English Edition
Literature
Selected Poems of Li Bai
English BooksWhale Edition by Li Bai
Original title: 李白诗选
Li Bai's selected poems explore mountains, travel, wine, friendship, parting, ambition, and exile in a new English translation.
- Preview
- A sample from the prepared text
- Formats
- Online reader, EPUB, PDF
- Access
- Library claim
Book introduction
Selected Poems of Li Bai
This collection presents selected poems by the Tang poet Li Bai in a new English translation. Mountain journeys, moonlit drinking, farewells, distant friends, political hopes, and exile recur across a varied selection of longer songs and shorter lyrics. Each poem retains its own title and grouping, allowing readers to follow the changing voices and occasions of the anthology.
BooksWhale edition
How this edition was prepared
This edition is an AI-assisted, human-reviewed translation prepared by BooksWhale. It has been reviewed for readability, formatting, and consistency.
Public domain basis
Why this edition can be shared
The ancient Chinese source text is in the public domain. This edition is an independently prepared, human-corrected AI-assisted English translation commissioned by the publisher.
Read preview
A sample from the prepared text
Preview selected from the prepared reader text.
Preview chapterAncient Airs, No. 1Read preview
The great and noble songs have long fallen silent; Now that I am growing old, who will give them voice? The royal airs lie buried beneath creeping weeds; The Warring States were overgrown with thorns and brambles. Dragons and tigers devoured one another, And warfare raged down to the frenzied Qin.
How faint and distant the true music became! From grief and resentment arose the poets of the Sao. Yang Xiong and Sima Xiangru stirred the declining waves, Opening a current that swept into boundless reaches. Though rise and fall have undergone a myriad changes, The ancient models and principles have fallen into decay.
Since the Jian'an era, Ornate elegance has been too common to treasure. Our enlightened age restores the ways of antiquity; The sovereign rules with effortless simplicity, honoring purity and truth. Talented men gather in this age of peace and brightness, Rising with the times like fish leaping into dragons.
Substance and refinement shine together, Like countless stars arrayed across the autumn sky. My ambition is to edit and transmit the ancient tradition, Leaving a radiance that will illuminate a thousand springs. If I may follow the sages and accomplish something worthy, I shall lay down my brush, as Confucius did at the capture of the unicorn.
Preview chapterAncient Airs, No. 19Preview
Westward I climbed Lotus Flower Mountain, And far away I saw the Star Maiden. In her pale hands she held a lotus blossom, Stepping through empty air into the highest heavens.
Her rainbow garments trailed broad flowing ribbons, Fluttering as she ascended through the sky. She invited me to climb the Terrace of Clouds, Where I bowed deeply to Wei Shuqing.
In a dreamlike daze I departed with them, Riding a great swan beyond the purple heavens. Looking down upon the plains of Luoyang, I saw barbarian soldiers rushing in countless numbers.
Blood flowed across the wild grasses; Wolves and jackals now wore official caps and tassels.
Preview chapterAncient Airs, No. 39Preview
Climbing high, I gaze toward the four seas; How vast and endless are heaven and earth! Autumn frost covers all living things, And the wind sweeps cold across the wilderness.
Glory and splendor flow eastward like water; All affairs of the world rise and fall like waves. The bright sun hides its departing light, While drifting clouds have no fixed shape.
Sparrows and swallows nest in the phoenix tree; Noble phoenixes perch among thorns and brambles. I had better return home once more, Singing with my sword of the hardships of the road.
Table of contents
Inside this edition
- 01Ancient Airs, No. 1
- 02Ancient Airs, No. 19
- 03Ancient Airs, No. 39
- 04Song of the Moon over Mount Emei
- 05Crossing Jingmen: A Farewell
- 06Autumn beneath Jingmen
- 07Song of Jingzhou
- 08Seeing Meng Haoran off to Guangling at Yellow Crane Tower
- 09Descending Mount Zhongnan, Visiting the Recluse Husi, Staying the Night and Drinking Wine
- 10Questions and Answers in the Mountains
- 11The Hard Road to Shu
- 12A Crow Cries at Night
- 13Song of Crows Roosting
- 14Bring in the Wine
- 15Hard Is the Road, No. 1
- 16Song of Traveling and Hunting
- 17Song of the North Wind
- 18Moon over the Mountain Pass
- 19Climbing a High Hill and Gazing toward the Distant Sea
- 20Long Separation
- 21Ballad of Changgan, No. 1
- 22Ancient Ballad of the Moon
- 23Lament at the Jade Steps
- 24Songs beneath the Frontier, No. 1
