrain, Bai Juyi extends a simple but heartfelt invitation to a friend. The imagery is unassuming yet evocative: fresh, frothy wine (绿蚁新醅酒) and ⋯ Read the full article

In “The Charcoal Seller,” Bai Juyi highlights the stark realities that beset those on society’s margins. The poem’s protagonist has only a meager livelihood, chopping woo⋯ Read the full article

In this poem attributed to Bai Juyi, we see farmers in a rural setting gathering the medicinal plant known as 地黄 (rehmannia). Written in the poet’s characteristic style⋯ Read the full article

Bai Juyi’s poem “Watching the Wheat Harvest” spotlights the intense labor of farm families during the wheat season in late spring or early summer. In brisk, vivid lines, ⋯ Read the full article

In “Peach Blossoms at Dalin Temple,” Bai Juyi contrasts the usual timing of spring’s departure in the lower world with the late arrival of peach blossoms at a secluded mo⋯ Read the full article