Bai Juyi’s short poem “Flower, Yet Not a Flower” offers a succinct meditation on the elusive nature of beauty and existence. Through simple yet paradoxical imagery—someth⋯ Read the full article

In this poem, Bai Juyi presents a fleeting scene at dusk along the riverbank, highlighting nature’s palette during early autumn. He contrasts the cool green and warm red ⋯ Read the full article

In this poem, Bai Juyi employs the imagery of resilient grass growing on an ancient plain to symbolize parting and renewal. The grass, which continually withers and reviv⋯ Read the full article

In this poem, Bai Juyi offers a gentle yet vivid portrayal of early spring by Qiantang Lake—now known widely as West Lake in Hangzhou. With each line, he uses natural det⋯ Read the full article

“Song of Everlasting Regret” by Bai Juyi is one of the most celebrated narrative poems of the Tang Dynasty. It recounts the tragic romance between Emperor Xuanzong of Tan⋯ Read the full article

Bai Juyi’s “Song of the Pipa (with Preface)” is a long narrative poem centered on a chance meeting with a pipa player while the poet himself is demoted and exiled to a re⋯ Read the full article

In “Recalling the Plum,” Li Shangyin uses the plum blossom—symbolically cherished in Chinese culture for its resilience during cold winter months—to convey both melanchol⋯ Read the full article

In “Solitary Outing,” Li Shangyin presents a nocturnal landscape brimming with understated melancholy. The opening lines immerse us in a quiet, moonlit path edged by spar⋯ Read the full article

“Chou Bi Post Station” is traditionally associated with the ruins linked to famed strategist Zhuge Liang from the Three Kingdoms era (though direct references to him may ⋯ Read the full article

In “Send-Off to General Li of the Qian-Niu Corps,” Li Shangyin weaves together martial valor, heartfelt loyalty, and the poignant sadness of parting. The poem begins by c⋯ Read the full article

Li Shangyin’s poem “Willow” reflects on the fleeting nature of seasons and the emotional undertones they carry. In the first couplet, the willows are depicted as companio⋯ Read the full article

In this poem often referred to by its first line—“春心莫共花争发” (Let not the spring heart bloom in rivalry with flowers)—Li Shangyin juxtaposes the stirring of the natu⋯ Read the full article

In “Falling Blossoms (No. 1),” Li Shangyin presents a scene of cascading petals in a small garden just as spring wanes. The first lines set up a bittersweet departure: a ⋯ Read the full article

Often categorized under his “Untitled” poems, this brief work by Li Shangyin opens with an image of a “clouded screen” that hints at both physical and emotional veils. Th⋯ Read the full article

In this poem, Li Shangyin draws inspiration from the Chinese myth of Chang'e, the goddess who ascends to the moon after consuming an elixir of immortality—at the cost of ⋯ Read the full article