(937年八月15日～978年八月13日)

姓：	李
名：	從嘉
字：	重光
網筆號：	李後主; 鐘隱; 鍾山隱士; 鍾鋒隱者; 白蓮居士; 蓮峰居士
開端 終結 在位 961年 975年  詩詞： 《相見歡 Huan meet》   《浪淘沙 Waves》   《虞美人》   《浣溪沙 Huan Xisha》   《玉樓春 Yu Louchun》   《更漏子 change loophole》   《菩薩蠻 Song Form》   《又 and》   《又 and》   《喜遷鶯 Xi Ying move》   更多詩歌... 李煜的南唐往事：原本衹想平平凡凡過一生 閱讀李煜 Li Yu在诗海的作品!!!

初名從嘉，字重光，號鐘隱。李璟第六子，901年嗣位，史稱南唐後主。即位後對宋稱臣納貢，以求偏安一方。生活上則窮奢極欲。 975年，宋軍破金陵，他肉襢出降，雖封作違侯命，實已淪為階下囚。太平興國三年七月卒。據宋人王至《默記》，蓋為宋太宗賜牽機藥所毒斃。他精於書畫，諳於音律，工於詩文，詞尤為五代之冠。前期詞多寫宮廷享樂生活，風格柔靡；後期詞反映亡國之痛，題材擴大，意境深遠，感情真摯，語言清新，極富藝術感染力。後人將他與李璟的作品合輯為《南唐二主詞》。

李煜（937年－978年），或稱李後主，為南唐的末代君主（因為其父南唐中主李璟在位時，已嚮後周皇帝柴榮稱臣，去了帝號），祖籍徐州。李煜原名從嘉，字重光，號鐘山隱士、鐘峰隱者、白蓮居士、蓮峰居士等。政治上毫無建樹的李煜在南唐滅亡後被北宋俘虜，但是卻成為了中國歷史上首屈一指的詞人，被譽為詞中之帝，作品為千古流傳。

