Ch’ü Yüan

Ch’ü Yüan (332–295 BC) was a minister of the state of Ch’u and the author of the famous poem “Li Sao,” or “Falling into Trouble.” Finding that he could not influence the conduct of his prince, he withdrew into exile and finally drowned himself in the river Mi-lo; the Dragon Boat Festival is supposed to be held in his honour.

The poems here are Arthur Waley’s version in A Hundred and Seventy Chinese Poems (1918); Arthur Waley’s version in More Translations from the Chinese (1919); L. Cranmer-Byng’s version in A Lute of Jade (1909), given with the poet’s name as spelled in those books.