FIR-FLOWER TABLETS

CONTENTS

ILLUSTRATIONS

INTRODUCTION

FIR-FLOWER TABLETS

SONGS OF THE MARCHES

THE BATTLE TO THE SOUTH OF THE CITY

THE PERILS OF THE SHU ROAD

LOOKING AT THE MOON AFTER RAIN

THE LONELY WIFE

THE PLEASURES WITHIN THE PALACE

THE YOUNG GIRLS OF YÜEH

WRITTEN IN THE CHARACTER OF A BEAUTIFUL WOMAN GRIEVING BEFORE HER MIRROR

SONGS TO THE PEONIES SUNG TO THE AIR: "PEACEFUL BRIGHTNESS"

SPRING GRIEF AND RESENTMENT BY LI T'AI-PO

THE CAST-OFF PALACE WOMAN OF CH'IN AND THE DRAGON ROBES

THE POET IS DETAINED IN A NANKING WINE-SHOP ON THE EVE OF STARTING ON A JOURNEY

FÊNG HUANG T'AI

THE NORTHERN FLIGHT

FIGHTING TO THE SOUTH OF THE CITY

THE CROSSWISE RIVER

ON HEARING THE BUDDHIST PRIEST OF SHU PLAY HIS TABLE-LUTE

CH'ANG KAN

SORROW DURING A CLEAR AUTUMN

POIGNANT GRIEF DURING A SUNNY SPRING

TWO POEMS WRITTEN AS PARTING GIFTS TO TS'UI (THE OFFICIAL) OF CH'IU PU

SENT AS A PARTING GIFT TO THE SECOND OFFICIAL OF CH'IU PU

THE SONG OF THE WHITE CLOUDS

WIND-BOUND AT THE NEW FOREST REACH. A LETTER SENT TO A FRIEND

IN THE PROVINCE OF LU, AT THE ANCESTRAL SHRINE OF KING YAO. SAYING FAREWELL TO WU FIVE ON HIS DEPARTURE FOR LANG YA

DRINKING ALONE IN THE MOONLIGHT

DRINKING ALONE IN THE MOONLIGHT

A STATEMENT OF RESOLUTIONS AFTER BEING DRUNK ON A SPRING DAY

RIVER CHANT

SEPARATED BY IMPERIAL SUMMONS FROM HER WHO LIVES WITHIN

A WOMAN SINGS TO THE AIR: "SITTING AT NIGHT"

THE PALACE WOMAN OF HAN TAN BECOMES THE WIFE OF THE SOLDIERS' COOK

THE SORREL HORSE

A POEM GIVEN TO A BEAUTIFUL WOMAN ENCOUNTERED ON A FIELD-PATH

SAYING GOOD-BYE TO A FRIEND

DESCENDING THE EXTREME SOUTH MOUNTAIN; PASSING THE HOUSE OF HU SSŬ, LOVER OF HILLS; SPENDING THE NIGHT IN THE PREPARATION OF WINE