[南唐詞人與李煜]
　　李璟的兒子李煜（937—978）即李後主，字重光，是五代最有成就的詞人，也是整
個詞史上一流的大傢。他洞曉音律，工書善畫，尤擅於作詞。李煜的性格本來不合適做
政治傢，而南唐的軍事力量也根本不能與宋相提並論，所以他二十五歲當了國君以後，
衹能在年年嚮宋朝稱臣納貢的情況下，苟安於一隅之地。當他三十九歲時，南唐終於為
宋所滅，已經投降的李煜也被押到汴京，開始了半是俘虜、半是寓公的生活，過了兩年
多被宋太宗用毒藥殺死。
　　李煜的前半生，儘管當的是宋朝附屬國的兒皇帝，但畢竟是富庶的南唐的一國之主，
生活相當豪華奢侈。他的詞作的題材範圍，也沒有超出花間詞人、馮延巳及其父李璟，
或寫宮廷生活及歌舞宴飲，如《玉樓春》（“晚妝初了明肌雪”）、《浣溪沙》（“紅
日已高三丈透”），或是沿襲傳統題材寫男女戀情，如《一斛珠》（“曉妝初過”）、
《菩薩蠻》（“花明月暗籠輕霧”），或寫離愁別恨，如《采桑子》（“庭前春逐紅英
盡”）、《清平樂》（“別來春半”）等等；但當他成了亡國之君，被拘於汴京之後，
“日夕衹以眼淚洗面”（王銍《默記》），亡國的悔恨，對江南故國的思念，伴着孤寂、
悲涼的心境，使他的詞轉嚮了寫思鄉之情、亡國之恨，像《望江梅》（“閑夢遠”）、
《望江南》（“多少恨”）、《子夜歌》（“人生愁恨何能免”）以及著名的《虞美人》
（“春花秋月何時了”）、《浪淘沙》（“簾外雨潺潺”）等。
　　在李煜之前，馮延巳、李璟等人已經開始采用一些比較清新的文人語言及比較流暢
的形式結構來寫抒情的詞了，這使南唐詞風與西蜀詞風有了一些差異。李煜早期的詞雖
說沒有太大的創新，一些花間詞人常用的穠麗光鮮的辭語典故也每每出現在他的作品中，
但他還是沿着其前輩的方向前進了一步，更多地表現了一種與晚唐及西蜀花間詞不同的
風格。花間詞的意象細密堆砌，意緒隱約，在鏤金錯玉、五光十色中呈現一種雲遮霧罩、
麯折回環的效果，但由於它註重的是視覺意象的外在描摹，而且跳躍性太大，所以每每
顯得零亂紛散，而李煜的詞則流動清晰。他多以描述對象的心理活動、感情起伏為主綫，
把視覺意象貫穿在情緒主綫之中一一呈露，意象與意藴結合得十分自然。我們以花間詞
人牛嶠的《菩薩蠻》與他的《菩薩蠻》相比，牛詞作：
　　玉樓冰簟鴛鴦錦，粉融香汗流山枕。簾外轆轤聲，斂眉含笑驚。柳陰煙漠漠，低鬢
蟬釵落。須作一生拼，盡君今日歡。
　　李詞作：
　　花明月暗籠輕霧，今宵好嚮郎邊去。剗襪步香階，手提金縷鞋。畫堂南畔見，一嚮
偎人顫。奴為出來難，教君恣意憐。
　　兩首詞寫的都是男女幽會。牛詞用語顯然穠麗香豔，李詞顯然自然清新；牛詞中，
玉樓、冰簟、鴛鴦錦、粉、汗、枕、轆轤、柳陰、鬢、釵，意象重疊稠密，令人目不暇
給，但相當多的是一種外在點綴，而李詞則完全是一個連貫的動態過程，就連首句，也
是為了構成一種氣氛來烘托幽會之“幽”，而後面每一個細節，都通過女子偷跑出來的
過程描寫來形象地表現少女幽會時又驚又喜、嚮心上人撒嬌的微妙情感。字面雖仍顯得
華麗，卻沒有妨礙抒情。再以花間詞人魏承班《漁歌子》與李煜的《清平樂》比較，魏
詞如下：
　　柳如眉，雲似發，鮫綃霧縠籠春雪。夢魂驚，鐘漏歇，窗外曉鶯殘月。幾多情，無
處說，落花飛絮清明節。少年郎，容易別，一去音書斷絶。
　　李煜詞如下：
　　別來春半，觸目柔腸斷。砌下落梅如雪亂，拂了一身還滿。雁來音信無憑，路遙歸
夢難成，離恨恰如春草，更行更遠還生。
　　兩首寫的都是女子春日裏思念遠人的離愁別恨。魏詞上闋除了“夢魂驚”外，用了
許多詞藻來描摹女子的容貌與她所處的環境，而與主題聯繫並不緊密；李詞上闋則一下
子便揭出“別”這一主題，而在寫外部環境時，實際上是在寫人的心理：
　　相思之情尤如雪花般飛舞的梅瓣，令人煩亂惆悵，這煩亂惆悵又如落花拂了又滿似
地綿綿不絶。下闋，魏詞顯得有些粗率，而李詞則很細膩；魏詞下闋與上闕構不成一個
意脈連貫的完整氛圍，而李詞下闋則緊接上闋，末兩句以春草無際來形容離恨不絶如縷
而難以排解，以“更行更遠還生”與上闋“拂了一身還滿”相呼應，烘托出一腔綿綿愁
緒。因而，李煜的詞在語言、意象上顯得清新，在結構、意脈上顯得完整連貫，不僅註