- 25Songs beneath the Frontier, No. 2
- 26Three Songs of Pure Peace, No. 1
- 27Three Songs of Pure Peace, No. 2
- 28Three Songs of Pure Peace, No. 3
- 29Song of the Ding Protector
- 30Thoughts on a Quiet Night
- 31Spring Thoughts
- 32Midnight Songs of Wu: Autumn Song
- 33Song of Pounding Clothes
- 34Longing, No. 1
- 35Song of Xiangyang
- 36Song on the River
- 37Playfully Presented to Du Fu
- 38Reading in the Hanlin Academy: Expressing My Feelings to the Scholars of the Jixian Institute
- 39Song of the Cloud Terrace on the Western Mountain, Sending off Danqiu
- 40Song of the Heroic Gentleman of Fufeng
- 41Song of Liang Garden
- 42The Knight-Errant
- 43Seeing Azaleas in Xuancheng
- 44Three, Five, and Seven Character Verse
- 45Songs of Hengjiang, No. 1
- 46Songs of Hengjiang, No. 2
- 47Chanting beneath the Moon at the West Tower of Jinling
- 48Song of White Clouds, Sending Liu Sixteen Back to the Mountains
- 49Songs of Qiupu, No. 1
- 50Songs of Qiupu, No. 2
- 51Songs of Qiupu, No. 3
- 52Song on the Painted Landscape of Zhao Yan, Magistrate of Dangtu
- 53Song of the Moon over Mount Emei, Sending the Shu Monk Yan to the Central Capital
- 54Journey along the Clear Stream
- 55Presented to Meng Haoran
- 56Expressing My Feelings to Court Gentleman Cai Xiong
- 57Presented to Judge Xin While Exiled to Yelang
- 58Presented to Wei Bing of Nanling at Jiangxia
- 59Presented to Wang Lun
- 60Gazing at Mount Zhongnan, Sent to the Recluse of Purple Pavilion
- 61Hearing That Wang Changling Has Been Demoted to Longbiao, I Send This from Afar
- 62Presented to My Younger Kinsman, Governor Li Zhiyao of Nanping, No. 1
- 63Traveling by Moonlight on the River, Sent to Court Gentleman Cui Zongzhi
- 64Sent to My Two Young Children in Eastern Lu
- 65Song of Mount Lu, Sent to Censor Lu Xuzhou
- 66Returning from Hanyang after Illness from Drinking, Sent to Magistrate Wang
- 67Sent to Wang of Hanyang in Early Spring
- 68Autumn Farewell Banquet for Du and Censor Fan at the Pavilion of Emperor Yao's Shrine in Lu
- 69Dreaming of a Journey to Mount Tianmu: A Farewell Song
- 70Drinking Wine and Remembering Supervisor He: Two Poems with Preface
- 71Preface
- 72No. 1
- 73No. 2
- 74Leaving a Farewell Poem at a Wine Shop in Jinling
- 75In Reply to Censor Cui
- 76Bidding Farewell to My Children in Nanling and Entering the Capital
- 77Bidding Farewell to Song Zhiti at Jiangxia
- 78Seeing Wei Eight off to the Western Capital at Jinxiang
- 79Presented to Li Yong
- 80Seeing Pei Tunan, the Eighteenth, off to Mount Song: Two Poems
- 81No. 1
- 82No. 2
- 83Seeing off a Friend
- 84Traveling through Eastern Lu in the Fifth Month: Reply to an Old Man of Wenshang
- 85Seeing a Friend off to Shu
- 86Farewell to My Uncle Yun, Imperial Librarian, at Xie Tiao Tower in Xuanzhou
- 87Climbing Taibai Peak
- 88Boating at the Eastern Gate of Lu: Two Poems
- 89No. 1
- 90No. 2
- 91Six Poems on Visiting Mount Tai, Selected Poem
- 92Asking the Moon over Wine
- 93Three Poems Written after Drinking with My Uncle, the Vice Minister, at Dongting Lake: Selected Poem
- 94Five Poems on Visiting Dongting Lake with My Kinsman Li Ye, Vice Minister of Justice, and Secretary Jia
- 95No. 1
- 96No. 2
- 97No. 3
- 98No. 4
- 99No. 5
- 100Climbing Phoenix Terrace at Jinling
- 101Gazing at the Waterfall on Mount Lu, Selected Poem
- 102Climbing Xie Tiao's North Tower in Xuancheng in Autumn
- 103Gazing at Tianmen Mountain
- 104Written While Traveling Far from Home
- 105Sent to My Wife While Traveling South to Yelang
- 106Ascending the Three Gorges
- 107Listening to a Flute at Yellow Crane Tower with Secretary Shi Qin
- 108Departing Early from Baidi City
- 109Looking Back on Antiquity at the Terrace of Suzhou
- 110Reflections on Antiquity in Yue
- 111Mooring at Night beneath Ox Islet and Remembering the Past
- 112Drinking Alone beneath the Moon, No. 1
- 113Songs of the Maidens of Yue, No. 1
- 114Sitting Alone on Mount Jingting
- 115Mourning Abe no Nakamaro
- 116Listening to the Shu Monk Jun Playing the Zither
- 117Mocking the Confucian Scholars of Lu
- 118Hearing a Flute in Luoyang on a Spring Night
- 119A Song of Ten Thousand Indignations, Presented to Vice Minister Wei
Language availability
Other languages
French
French Edition
Poèmes choisis de Li Bai
Li Bai · Literature
Une sélection française de poèmes de Li Bai, entre paysages, ivresse, amitié et imaginaire cosmique.
German
German Edition
Gedichte von Li Bai
Li Bai · Literature
Gedichte voller Mondlicht, Wein, Freundschaft, Abschied, Freiheit und taoistischer Weite.
Portuguese
Portuguese Edition
Poemas escolhidos de Li Bai
Li Bai · Literature
Uma seleção portuguesa de poemas de Li Bai, com lua, vinho, viagem, amizade e imaginação taoísta.