Li Bai Poems

 

Li Bai (Chinese: 李白; pinyin: Lǐ Bái, 701–762), also pronounced as Li Bo, courtesy name Taibai (Chinese: 太白), was a Chinese poet, acclaimed from his own time to the present as a brilliant and romantic figure who took traditional poetic forms to new heights. He and his friend Du Fu (712–770) were two of the most prominent figures in the flourishing of Chinese poetry in the Tang dynasty, which is often called the "Golden Age of Chinese Poetry". The expression "Three Wonders" denotes Li Bai's poetry, Pei Min's swordplay, and Zhang Xu's calligraphy

Li Bai

701–762

A Chinese poet of the Tang Dynasty, Li Bai (also known as Li Po, Li Pai, Li T’ai-po, and Li T’ai-pai) was probably born in central Asia and grew up in Sichuan Province. He left home in 725 to wander through the Yangtze River Valley and write poetry. In 742 he was appointed to the Hanlin Academy by Emperor Xuanzong, though he was eventually expelled from court. He then served the Prince of Yun, who led a revolt after the An Lushan Rebellion of 755. Li Bai was arrested for treason; after he was pardoned, he again wandered the Yangtze Valley. He was married four times and was friends with the poet Du Fu.
 
Li Bai wrote occasional verse and poems about his own life. His poetry is known for its clear imagery and conversational tone. His work influenced a number of 20th-century poets, including Ezra Pound and James Wright.

Amusing Myself
Li Bai

Face wine not aware get dark Fall flower fill my clothes Drunk stand step stream moon Bird far person also few

Facing my wine, I did not see the dusk, Falling blossoms have filled the folds of my clothes. Drunk, I rise and approach the moon in the stream, Birds are far off, people too are few.

Ancient Air (39)
Li Bai

Climb high gaze four seas Heaven earth how vast vast Frost blanket crowd thing autumn Wind blow big desert cold Magnificent east flow water 10,000 thing all billow White sun cover elapse brilliance Float cloud without certain end Wutong nest swallow sparrow Thorn jujube perch yuan luan Moreover again return go come Sword sing travel road difficult

I climb up high and look on the four seas, Heaven and earth spreading out so far. Frost blankets all the stuff of autumn, The wind blows with the great desert's cold. The eastward-flowing water is immense, All the ten thousand things billow. The white sun's passing brightness fades, Floating clouds seem to have no end. Swallows and sparrows nest in the wutong tree, Yuan and luan birds perch among jujube thorns. Now it's time to head on back again, I flick my sword and sing Taking the Hard Road.

Autumn Air
Li Bai

Autumn wind clear Autumn moon bright Fall leaves gather and scatter Jackdaw perch again startle Each think each see know what day This hour this night hard be feeling

The autumn air is clear, The autumn moon is bright. Fallen leaves gather and scatter, The jackdaw perches and starts anew. We think of each other- when will we meet? This hour, this night, my feelings are hard.

Changgan Memories
Li Bai

My hair first cover forehead Break flower gate before play You ride bamboo horse come Round walkway play green plums Together live Changgan county Two little without suspicion suspicion Fourteen become your wife Shy face still not open. Lower head face dark wall Thousand call not one turn Fifteen start open brow Wish together dust and ash Always maintain massive pillar faith Why climb look husband platform Sixteen you far go Qutang Yanyudui Fifth month not risk run aground Ape sound sky on sorrow Gate before back and forth mark One by one grow green moss Moss deep not able sweep Fall leaf autumn wind early Eighth month butterfly yellow Pair fly west garden grass Feel this hurt my heart Because sorrow red face old When descend Sanba Before do letter send home Mutual come to meet not say far Up to Changfengsha.

