Also known as li bai, li po 701762 is considered one of chinas two best poets the other is tu fu, both of the tang dynasty. See all books authored by li bai, including the selected poems, and li po and tu fu. A chinese poet of the tang dynasty, li bai also known as li po, li pai, li taipo, and li taipai was probably born in central asia and grew up in sichuan province. Even more, the number 300 was a classic number for a poetry collection due to the influence of the classic of poetry, which was generally known as the three hundred poems.
Li bai, also known as li po, was arguably the greatest poet of chinas tang dynasty, and possibly of all its history. Li bai english translations click on the title of each poem for the text in chinese characters, pinyin and literal translation. Li bai s poetry is absolutely amazing and provides such a unique perspective of ancient china. In your most recent book, book of my nights, night is many things. He left home in 725 to wander through the yangtze river valley and write poetry. David hintons translation of li pos poems is no less an achievement than his critically acclaimed the selected poems of tu fu, also published by new directions. Jan 09, 2019 jins book, on the other hand, is a 292page, detailed account of li bais life from his birth to his death, interspersed with translations of his poetry throughout. A life of li bai, ha jins newest book was published by pantheon in january. Ha jin opens up on creative process for nonfiction work on.
He and his friend du fu 712770 were the two most prominent figures in the flourishing of chinese poetry in the tang dynasty, which is often called the golden age of chinese poetry. Li bai lives through his poems with his simple yet perceptive view of life in china. Under dr wang fengs harmonyguided criteria for poetry translation, this paper attempts to conduct an analysis on four english versions of li bais drinking alone under the moon at three levels. Secondly, waley is critical of li bais talent as a poet and patronizing toward his status in chinese society. To drown his own sorrows, li bo became very drunk very often, until it became a lifelong habit. The selected poems of li po by li po, li bai, paperback. A life of li bai ha jin pantheon books, 2019 ha jins biography of li bai formerly known as li po and rihaku in the west provides a vivid survey of the great poets life. They are as important in chinese literary history as shakespeare is to people in britain, drunkenness didnt have negative connotations for an 8th century poet it was the route to divine inspiration. Introduction to chinese poetry, chinese poem with pinyin, english annotation, and english translation. An informative and interesting book with its ancient, beautiful and reflective poetry.
What he did accomplish was to raise traditionbound lyric poetry to its pinnacle of beauty. Li bai andor li bo, 701 762, also well known as li po was one of the greatest poets of the tang dynasty, often called chinas golden age of poetry. The great chinese poet li po was born in 701 and grew up in western china, in sichuan province near chengdu. This book give a detailed introduction of li bai and present 27 most symbolic poems. The three hundred tang poemsis an anthology of poems from the chinese tang dynasty, 618907, first compiled around 1763 by sun zhu, 17221778, the qing dynasty scholar, also known as hengtang tuishi. Li bai simple english wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. The selected poems of li po hinton, david, li, bai, li, po, po, li, hinton, david on. An example is his poem, translated by witter bynner as hard.
The text below is a qingdynasty version, with mandarin pronunciation. The two books of tang, the old book of tang and the new book of tang, remain the primary sources of bibliographical material on li bai. In this short poem, li bai writes about the experience of zazen meditation using some of the simplest and most common imagery of the time birds and clouds for the passing phenomena of the mind, and the mountain for the stability of awareness, which eventually is the only thing that remains. Ha jin opens up on creative process for nonfiction work on poet li bai. Li bai was part of the group of chinese scholars called the eight immortals of the wine cup in a poem by fellow poet du fu. Apr 23, 2014 li bai, also known as li po, was arguably the greatest poet of chinas tang dynasty, and possibly of all its history. An example is the poem to danqiu, translated by arthur chinese languages. A highly serious, productive, and much estimated poet, li bai experimented with the traditional rules of versification. He left home in 725 to wander through the yangtze river valley. Li left his home at changming, szechwan, about 720, and for twenty years wandered from place to place, occasionally seeking official employment but not through the.
Li bais poetry reflects the state of low feeling one experiences when he finds his life is wasted, and talents unused. A farewell to meng haoran on his way to yangzhou you have left me behind, old friend, at the yellow crane. It is known for its beautiful women and brilliant poetry. Li bai books list of books by author li bai thriftbooks. Classic poetry series li bai poems publication date. Li bai has 96 books on goodreads with 9893 ratings. Poet of a distant center and a biographer of li bai. The original book was written vertically in columns but have since been converted to horizontal rows in simplified chinese. They had a lasting impact on chinese poetry throughout. Regarded as one of the greatest poets of the tang dynasty, often called chinas golden age of poetry. Some evidence points to him and his family living in sunye, in modern day kyrgyzstan, and perhaps also in tiaozhi in afghanistan. A large number of poems from this period still survive today, they have been translated into many languages all over the. Yumenguan every chinese reader of li bais poetry, then and now, was and is familiar with yumenguan.
It is jins nonfiction debut and the first fulllength english biography of tang dynasty poet li bai. One contemporary scholar writes that li bai rode a whale, floating away with the waves, toward the moon. An accomplished martial artist and academic genius, li bai was also a great lover of wine, becoming a member of the six. Ha jins selfrevealing study of the chinese poet li bai. He is noted for his elegant romantic poetry and for his prolific output. Jan 17, 20 li bai died, perhaps soaked in a few cups of solitary wine, for the admiration of and attraction to a reflection. Li bai li po and du tu tu fu are the most loved chinese poets.
Apr 03, 2017 the tang dynasty is often called the golden age of chinese culture. The works of li po, the chinese poet bai li full view 1922. Li bai 701762 was one of the greatest poets of the tang dynasty. Why did you feel a calling to the night as opposed to the day. While he was drunk, li bai was able to compose beautiful verses without restraint. In 742 he was appointed to the hanlin academy by emperor xuanzong, though he was eventually expelled from court. Li bai 701762, also known as li bo, courtesy name taibai, was a chinese poet acclaimed from his own day to the present as a genius and a romantic figure who took traditional poetic forms to new heights. Amusing myself li bai facing my wine, i did not see the dusk, falling blossoms have filled the folds of my clothes.
Poems of li bai and du fu oyster river press, 2007. Even at an early age, li bai showed an aptitude for studies and talents in verse. Jins book, on the other hand, is a 292page, detailed account of li bais life from his birth to his death, interspersed with translations of his poetry throughout. See all formats and editions hide other formats and editions. Li bai also known as li bo or li taibai, of the high tang period, ranks alongside du fu as one of the two leading figures of chinese poetry. Yumenguan every chinese reader of li bai s poetry, then and now, was and is familiar with yumenguan, the jade gate. Each poet is introduced by the translator, david young, and. Classic of poetry, book of songs, books of odes, 300 tang poems, song poems, zhou poems. He is the author of the poetry collection my minotaur dos madres press, 2010 and translator of facing the moon. Free kindle book and epub digitized and proofread by project gutenberg. The selections from these five poets constitute some of the greatest lyric poetry ever written. The tang dynasty is often called the golden age of chinese culture. His fellow poet du fu counted him to the group of chinese scholars that he called the eight immortals of the wine cup in a poem. Responding differently to their common times, wang wei, li bai, and du fu crystallize the immense variety of china and the chinese poetic tradition and, across a distance of twelve hundred years, move the reader as it is rare for even poetry to do.
Li bai 701762, also known as li bo, courtesy name taibai, was a chinese poet acclaimed. It is taught to children in both taiwanese and mainland chinese schools. Li bai died, perhaps soaked in a few cups of solitary wine, for the admiration of and attraction to a reflection. Jul 21, 20 free kindle book and epub digitized and proofread by project gutenberg. Apr 11, 2020 li bai wrote this series of ballads during the insurrection of general an lushan, whose rebellion against the tang dynasty began in 755 with disastrous consequences. Li bai is often regarded, along with du fu, as one of the two greatest poets in chinas literary history. A chinese poet of the tang dynasty, li bai also known as li po, li pai, li tai po, and li taipai was probably born in central asia and grew up in. Li bais father envisioned a government official post for li bai. The selected poems and millions of other books are available for instant. Li bai especially excelled in the gushi form, or old style poems, a type of poetry allowing a great deal of freedom in terms of the form and content of the work.
