Laurel · Various

A Hundred and Seventy Chinese Poems

Various (about 800), translated by Arthur Waley · 1918

Mixed forms · free verse · 2,511 lines in 136 sections

Po Chü-i and the Chinese tradition in the versions that changed English poetry: Pound, Eliot and the Imagists all read them.

Measured across the book

Across its 2,511 lines, 86% of stressed syllables fall on the beat (95% interval 85% to 87%). Alliteration runs at 1.00 times what shuffling the words would give (0.34 observed against 0.35 expected). 32% of the lines have a feminine ending.

Baselines and intervals are described in the methods.

Contents

Chapter I: Battle19 lines The Orphaniambic tetrameter · unrhymed · 53 lines The Sick Wifeunrhymed · 27 lines Cock-Crow Songiambic tetrameter · unrhymed · 10 lines The Golden Palaceiambic tetrameter · 18 lines “Old Poem”iambic tetrameter · unrhymed · 16 lines Meeting in the Roadiambic hexameter · 12 lines Fighting South of the Castleiambic tetrameter · 21 lines The Eastern Gateiambic tetrameter · unrhymed · 17 lines Old and Newiambic pentameter · 16 lines South of the Great Seaiambic tetrameter · 19 lines The Other Side of the Valleyiambic tetrameter · 8 lines Oaths of Friendshipiambic tetrameter · unrhymed · 17 lines Burial Songsiambic tetrameter · unrhymed · 11 lines Seventeen Old Poemsiambic pentameter · unrhymed · 172 lines Continuation ofiambic hexameter · unrhymed · 62 lines The Autumn Windunrhymed · 9 lines LI Fu-Jēniambic tetrameter · unrhymed · 10 lines Song of Snow-White Headsiambic trimeter · 24 lines To His Wifeiambic pentameter · 16 lines LI Ling26 lines Lament of Hsi-Chünunrhymed · 12 lines Ch’In Chiaunrhymed · 20 lines Ch’In Chia’s Wife’s Replyiambic tetrameter · 20 lines Songunrhymed · 20 lines Chapter II: Satire on Paying Calls in Augustunrhymed · 20 lines On the Death of His Fatheriambic tetrameter · unrhymed · 24 lines Two Poemsiambic pentameter · unrhymed · 22 lines The Ruins of Lo-Yangiambic tetrameter · 29 lines By Ts’ao Chih40 lines The Curtain of the Wedding Bediambic hexameter · 6 lines Regretiambic pentameter · unrhymed · 12 lines Taoist Songiambic pentameter · 10 lines A Gentle Windiambic hexameter · unrhymed · 10 lines By Fu Hsüaniambic tetrameter · 26 lines Day Dreams16 lines By Tso Ssŭiambic hexameter · unrhymed · 20 lines The Desecration of the Han Tombsiambic hexameter · unrhymed · 24 lines Bearer’s Songiambic pentameter · 12 lines The Valley Windtrochaic pentameter · unrhymed · 8 lines Chapter III: Poems by T’Ao Ch’Ieniambic tetrameter · unrhymed · 54 lines Substance, Shadow, and Spirittrochaic pentameter · 60 lines The Chinese Methuselahiambic hexameter · unrhymed · 12 lines Blaming Sons (An Apology for His Own Drunkenness)iambic tetrameter · unrhymed · 24 lines Moving House12 lines Returning to the Fieldsiambic pentameter · unrhymed · 20 lines Reading the Book of Hills and Seas17 lines Floodtrochaic tetrameter · unrhymed · 8 lines New Corniambic tetrameter · unrhymed · 8 lines Chapter IV: Inviting Guestsiambic dimeter · 12 lines Climbing a Mountaintrochaic tetrameter · 10 lines Sailing Homewardiambic tetrameter · unrhymed · 14 lines Five “Tzŭ-Yeh” Songsiambic tetrameter · unrhymed · 24 lines The Little Lady of Ch’Ing-Hsi (A Children’s Song)iambic tetrameter · 4 lines Plucking the Rushes (A Boy and Girl Are Sent to Gather Rushes for Thatching)trochaic tetrameter · 8 lines Ballad of the Western Island in the North Countryiambic hexameter · 32 lines Song4 lines Song of the Men of Chin-Ling (Marching Back into the Capital)trochaic hexameter · unrhymed · 10 lines The Scholar Recruitunrhymed · 7 lines Dreaming of a Dead Ladyiambic tetrameter · unrhymed · 10 lines A Political Allegoryiambic pentameter · unrhymed · 12 lines Lo-Yangunrhymed · 8 lines Winter Night4 lines The Rejected Wifetrochaic hexameter · unrhymed · 7 lines By Wu-tiiambic tetrameter · unrhymed · 9 lines The Ferryiambic pentameter · unrhymed · 8 lines The Waters of Lung-T’Ou (The North-West Frontier)unrhymed · 8 lines Flowers and Moonlight on the Spring River4 lines Tchirek Songiambic tetrameter · unrhymed · 16 lines Chapter V: Business Menunrhymed · 8 lines Tell Me Nowiambic pentameter · unrhymed · 8 lines Stone Fish Lakeiambic pentameter · unrhymed · 16 lines By Yüan Chiehiambic hexameter · 12 lines A Protest in the Sixth Year of Ch’Ien Fu (A.D. 879)iambic pentameter · unrhymed · 8 lines On the Birth of His Sontrochaic tetrameter · 8 lines The Pedlar of Spellsiambic heptameter · unrhymed · 6 lines The Little Cartunrhymed · 13 lines Introduction34 lines Addressed to Ch’Ēn, the Hermitunrhymed · 29 lines The Letterunrhymed · 48 lines Rejoicing at the Arrival of Ch’Ēn Hsiungunrhymed · 12 lines Golden Bellsiambic hexameter · unrhymed · 12 lines Remembering Golden Bellsunrhymed · 16 lines Illnessiambic hexameter · 12 lines A Satire30 lines The Grain Tribute20 lines The People of Tao-Chou32 lines The Old Harpiambic pentameter · unrhymed · 12 lines The Harper of Chaoiambic pentameter · 20 lines The Flower Marketiambic hexameter · 20 lines The Prisonerunrhymed · 69 lines The Chancellor’s Gravel-Drive (A Satire on the Maltreatment of Subordinates)21 lines The Man Who Dreamed of Fairiesiambic pentameter · unrhymed · 48 lines Magic27 lines The Two Red Towers (A Satire Against Clericalism)25 lines The Charcoal-Seller (A Satire Against “Kommandatur”)29 lines The Politician20 lines The Old Man with the Broken Arm (A Satire on Militarism)60 lines Kept Waiting in the Boat at Chiu-K’Ou Ten Days by an Adverse Windunrhymed · 9 lines On Board Ship: Reading Yüan Chēn’s Poems5 lines Arriving at Hsün-Yang (Two Poems)unrhymed · 16 lines Madly Singing in the Mountainsiambic hexameter · unrhymed · 18 lines Releasing a Migrant “Yen” (Wild Goose)28 lines To a Portrait Painter Who Desired Him to Sittrochaic pentameter · 8 lines Separationiambic pentameter · unrhymed · 20 lines Having Climbed to the Topmost Peak of the Incense-Burner Mountainiambic pentameter · unrhymed · 20 lines Eating Bamboo-Shootsiambic pentameter · unrhymed · 16 lines The Red Cockatootrochaic tetrameter · unrhymed · 8 lines After Lunchunrhymed · 8 lines Alarm at First Entering the Yang-Tze Gorgesiambic pentameter · unrhymed · 24 lines On Being Removed from Hsün-Yang and Sent to Chung-Choudactylic tetrameter · unrhymed · 12 lines Planting Flowers on the Eastern Embankmentiambic pentameter · 24 lines Childreniambic pentameter · 16 lines Pruning Treesiambic pentameter · unrhymed · 20 lines Being Visited by a Friend During Illness12 lines On the Way to Hangchow: Anchored on the River at Nightdactylic tetrameter · unrhymed · 8 lines Stopping the Night at Jung-Yang14 lines The Silver Spoonunrhymed · 8 lines The Hat Given to the Poet by LI Chieniambic pentameter · unrhymed · 8 lines The Big Rug5 lines After Getting Drunk, Becoming Sober in the Night12 lines Realizing the Futility of Lifetrochaic pentameter · unrhymed · 12 lines Rising Late and Playing with A-Ts’Ui, Aged Twoiambic pentameter · unrhymed · 12 lines On a Box Containing His Own Worksiambic pentameter · 16 lines On Being Sixty13 lines Climbing the Terrace of Kuan-Yin and Looking at the City4 lines Climbing the Ling Ying Terrace and Looking North4 lines Going to the Mountains with a Little Dancing Girl, Aged Fifteeniambic hexameter · 10 lines Dreaming of Yüan Chēnunrhymed · 13 lines A Dream of Mountaineeringiambic pentameter · 16 lines Ease6 lines On Hearing Someone Sing a Poem by Yüan Chēniambic tetrameter · 8 lines Lao-Tzŭiambic trimeter · 8 lines Chuang-Tzŭ, the Monistiambic tetrameter · unrhymed · 8 lines Taoism and Buddhismiambic tetrameter · unrhymed · 18 lines Last Poem9 lines

About this text

Public domain. Text from A Hundred and Seventy Chinese Poems, Project Gutenberg ebook #42290. Free to read, print, copy and reuse.

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