Selected Poems of Li Bai

Author: Ge Jingchun, Editor
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-01-01
Features: Li Bai is known as the "Poet Immortal" whose poetry is extraordinary, fresh, and natural, achieving achievements that later generations could hardly match, earning the title "Exiled Immortal Lyrics." This book carefully selects 299 of his "Exiled Immortal Lyrics" in chronological order of creation, with prefaces and annotations demonstrating exceptional effort. Reading this book allows for a dual understanding of Li Bai's poetry and his person.
Li Bai (701–762), styled Taibai and styled Qinglian Jushi, was of ancestral origin from Chengji in Longxi (near Tianshui County, Gansu Province today). His ancestors were exiled to Central Asia during the late Sui Dynasty. Li Bai was born in the city of Suyab in Central Asia (now within the territory of Kyrgyzstan). At the age of five, he moved with his father to Qinglian Township, Zhangming County, Mianzhou (now Jiangyou County, Sichuan Province). He studied and traveled in Shu during his early years. In his youth, he began traveling across the country. In the early years of the Tianbao era, recommended by the Taoist priest Wu Yun, he was summoned to Chang'an to serve as a court scholar, receiving special favor from Emperor Xuanzong of Tang. However, due to the resentment of the powerful, he was soon slandered and dismissed, embarking on long travels. In the 14th year of the Tianbao era (755), the An Lushan Rebellion broke out, and he retreated to Mount Lu, remaining closely attuned to the fate of the nation and its people. Later, he joined the entourage of Yongwang Li Lin. When Yongwang was defeated and executed, Li Bai was imprisoned in Xunyang. The following year, he was exiled to Yelang, but was pardoned en route. In his later years, he wandered between Wuchang, Xunyang, and Xuancheng. He died of illness in the first year of the Baoying era (762) at the residence of his cousin, Li Yangbing, the county magistrate of Dangtu.
Throughout his life, Li Bai's thoughts were relatively complex. Confucianism, Taoism, the (Zongheng Jia), and the philosophy of the wandering knights all influenced him. He yearned for immortality and the hermit's life, yet he was unwilling to "become a person of Fangzhang or Penglae in a single day" but instead sought to "apply the teachings of Guan and Yan, scheme for the governance of emperors, and employ his intelligence to become a ministerial aide, so that the world might be at peace and the empire clear." (From "Reply to Meng Shaofu's Transfer of Documents from Shoushan") He had grand political ambitions yet rejected the path of imperial examinations. He hoped to gain fame through seclusion and seeking immortality, hoping to be summoned and favored by the emperor through the recommendation of renowned scholars, thereby realizing his ideals of "saving the people" and "stabilizing the state," only to withdraw after achieving success. Under this guiding philosophy, the poet lived a yet (kěkǎn - turbulent) life.
Li Bai left behind over 990 poems. These works either expressed his passionate pursuit of an ideal political system and his desire to achieve merits and glory, or exposed the debauchery and corruption of political factions with sharp wit, or painted the magnificent landscapes of his homeland with skillful brushwork. His poems, whether in five-character or seven-character forms, whether in ancient or modern styles, were all uniquely styled, imbued with a strong romanticism. His collected works are titled "The Collection of Li Taibai."
In the early Northern Song Dynasty, people discovered the two lyrics "Pinglin momei yan ru zhi" from "Pusizhuan" and "Qin'e meng duan Qin lou yue" from "Yiqing'e," and revered him as the founder of lyrics. Some doubted that these were attributed to him by later generations, and the debate continues to this day. In reality, Li Bai's folk poems were already set to music during his time, marking the origin of lyrics. As for the two lyrics, long regarded as the "ancestors of all generations of lyrics and tunes," their high style and grandeur—were they not the work of Li Bai, then who else could have written them as well?