Drunk, i rise and approach the moon in the stream, birds are far off, people too are few. He was a gifted student, studied the classic confucian works as well as other more esoteric and romantic literature. His familys genealogical records were lost, intentional or otherwise, so it is not known why his family had to move into the central asia area from china proper. He was a byronic figure, whose life as well as his verse embodied the romantic cliches of freedom, spontaneity and defiance of convention. The selected poems by li bai meet your next favorite book. A large number of poems from this period still survive today, they have been translated into many languages all over the world. Jan 23, 2019 even today, lovers of li bais poetry indulge in the myth.
A lovely bilingual edition of the 8th century chinese poets li bai and du fu, translated by keith holyoak with calligraphy by hunghsiang chou. Li bai, one of the two major poets of the tang dynasty, a lover of detachment and freedom, deliberately avoided the lushi and chose the less formal verse forms to sing of friendship or wine. If poetry is a reflection of life, at once more intense and less real, just as the moon is within grasp and yet is nothing at all, then li bai died for poetry. At age 24 he left home for a period of wandering, after which he married and. His poetry, although in translation, is truly very beautiful regardless of the topics he chooses to write about. Three book recommendations for national poetry month, 2020. Li bai liked to regard himself as belonging to the imperial family, but he actually belonged to a less exalted family of the same surname. An analysis of the english translation of li bais poems. Why did you feel a calling to the night as opposed to the. These often go together as tang poets write descriptions of elegant. Li bai, chinese poet who rivaled du fu for the title of chinas greatest poet. The dewdrop is a journal of reflective and thoughtful essays and poetry loosely based on spiritual themes that draw on classic and modern texts.
Yumenguan every chinese reader of li bais poetry, then and now, was and is familiar with yumenguan, the jade gate. Even today, lovers of li bais poetry indulge in the myth. The tang era was a golden age of chinese poetry, and li bais works made up a major part of this. Poems of li bai and du fu, feature translations of two of chinas most celebrated poets. From the national book awardwinning author of waiting. His verse is notable for the strong voice and personality it reflects, uncommon in the 8th century. By reflecting the ambiguity and density of the original, hinton continues to create compelling english poems that alter our conception of chinese poetry. The three tang dynasty poets translated here are among the greatest literary figures of china, or indeed the world. Get book recommendations, fiction, poetry, and dispatches from the world of literature in your inbox. Li bai wrote this series of ballads during the insurrection of general an lushan, whose rebellion against the tang dynasty began in 755 with disastrous consequences. Chinese poetry, anthology of li bai li po kindle edition by bai li author format.
Oct 08, 2015 free kindle book and epub digitized and proofread by project gutenberg. In the banished immortal, a biography of li, the novelist ha jin narrates the poets unusual life with erudition and empathy. Li bais father, a wealthy businessman, moved his family back home from the western outskirt of china to a city now identified as jiangyou, sichuan when li bai was a child. Although the tang dynasty saw the introduction of several new poetic forms, li bo was not an innovator. D, a legendary figure in chinese poetry, is said to have drowned while drunkenly chasing the reflection of the moon in a river. Holyoaks clarity carries the profundity and complexity of the chinese culture not dissimilar to our own. Buy a cheap copy of five tang poets book by li bai. Ha jins selfrevealing study of the chinese poet li bai the new.
Li bai, also well known as li po, was a major chinese poet of the tang dynasty poetry period. It is bilingual with the chinese characters printed big enough for a beginner to actually read. Li bais yuefu poems have been called the greatest of all time by mingdynasty scholar and writer hu yinglin. This heavenward journey is presented from the distraught, drunken poets point of view so that li bai appears to be returning to his original, divine position.