When first my hair began to cover my forehead, I picked and played with flowers before the gate. You came riding on a bamboo horse, And circled the walkway, playing with green plums. We lived together, here in Changgan county, Two children, without the least suspicion. When I was fourteen, I became your wife, So shy that still my face remained unopened. I bowed my head towards the shadowed wall, And called one thousand times, I turned not once. At 15 I began to lift my brows, And wished to be with you as dust with ashes. You always kept your massive pillar faith, I had no need to climb the lookout hill. When I was sixteen, you went far away, To Yanyudui, within the Qutang gorge. You should not risk the dangerous floods of May, Now from the sky, the monkeys cry in mourning. Before the gate, my pacing's left a mark, Little by little, the green moss has grown. The moss is now too deep to sweep away, And leaves fall in the autumn's early winds. This August, all the butterflies are yellow, A pair fly over the western garden's grass. I feel that they are damaging my heart, Through worrying, my rosy face grows old. When you come down the river from Sanba, Beforehand, send a letter to your home. We'll go to meet each other, however far, I'll come up to Changfengsha.

View Chinese text in traditional characters.

Notes:
bamboo horse: a bamboo cane used as a toy horse.
Changgan: near Nanjing.
massive pillar faith: a reference to the story of a man who arranged to meet his lover by the pillar of a bridge. When the river waters rose, he continued to hold on to the pillar, and drowned.
Qutang gorge: one of the Yangzi's three gorges.

This poem also exists in a famous translation by Ezra Pound. Analysis of this translation and comparisons of different versions can be found here. Pound's source material and other translations are here.
Other Chinese poems about Separation and Autumn.

Crows Calling at Night
Li Bai

乌夜啼

黄云城边乌欲栖
归飞哑哑枝上啼
机中织锦秦川女
碧纱如烟隔窗语
停梭怅然忆远人
独宿孤房泪如雨

Wū Yè Tí

Huáng yún chéng biān wū yù qī
Guī fēi yā yā zhī shàng tí
Jī zhōng zhī jǐn qín chuān nǚ
Bì shā rú yān gé chuāng yǔ
Tíng suō chàng rán yì yuǎn rén
Dú sù gū fáng lèi rú yǔ

Yellow cloud wall beside crow near roost
Return fly caw caw branch on call
Machine in weave brocade Qin river girl
Green yarn like mist separate window speech
Stop shuttle disappointed recall far person
Alone stay lone room tear like rain

Yellow clouds beside the walls; crows roosting near.
Flying back, they caw, caw; calling in the boughs.
In the loom she weaves brocade, the Qin river girl.
Made of emerald yarn like mist, the window hides her words.
She stops the shuttle, sorrowful, and thinks of the distant man.
She stays alone in the lonely room, her tears just like the rain.

For Wang Lun
Li Bai

Li Bai ride boat will about to travel Suddenly hear bank on stamp sing sound Taohua pool water deep thousand feet Less than Wang Lun accompany me feeling

Li Bai is already on the boat, preparing to depart, I suddenly hear the sound of stamping and singing on the shore. The water of Taohua pond reaches a thousand feet in depth, But still it's not as deep as Wang Lun's feelings seeing me off.

Hearing a Flute on a Spring Night in Luoyang
Li Bai

Whose house jade flute secret fly sound Lose enter spring wind fill Luoyang city This nocturne middle hear break willow What person not start home feel

From whose home secretly flies the sound of a jade flute? It's lost amid the spring wind which fills Luoyang city. In the middle of this nocturne I remember the snapped willow, What person would not start to think of home!

Laolao Ting Pavilion
Li Bai

Heaven below damage heart place Laolao see off visitor pavilion Spring wind know parting sorrow Not send willow twig green.

What place under heaven most hurts the heart? Laolao Ting, for seeing visitors off. The spring wind knows how bitter it is to part, The willow twig will never again be green.

Long Yearning
Li Bai

Long yearning In Chang'an Web woof autumn call gold well railing Coalesce frost freezing bamboo mat look cold Lonely lamp not bright think almost cut Roll curtain gaze moon vain long sigh Beautiful person like flower separate cloud end Above be black night () high heaven Below be green water () billow Heaven long road far spirit fly bitter Dream spirit not arrive pass mountain difficult Long yearning Break heart

Long yearning, To be in Chang'an. The grasshoppers weave their autumn song by the golden railing of the well; Frost coalesces on my bamboo mat, changing its colour with cold. My lonely lamp is not bright, I’d like to end these thoughts; I roll back the hanging, gaze at the moon, and long sigh in vain. The beautiful person's like a flower beyond the edge of the clouds. Above is the black night of heaven's height; Below is the green water billowing on. The sky is long, the road is far, bitter flies my spirit; The spirit I dream can't get through, the mountain pass is hard. Long yearning, Breaks my heart.

