SuaveG – The Gentle Path

Chinese mythology, folktales, and literature

Tang poetry

  • To the Cicada [Tang Poems]

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    Ana

    — Li Shangyin High, you can’t eat your fill; In vain you wail and trill. At dawn you hush your song; The tree is green for long. I drift as water flows; And waste my garden grows. Thank you for warning due, I am as poor as you.

  • Falling Flowers [Tang Poems]

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    Ana

    — Li Shangyin The guest has left my tower high, My garden flowers pell-mell fly. Here and there over the winding way They say goodbye to parting day. I won’t sweep them with broken heart, But wish they would not fall apart. Their love with spring won’t disappear, Each dewdrop turns into a tear.

  • To the Willow Tree [Tang Poems]

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    Ana

    — Li Shangyin Having caressed the dancers in the vernal breeze, You’re ravished amid the merry-making trees. How can you wail until clear autumn days are done To shrill like poor cicadas in the setting sun?

  • To the Parrot [Tang Poems]

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    Ana

    — Luo Yin Do not complain of golden cage and wings cut short; The southern land is far warmer than the northwest. Don’t clearly speak if you listen to my exhort; You will offend if clearly your complaint’s expressed.

  • The Yellow River [Tang Poems]

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    Ana

    — Luo Yin Don’t try to make the muddy Yellow River clean! Could Heaven mirrored in the waves be clearly seen? How could a winding stream go up the Milky Way? Just out of Mount Kunlun, it is muddy like clay. In vain the emperor swore to narrow it down; Could a raft reach…

  • To the Coinlike Golden Flower [Tang Poems]

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    Ana

    — Luo Yin You grow around a tree with a name bright, You cling together steeped in autumn light. If your flowers could be stored up like gold, The rich would pluck you down since days of old.

  • To the Willow [Tang Poems]

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    Ana

    — Luo Yin By riverside you see lovers part on fine day; They cling together but they cannot make spring stay. Your catkins waft in the breeze when your branches sway, Could you retain those who are going far away?

  • Tune of the River Xiang [Tang Poems]

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    Ana

    — Zhang Ji The River Xiang unruffled in autumn looks wide; The wayfarer at moonset leaves the riverside. We see wayfarers come, we see wayfarers go. Over white duckweed partridges fly to and fro.

  • Tune of the Mountain Goddess [Tang Poems]

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    Ana

    — Meng Jiao Going upstream, I see mountain on mountain high; The twelve green peaks with Sunny Terrace scrape the sky. The king in hunting caught by sudden evening shower Slept there and dreamed of the Goddess in Sunny Bower. To her charm added the mist-veiled rainbow dress bright; Away she flew with faded…