THE TERRACED ROAD OF THE TWO-EDGED SWORD MOUNTAINS

HEARING A BAMBOO FLUTE ON A SPRING NIGHT IN THE CITY OF LO YANG

THE RETREAT OF HSIEH KUNG

A TRAVELLER COMES TO THE OLD TERRACE OF SU

THEME OF THE REST-HOUSE ON THE CLEAR WAN RIVER

DRINKING SONG

ANSWER TO AN AFFECTIONATE INVITATION FROM TS'UI FIFTEEN

PARROT ISLAND

THE HONOURABLE LADY CHAO

THINKING OF THE FRONTIER

A SONG OF RESENTMENT

PICKING WILLOW

AUTUMN RIVER SONG

VISITING THE TAOIST PRIEST ON THE MOUNTAIN WHICH UPHOLDS HEAVEN. HE IS ABSENT

REPLY TO AN UNREFINED PERSON ENCOUNTERED IN THE HILLS

RECITING VERSES BY MOONLIGHT IN A WESTERN UPPER CHAMBER IN THE CITY OF THE GOLDEN MOUND

PASSING THE NIGHT AT THE WHITE HERON ISLAND

ASCENDING THE THREE CHASMS

PARTING FROM YANG, A HILL MAN WHO IS RETURNING TO THE HIGH MOUNTAIN

NIGHT THOUGHTS

THE SERPENT MOUND

ON THE SUBJECT OF OLD TAI'S WINE-SHOP

DRINKING IN THE T'AO PAVILION

A SONG FOR THE HOUR WHEN THE CROWS ROOST

POEM SENT TO THE OFFICIAL WANG OF HAN YANG

DRINKING ALONE ON THE ROCK IN THE RIVER OF THE CLEAR STREAM

A FAREWELL BANQUET TO MY FATHER'S YOUNGER BROTHER YÜN, THE IMPERIAL LIBRARIAN

IN THE PROVINCE OF LU, TO THE EAST OF THE STONE GATE MOUNTAIN, TAKING LEAVE OF TU FU

THE MOON OVER THE MOUNTAIN PASS

THE TAKING-UP OF ARMS

A SONG OF THE REST-HOUSE OF DEEP TROUBLE

THE "LOOKING-FOR-HUSBAND" ROCK

AFTER BEING SEPARATED FOR A LONG TIME

BITTER JEALOUSY IN THE PALACE OF THE HIGH GATE

ETERNALLY THINKING OF EACH OTHER

PASSIONATE GRIEF

SUNG TO THE AIR: "THE MANTZŬ LIKE AN IDOL"

AT THE YELLOW CRANE TOWER, TAKING LEAVE OF MÊNG HAO JAN ON HIS DEPARTURE TO KUANG LING

IN DEEP THOUGHT, GAZING AT THE MOON

THOUGHTS FROM A THOUSAND LI

WORD-PATTERN

THE HEAVEN'S GATE MOUNTAINS

POEM SENT ON HEARING THAT WANG CH'ANG-LING HAD BEEN EXILED TO LUNG PIAO

A PARTING GIFT TO WANG LUN

SAYING GOOD-BYE TO A FRIEND WHO IS GOING ON AN EXCURSION TO THE PLUM-FLOWER LAKE

A POEM SENT TO TU FU FROM SHA CH'IU CH'ÊNG

BIDDING GOOD-BYE TO YIN SHU

A DESULTORY VISIT TO THE FÊNG HSIEN TEMPLE AT THE DRAGON'S GATE

THE THATCHED HOUSE UNROOFED BY AN AUTUMN GALE

THE RIVER VILLAGE

THE EXCURSION

THE RECRUITING OFFICERS AT THE VILLAGE OF THE STONE MOAT

CROSSING THE FRONTIER

CROSSING THE FRONTIER

THE SORCERESS GORGE

THINKING OF LI PO ON A SPRING DAY

AT THE EDGE OF HEAVEN. THINKING OF LI T'AI-PO

SENT TO LI PO AS A GIFT

A TOAST FOR MÊNG YÜN-CH'ING

MOON NIGHT

HEARING THE EARLY ORIOLE (WRITTEN IN EXILE)

THE CITY OF STONES. (NANKING)

SUNG TO THE TUNE OF "THE UNRIPE HAWTHORN BERRY"

WRITTEN BY WANG WEI, IN THE MANNER OF CHIA, THE (PALACE) SECRETARY, AFTER AN IMPERIAL AUDIENCE AT DAWN IN THE "PALACE OF GREAT BRILLIANCE"

THE BLUE-GREEN STREAM

FARM HOUSE ON THE WEI STREAM

SEEKING FOR THE HERMIT OF THE WEST HILL; NOT MEETING HIM

FLOATING ON THE POOL OF JO YA. SPRING

SUNG TO THE AIR: "THE WANDERER"

FAREWELL WORDS TO THE DAUGHTER OF THE HOUSE OF YANG

SUNG TO THE AIR: "LOOKING SOUTH OVER THE RIVER AND DREAMING"

TOGETHER WE KNOW HAPPINESS

ONCE MORE FIELDS AND GARDENS

SONG OF THE SNAPPED WILLOW

THE CLOUDY RIVER

TO THE AIR: "THE FALLEN LEAVES AND THE PLAINTIVE CICADA"

WRITTEN IN EARLY AUTUMN AT THE POOL OF SPRINKLING WATER

PROCLAIMING THE JOY OF CERTAIN HOURS

A SONG OF GRIEF

A LETTER OF THANKS FOR PRECIOUS PEARLS BESTOWED BY ONE ABOVE

DANCING

SONGS OF THE COURTESANS

THE GREAT HO RIVER

WRITTEN PICTURES

AN EVENING MEETING

THE EMPEROR'S RETURN FROM A JOURNEY TO THE SOUTH

ON SEEING THE PORTRAIT OF A BEAUTIFUL CONCUBINE

CALLIGRAPHY

THE PALACE BLOSSOMS

ONE GOES A JOURNEY

FROM THE STRAW HUT AMONG THE SEVEN PEAKS

ON THE CLASSIC OF THE HILLS AND SEA

THE HERMIT

AFTER HOW MANY YEARS

THE INN AT THE MOUNTAIN PASS

LI T'AI-PO MEDITATES

PAIR OF SCROLLS

TWO PANELS

THE RETURN

EVENING CALM

FISHING PICTURE

SPRING. SUMMER. AUTUMN

NOTES

TABLE OF CHINESE HISTORICAL PERIODS

Transcriber's Notes: