Poetry Codex

Chinese & Japanese

Li Po

701–762

Li Po (701–762) is the most famous name in Chinese literature. A wanderer and a lover of wine, he was for a time a favourite at the court of the Emperor Ming Huang, but left it for a life as a guest of governors and mandarins, and was later swept up in the rebellion of An Lu-shan and imprisoned. He appears in two of the books drawn on here.

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

Poems (169)

  1. Drinking Alone by Moonlight (I)
  2. Drinking Alone by Moonlight (II)
  3. Drinking Alone by Moonlight (III)
  4. In the Mountains on a Summer Day
  5. Waking from Drunkenness on a Spring Day
  6. Self-Abandonment
  7. To Tan Ch’iu
  8. Clearing at Dawn
  9. To the City of Nan-king
  10. Memories with the Dusk Return
  11. An Emperor’s Love
  12. On the Banks of Jo-yeh
  13. Thoughts in a Tranquil Night
  14. The Guild of Good-fellowship
  15. Under the Moon
  16. Drifting
  17. To a Firefly
  18. At Parting
  19. Night Thoughts
  20. Companions
  21. From a Belvidere
  22. For Her Husband
  23. "The Best of Life Is But..."
  24. Farewell by the River
  25. Gone
  26. No Inspiration
  27. General Hsieh An
  28. A Snap-Shot
  29. A Farewell
  30. Boyhood Fancies
  31. From the Palace
  32. The Poet
  33. Tears
  34. A Favourite
  35. In Exile
  36. In a Mirror
  37. Last Words
  38. Songs of the Marches (I)
  39. Songs of the Marches (II)
  40. Songs of the Marches (III)
  41. Songs of the Marches (IV)
  42. The Battle to the South of the City
  43. The Perils of the Shu Road
  44. Looking at the Moon After Rain
  45. The Lonely Wife
  46. The Pleasures Within the Palace
  47. The Young Girls of Yüeh (I)
  48. The Young Girls of Yüeh (II)
  49. Written in the Character of a Beautiful Woman Grieving Before Her Mirror (I)
  50. Written in the Character of a Beautiful Woman Grieving Before Her Mirror (II)
  51. Songs to the Peonies Sung to the Air: "Peaceful Brightness" (I)
  52. Songs to the Peonies Sung to the Air: "Peaceful Brightness" (II)
  53. Songs to the Peonies Sung to the Air: "Peaceful Brightness" (III)
  54. Spring Grief and Resentment
  55. The Cast-off Palace Woman of Ch'in and the Dragon Robes
  56. The Poet Is Detained in a Nanking Wine-shop on the Eve of Starting on a Journey
  57. Fêng Huang T'ai
  58. The Northern Flight
  59. Fighting to the South of the City
  60. The Crosswise River (I)
  61. The Crosswise River (II)
  62. The Crosswise River (III)
  63. On Hearing the Buddhist Priest of Shu Play His Table-lute
  64. Ch'ang Kan
  65. Sorrow During a Clear Autumn
  66. Poignant Grief During a Sunny Spring
  67. Two Poems Written as Parting Gifts to Ts'ui (the Official) of Ch'iu Pu (I)
  68. Two Poems Written as Parting Gifts to Ts'ui (the Official) of Ch'iu Pu (II)
  69. Sent as a Parting Gift to the Second Official of Ch'iu Pu
  70. The Song of the White Clouds
  71. Wind-bound at the New Forest Reach. A Letter Sent to a Friend
  72. In the Province of Lu, at the Ancestral Shrine of King Yao. Saying Farewell to Wu Five on His Departure for Lang Ya
  73. Drinking Alone in the Moonlight (I)
  74. Drinking Alone in the Moonlight (II)
  75. A Statement of Resolutions After Being Drunk on a Spring Day
  76. River Chant
  77. Separated by Imperial Summons from Her Who Lives Within (I)
  78. Separated by Imperial Summons from Her Who Lives Within (II)
  79. Separated by Imperial Summons from Her Who Lives Within (III)
  80. A Woman Sings to the Air: "Sitting at Night"
  81. The Palace Woman of Han Tan Becomes the Wife of the Soldiers' Cook
  82. The Sorrel Horse
  83. A Poem Given to a Beautiful Woman Encountered on a Field-path
  84. Saying Good-bye to a Friend
