Su Dongpo's Poems - Fragrant Letter

Author: Su Dongpo (Northern Song Dynasty), compiled by Deng Kuaiying
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-07-01
Features: Su Dongpo, also known as Su Shi (1037–1101 AD), styled Zizhan, styled Dongpo Jushi, was a native of Meishan, Sichuan. Together with his father Su Xun and his younger brother Su Zhe, he is known as the "Three Su." In his youth, he was knowledgeable in classics and history. In the second year of Emperor Renzong's Jiajing era (1057 AD), he passed the imperial examination and was highly praised by Ouyang Xiu, gaining fame in the capital. However, amidst the intense political reforms of the Northern Song Dynasty and the factional struggles between the New and Old Schools, he was repeatedly exiled and、、, where he died of illness in Changzhou. Su Dongpo's poems, paintings, and calligraphy were collected by people. His paintings include "Xiangxi Bamboo and Stone," "Cold Food Festival Letter," and "Front and Rear Prefaces to the Red Cliff." His literary works, "Collected Works of Su Shi," include "Su Dongpo's Poetic Collection," "Su Dongpo's Lyric Collection," "Su Dongpo's Prose Collection," and "Su Dongpo's Chronology." Su Dongpo left behind over 2,700 poems, more than 300 lyrics, and a vast collection of prose, making him one of China's most prolific and highly regarded writers in terms of both quantity and quality. His life was incredibly rich and varied, yet his turbulent career brought him immense contributions to the world. He achieved worldwide acclaim in calligraphy, painting, cuisine, medicine, health preservation, and Zen studies. During his exiles, he actively worked to alleviate disasters, repair water conservancy, invest in education, and focus on healthcare, benefiting the people of the regions he visited. Everywhere he went, he left behind remarkable legacies and inspiring stories. He transformed the bitterness of life into sweet nourishment, comforting himself while enriching the hearts of the people. To commemorate Su Dongpo, modern people built the "Su Dongpo Memorial Hall" in Hangzhou. Even while living in seclusion in Hainan in his later years, he completed the annotations for the three Confucian classics: "The Analects," "The Book of Documents," and "The Book of Changes."