重外在視覺感受而且更註重內在心理描述，不僅註重靜態物體而且更註重動態過程，因
此抒情內涵更豐富，表現力更強。
　　代表李煜最高成就的是他的後期詞，主要是寫亡國的愁苦、悔恨和絶望。據說下面
這首《破陣子》寫於他亡國之時：
　　四十年來傢國，三千裏地山河。鳳閣竜樓連霄漢，玉樹瓊枝作煙蘿，幾曾識幹戈？
一旦歸為臣虜，瀋腰潘鬢消磨，最是倉皇辭廟日，教坊猶奏別離歌，垂淚對宮娥。
　　顯然這首詞有軟弱的兒皇帝的可憐相，但這是他從一國之君一下子變為階下囚時最
真誠的自白了。他過去寫情人幽會，寫男女離愁，寫曠逸情緻，其實不全是他作為國君
的真實生活內容，有許多是通過揣摩他人的心理寫出來的，畢竟隔了一層，有時不免有
點做作。而亡國之後的愁苦、悔恨、絶望，則是他自己親身的體驗，真情的流露，因此，
便更真摯，更深切。無論是《相見歡》中抒寫的時光倏忽、人生長恨，還是《烏夜啼》
中所嘆息的往事成空如一夢；無論是《浪淘沙》中“一任珠簾閑不捲”的滿懷愁緒，還
是另一首同調中的“夢裏不知身是客”的傷感，都源自他那“一江春水嚮東流”似的內
心感情，因而具有感人的力量。
　　出自真情的詞並不需要過多的修飾，何況李煜周圍此時也沒有了那金鑲玉砌的鳳閣
竜樓、肌雪膚明的春殿嬪娥了，因此，李煜後期詞便完全脫去了穠麗色彩與脂粉氣味，
也減少了對於感情直接顯露的阻礙，使胸中的真情一泄而出，如《相見歡》：
　　林花謝了春紅，太匆匆，無奈朝來寒雨晚來風。
　　胭脂淚，留人醉，幾時重？自是人生長恨水長東。
　　上闋雖寫景，但這大自然的歲華變遷無一不是抒寫人生的歲華變遷，朝雨晚風苦苦
相逼，摧殘着春意，也銷磨人的青春；
　　下闋寫人，而人也與自然一樣，在風風雨雨中韶華消盡，所以末句說“人生長恨水
長東”。沒有一點穠麗香豔的修飾，沒有一點鑲金嵌玉的詞藻，完全是直率地傾吐情懷。
並不是說真情的抒發便不需要語言的錘煉和修辭的琢磨，但語言上過分的雕琢、過分的
羅列、過分的修飾會造成讀者註意力的分散，使讀者註意外在的描摹而減弱了閱讀時凝
心觀照中的移情體驗，因此，寫情的詞很忌諱過分豔麗的詞藻與過分密集的意象。李煜
的詞在這一點上把握得極好，他多采用白描手法，自然流暢地表達某種情思，如著名的
《虞美人》：
　　春花秋月何時了，往事知多少？小樓昨夜又東風，故國不堪回首月明中。雕闌玉砌
依然在，衹是朱顔改，問君能有幾多愁，恰似一江春水嚮東流。
　　語言是清晰的，意境是透明的，它不依靠外在的描摹來烘托氣氛，而是以自己的心
境去觀照事物、想象事物，使一切都籠罩在他的故國之思中。這樣，詞中所用的意象就
在“情”的貫穿下，構成了和諧完整的意境。再看另一首著名的《浪淘沙》：
　　簾外用潺潺，春意闌珊。羅衾不耐五更寒，夢裏不知身是客，一晌貪歡。獨自莫憑
欄，無限江山，別時容易見時難。流水落花春去也，天上人間。
　　這首詞的層次比上兩首豐富一些，變化也多一些。先寫簾外雨，春意漸去，渲染出
一種令人悵惘的氛圍；再寫睡，五更時寒意侵人，靜謐而凄清，夢醒憶夢，夢裏喚起的
往日的歡娛恰與醒後孤寂相映，夢中貪歡心境恰與醒時悔恨痛苦心境相對，表現出一種
悔恨的復雜情緒。下闋拓開，寫憑欄遠眺，與夢境相配合，寫自己亡國之恨，最後以無
可奈何的一聲長嘆收束，又與上闋開頭相呼應，寫出一種涵意復雜的“春去也”的悲哀。
這首詞也完全是以主體的心理活動的呈露來貫穿意象，即以情禦景的，結構回環往復，
首尾呼應，給人以清晰完整而流動的感覺。
　　應該說，李煜前後期詞在藝術上是有一致之處的，即它以動態的呈露為詞的意脈，
因而使詞顯得流暢連貫；它以抒情為詞的目的，因而詞中不多用辭藻；它的意象選擇得
很精心，常能與情感表現融為一體；它的結構設計也很巧妙，能使詞的感情基調鮮明突
出。但是，前期詞題材比較陳舊，語言上受唐五代詞人影響較多，而且有些並非出自切
身體驗，所以不易深入。後期詞則發自內心，寫的是從未有人寫過的作為亡國君主的故
國之思，而詞中流露的，又主要是追惜年華、感慨人事變遷無情、哀嘆命運等容易引起
普通人共鳴的情緒，因此藝術感染力大大加強；更由於他采用了唐五代詞人少用的白描
手法，以清新的語言寫情，因而形成了他獨特的風格。
（中國文學史，章培恆 駱玉明，youth掃校）