  85. Descending the Extreme South Mountain; Passing the House of Hu Ssŭ, Lover of Hills; Spending the Night in the Preparation of Wine
  86. The Terraced Road of the Two-edged Sword Mountains
  87. Hearing a Bamboo Flute on a Spring Night in the City of Lo Yang
  88. The Retreat of Hsieh Kung
  89. A Traveller Comes to the Old Terrace of Su
  90. Theme of the Rest-house on the Clear Wan River
  91. Drinking Song
  92. Answer to an Affectionate Invitation from Ts'ui Fifteen
  93. Parrot Island
  94. The Honourable Lady Chao
  95. Thinking of the Frontier
  96. A Song of Resentment
  97. Picking Willow
  98. Autumn River Song
  99. Visiting the Taoist Priest on the Mountain Which Upholds Heaven. He Is Absent
  100. Reply to an Unrefined Person Encountered in the Hills
  101. Reciting Verses by Moonlight in a Western Upper Chamber in the City of the Golden Mound
  102. Passing the Night at the White Heron Island
  103. Ascending the Three Chasms
  104. Parting from Yang, a Hill Man Who Is Returning to the High Mountain
  105. Night Thoughts
  106. The Serpent Mound
  107. On the Subject of Old Tai's Wine-shop
  108. Drinking in the T'ao Pavilion
  109. A Song for the Hour When the Crows Roost
  110. Poem Sent to the Official Wang of Han Yang
  111. Drinking Alone on the Rock in the River of the Clear Stream
  112. A Farewell Banquet to My Father's Younger Brother Yün, the Imperial Librarian
  113. In the Province of Lu, to the East of the Stone Gate Mountain, Taking Leave of Tu Fu
  114. The Moon Over the Mountain Pass
  115. The Taking-up of Arms
  116. A Song of the Rest-house of Deep Trouble
  117. The "Looking-for-husband" Rock
  118. After Being Separated for a Long Time
  119. Bitter Jealousy in the Palace of the High Gate (I)
  120. Bitter Jealousy in the Palace of the High Gate (II)
  121. Eternally Thinking of Each Other
  122. Passionate Grief
  123. Sung to the Air: "The Mantzŭ Like an Idol"
  124. At the Yellow Crane Tower, Taking Leave of Mêng Hao Jan on His Departure to Kuang Ling
  125. In Deep Thought, Gazing at the Moon
  126. Thoughts from a Thousand Li
  127. Word-pattern
  128. The Heaven's Gate Mountains
  129. Poem Sent on Hearing That Wang Ch'ang-ling Had Been Exiled to Lung Piao
  130. A Parting Gift to Wang Lun
  131. Saying Good-bye to a Friend Who Is Going on an Excursion to the Plum-flower Lake
  132. A Poem Sent to Tu Fu from Sha Ch'iu Ch'êng
  133. Bidding Good-bye to Yin Shu
  134. Along the Stream
  135. The Palace of Chao-Yang
  136. The Two Visits
  137. Spring Rhapsodies: I. Delight
  138. Spring Rhapsodies: II. Sadness
  139. Spring Rhapsodies: III. Sorrow
  140. Bright Autumntide
  141. A Song of the Marches
  142. A Farewell
  143. The Priest of T'ien Mountain
  144. In the Quiet Night
  145. A Bitter Love
  146. A Sigh from a Staircase of Jade
  147. A Farewell to Mêng Hao-jan on His Way to Yang-chou
  148. Through the Yang-tsze Gorges
  149. A Song of Pure Happiness
  150. A Message to Mêng Hao-jan
  151. Bidding a Friend Farewell at Ching-men Ferry
  152. A Farewell to a Friend
  153. On Hearing Chün the Buddhist Monk from Shu Play His Lute
  154. Thoughts of Old Time from a Night-Mooring under Mount Niu-chu
  155. On Climbing in Nan-king to the Terrace of Phoenixes
  156. Down Chung-nan Mountain to the Kind Pillow and Bowl of Hu Ssu
  157. Drinking Alone with the Moon
  158. In Spring
  159. The Moon at the Fortified Pass
  160. A Song of an Autumn Midnight
  161. A Song of Ch'ang-kan
  162. A Song of Lu Mountain
  163. T'ien-mu Mountain Ascended in a Dream
  164. Parting at a Wine-shop in Nan-king
  165. A Farewell to Secretary Shu-yün at the Hsieh T'iao Villa in Hsüan-chou
  166. Hard Roads in Shu
  167. Endless Yearning
  168. The Hard Road
  169. Bringing in the Wine

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