Long Yearning (Sent Far)
Li Bai

Beautiful person be time flower fill hall Beautiful person go after surplus bed Bed on embroidered quilt curl not sleep Reach now three years like smell scent Scent also end not finish Person also end not come Yearning yellow leaf fall White dew point green moss

When the beautiful woman was here, the hall was filled with flowers, Now the beautiful woman's gone, the bed is lying empty. On the bed, the embroidered quilt is rolled up: no-one sleeps, Though three years have now gone by, I think I smell that scent. The scent is finished but not destroyed, The woman's gone and does not come. Yearning yellows the falling leaf, White dew beads the green moss.

Marble Steps Complaint
Li Bai

Jade steps grow white dew Night long encroach gauze stocking But fall crystal curtain Exquisite view autumn moon

White dew grows on the marble steps, And in the long night, soaks into my stockings. But now I let the crystal curtain down, And gaze through it at the autumn moon.

Midnight Song of Wu
Li Bai

Chang'an one disc moon Ten thousand households pound clothes noise Autumn wind blow no end Always jade pass think What day pacify Hu prisoner Husband end long journey

In Chang'an city is the disk of the moon, The sound of pounding clothes in ten thousand households. The autumn wind is blowing without cease, All the time I think of Yuguan pass. When will we pacify the pillaging Hu, So my husband can end his long journey?

Question and Answer on the Mountain
Li Bai

Ask me what reason stay green mountain Smile but not answer heart self idle Peach blossom flow water far go Apart have heaven earth in human world

You ask for what reason I stay on the green mountain, I smile, but do not answer, my heart is at leisure. Peach blossom is carried far off by flowing water, Apart, I have heaven and earth in the human world.

Seeing Off a Friend
Li Bai

Green hill across north wall White water wind east city This place one do parting Lone tumbleweed ten thousand li journey Drift clouds traveller thought Set sun old friend feeling Wave hand from this go Neigh part horse call

Green hills above the northern wall, White water winding east of the city. On this spot our single act of parting, The lonely tumbleweed journeys ten thousand li. Drifting clouds echo the traveller's thoughts, The setting sun reflects my old friend's feelings. You wave your hand and set off from this place, Your horse whinnies as it leaves.

Seeing off Meng Haoran for Guangling at Yellow Crane Tower
Li Bai

Old friend west take leave yellow crane tower Mist flowers three month down Yangzhou Lone sail far shadow blue empty to limit Only see Yangtze River horizon flow

My old friend's said goodbye to the west, here at Yellow Crane Tower, In the third month's cloud of willow blossoms, he's going down to Yangzhou. The lonely sail is a distant shadow, on the edge of a blue emptiness, All I see is the Yangtze River flow to the far horizon.

Sent to Du Fu below Shaqiu City
Li Bai

I come finally what thing High lie Sha qiu city City beside are ancient trees Sun set join autumn sounds Lu wine not can drunk Qi song vain again feel Think you resemble Wen water Mighty immense send south journey

What is it that I've come to now? High before me: Shaqiu city. Beside the city, ancient trees; The sunset joins the autumn sounds. The Lu wine cannot make me drunk, Qi's songs cannot restore my feelings. My thoughts of you are like the Wen's waters, Mightily sent on their southern journey.

Sitting Alone on Jingting Shan Hill
Li Bai

Crowd birds high fly utmost Lonely cloud alone go idle Mutual watch both not tire Only be Jingting Shan

A flock of birds is flying high in the distance, A lonely cloud drifts idly on its own. We gaze at each other, neither growing tired, There is only Jingting Shan.

Staying the Night at a Mountain Temple
Li Bai

High tower high hundred feet Hand can pluck stars Not dare high voice speak Fear startle heaven on person

The high tower is a hundred feet tall, From here one's hand could pluck the stars. I do not dare to speak in a loud voice, I fear to disturb the people in heaven.

