Bai Juyi (772–846 CE) was a renowned poet of the Tang dynasty, with the courtesy name Letian. His ancestral home was Taiyuan (in present-day Shanxi), but his family later moved to Xiagui (modern-day Weinan, Shaanxi).
From a young age, he studied diligently and passed the imperial examination in 800 (the 16th year of the Zhenyuan era), earning the post of Collator in the Secretariat Library. During the Yuanhe period, he served as Left Remonstrant and later as Left Assistant Master of the Heir Apparent.
After Chancellor Wu Yuanheng was assassinated, Bai Juyi submitted a memorial urging a thorough investigation, which angered powerful officials. As a result, he was demoted to the position of Prefectural Secretary of Jiangzhou.
He later served as Prefect of Hangzhou and Suzhou, and eventually rose to Minister of Justice and Junior Tutor to the Crown Prince. In his later years, he retired to the Xiangshan area near Luoyang and styled himself “Hermit of Xiangshan.”
In literature, Bai Juyi actively championed the New Yuefu Movement, advocating that “literature should be written for its time, and poetry composed for real events.” His early works sharply exposed political corruption and social injustice, giving voice to the suffering of ordinary people—as seen in poems like “The Charcoal Seller” and “Songs of Qinzhong.”
In his later years, his poetic style became more tranquil and reflective, focusing on personal contentment, natural scenery, and lyrical ease, expressed in clear, accessible language. He is often paired with Yuan Zhen, and together they are known as “Yuan and Bai.”
Bai Juyi left behind approximately 3,000 poems. Among his most famous works are “Song of Everlasting Regret”(Chang Hen Ge) and “The Lute Song” (Pipa Xing). His collected works are preserved in the Bai Shi Changqing Ji(Collected Works of Bai Juyi from the Changqing Era).
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