Thoughts on a Still Night
Li Bai

Bed before bright moon shine Think be ground on frost Raise head view bright moon Lower head think home

Before my bed, the moon is shining bright, I think that it is frost upon the ground. I raise my head and look at the bright moon, I lower my head and think of home.

Viewing Heaven's Gate Mountains
Li Bai

Heaven gate middle cut Chu River open Green water east flow reach here turn Both banks blue mountain mutual face out Lonely sail one disc sun beside come

The River Chu cuts through the middle of heaven's gate, The green water flowing east reaches here then swirls. On either bank the blue hills face towards each other, The flatness of a lonely sail comes from by of the sun.

Visiting the Taoist Priest Dai Tianshan But Not Finding Him
Li Bai

Dog bark water sound in Peach blossom bring rain thick Tree deep occasionally see deer Stream noon not hear bell Wild bamboo divide green mist Fly spring hang green peak Lack person know place go Sad lean two three pines

A dog's bark amid the water's sound, Peach blossom that's made thicker by the rain. Deep in the trees, I sometimes see a deer, And at the stream I hear no noonday bell. Wild bamboo divides the green mist, A flying spring hangs from the jasper peak. No-one knows the place to which he's gone, Sadly, I lean on two or three pines.

Li Bai English Translations Amusing Myself Li Bai Facing my wine, I did not see the dusk, Falling blossoms have filled the folds of my clothes. Drunk, I rise and approach the moon in the stream, Birds are far off, people too are few. Ancient Air (39) Li Bai I climb up high and look on the four seas, Heaven and earth spreading out so far. Frost blankets all the stuff of autumn, The wind blows with the great desert's cold. The eastward-flowing water is immense, All the ten thousand things billow. The white sun's passing brightness fades, Floating clouds seem to have no end. Swallows and sparrows nest in the wutong tree, Yuan and luan birds perch among jujube thorns. Now it's time to head on back again, I flick my sword and sing Taking the Hard Road. Autumn Air Li Bai The autumn air is clear, The autumn moon is bright. Fallen leaves gather and scatter, The jackdaw perches and starts anew. We think of each other- when will we meet? This hour, this night, my feelings are hard. Changgan Memories Li Bai When first my hair began to cover my forehead, I picked and played with flowers before the gate. You came riding on a bamboo horse, And circled the walkway, playing with green plums. We lived together, here in Changgan county, Two children, without the least suspicion. When I was fourteen, I became your wife, So shy that still my face remained unopened. I bowed my head towards the shadowed wall, And called one thousand times, I turned not once. At 15 I began to lift my brows, And wished to be with you as dust with ashes. You always kept your massive pillar faith, I had no need to climb the lookout hill. When I was sixteen, you went far away, To Yanyudui, within the Qutang gorge. You should not risk the dangerous floods of May, Now from the sky, the monkeys cry in mourning. Before the gate, my pacing's left a mark, Little by little, the green moss has grown. The moss is now too deep to sweep away, And leaves fall in the autumn's early winds. This August, all the butterflies are yellow, A pair fly over the western garden's grass. I feel that they are damaging my heart, Through worrying, my rosy face grows old. When you come down the river from Sanba, Beforehand, send a letter to your home. We'll go to meet each other, however far, I'll come up to Changfengsha. Crows Calling at Night Li Bai Yellow clouds beside the walls; crows near the tower. Flying back, they caw, caw; calling in the boughs. In the loom she weaves brocade, the Qin river girl. Made of emerald yarn like mist, the window hides her words. She stops the shuttle, sorrowful, and thinks of the distant man. She stays alone in the lonely room, her tears just like the rain. For Wang Lun Li Bai Li Bai is already on the boat, preparing to depart, I suddenly hear the sound of stamping and singing on the shore. The water of Taohua pond reaches a thousand feet in depth, But still it's not as deep as Wang Lun's feelings seeing me off. Hearing a Flute on a Spring Night in Luoyang Li Bai From whose home secretly flies the sound of a jade flute? It's lost amid the spring wind which fills Luoyang city. In the middle of this nocturne I remember the snapped willow, What person would not start to think of home! Laolao Ting Pavilion Li Bai What place under heaven most hurts the heart? Laolao Ting, for seeing visitors off. The spring wind knows how bitter it is to part, The willow twig will never again be green. Long Yearning Li Bai Long yearning, To be in Chang'an. The grasshoppers weave their autumn song by the golden railing of the well; Frost coalesces on my bamboo mat, changing its colour with cold. My lonely lamp is not bright, I’d like to end these thoughts; I roll back the hanging, gaze at the moon, and long sigh in vain. The beautiful person's like a flower beyond the edge of the clouds. Above is the black night of heaven's height; Below is the green water billowing on. The sky is long, the road is far, bitter flies my spirit; The spirit I dream can't get through, the mountain pass is hard. Long yearning, Breaks my heart. Long Yearning (Sent Far) Li Bai When the beautiful woman was here, the hall was filled with flowers, Now the beautiful woman's gone, the bed is lying empty. On the bed, the embroidered quilt is rolled up: no-one sleeps, Though three years have now gone by, I think I smell that scent. The scent is finished but not destroyed, The woman's gone and does not come. Yearning yellows the falling leaf, White dew beads the green moss. Marble Steps Complaint Li Bai White dew grows on the marble steps, And in the long night, soaks into my stockings. But now I let the crystal curtain down, And gaze through it at the autumn moon. Midnight Song of Wu Li Bai In Chang'an city is the disk of the moon, The sound of pounding clothes in ten thousand households. The autumn wind is blowing without cease, All the time I think of Yuguan pass. When will we pacify the pillaging Hu, So my husband can end his long journey? Question and Answer on the Mountain Li Bai You ask for what reason I stay on the green mountain, I smile, but do not answer, my heart is at leisure. Peach blossom is carried far off by flowing water, Apart, I have heaven and earth in the human world. Seeing off a Friend Li Bai Green hills above the northern wall, White water winding east of the city. On this spot our single act of parting, The lonely tumbleweed journeys ten thousand li. Drifting clouds echo the traveller's thoughts, The setting sun reflects my old friend's feelings. You wave your hand and set off from this place, Your horse whinnies as it leaves. Seeing off Meng Haoran for Guangling at Yellow Crane Tower Li Bai My old friend's said goodbye to the west, here at Yellow Crane Tower, In the third month's cloud of willow blossoms, he's going down to Yangzhou. The lonely sail is a distant shadow, on the edge of a blue emptiness, All I see is the Yangtze River flow to the far horizon. Sent to Du Fu below Shaqiu City Li Bai What is it that I've come to now? High before me: Shaqiu city. Beside the city, ancient trees; The sunset joins the autumn sounds. The Lu wine cannot make me drunk, Despite Qi's songs, my feelings return. My thoughts of you are like the Wen's waters, Mightily sent on their southern journey. Sitting Alone on Jingting Shan Hill Li Bai A flock of birds is flying high in the distance, A lonely cloud drifts idly on its own. We gaze at each other, neither growing tired, There is only Jingting Shan. Staying the Night at a Mountain Temple Li Bai The high tower is a hundred feet tall, From here one's hand could pluck the stars. I do not dare to speak in a loud voice, I fear to disturb the people in heaven. Thoughts on a Still Night Li Bai Before my bed, the moon is shining bright, I think that it is frost upon the ground. I raise my head and look at the bright moon, I lower my head and think of home. Viewing Heaven's Gate Mountains Li Bai The River Chu cuts through the middle of heaven's gate, The green water flowing east reaches here then swirls. On either bank the blue hills face towards each other, The flatness of a lonely sail comes from by of the sun. Visiting the Taoist Priest Dai Tianshan But Not Finding Him Li Bai A dog's bark amid the water's sound, Peach blossom that's made thicker by the rain. Deep in the trees, I sometimes see a deer, And at the stream I hear no noonday bell. Wild bamboo divides the green mist, A flying spring hangs from the jasper peak. No-one knows the place to which he's gone, Sadly, I lean on two or three pines.