Li Yu (Chinese: 李煜; c. 937 – 15 August 978), before 961 known as Li Congjia (李從嘉), also known as Li Houzhu (李後主; literally "Last Ruler Li" or "Last Lord Li"), was the third ruler of the Southern Tang state during imperial China's Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period. He reigned from 961 until 976, when he was captured by the invading Song dynasty armies which annexed his kingdom. He died by poison on orders of Emperor Taizong of Song after 2 years essentially as an exiled prisoner.

Although an incompetent ruler, he was a representative lyric poet during his era, even to the extent of having been called the "first true master" of the ci form.

Early life

In the same Chinese year Li Congjia was born, his grandfather Xu Zhigao, also known as Xu Gao (Li Bian) founded the state Qi (齊), renaming it Tang (known as the Southern Tang) 2 years later. When Li Congjia was 6, his father Li Jing became the next Southern Tang emperor. With Li Jing naming his younger brother Li Jingsui his heir apparent, his sixth eldest son Li Congjia seemed unlikely to ever succeed the throne. However, many of Li Congjia's brothers died very young, and after the death of the second eldest brother Li Hongmao (李弘茂) in 951, Li Congjia all of a sudden found himself right behind Li Hongji — the eldest brother — and uncle Li Jingsui in the succession line.

Li Hongji, a withdrawn and troubled young man, resented his crown prince uncle, whom he saw as a political enemy standing in his way. He also disliked his younger brother Li Congjia, even though they shared the same biological mother, Empress Zhong. Fearing the possible results of this family enmity, Li Congjia tried hard to be inconspicuous and focused on the arts, including poetry, painting and music. He loved reading, a passion encouraged by his father, also an acclaimed poet. At the age of 17, Li Congjia married Zhou Ehuang, chancellor Zhou Zong's daughter and a year his senior. Lady Zhou was not only highly educated but also multi-talented in music and the arts and the young couple enjoyed a very intimate relationship.

Accession to the throne

In 955, a year after Li Congjia's marriage, Southern Tang was invaded by Later Zhou. The resistance war did not end until spring 958, after Li Jing ceded all prefectures north of the Yangtze River to his powerful northern neighbor. Li Jing also relinquished all imperial trappings, degrading his own title from emperor to king (國主). The national humiliation was soon followed by familial tragedy: later that year Li Hongji poisoned uncle Li Jingsui to death, which was followed by his own death a few months later, allegedly hastened by many encounters with Li Jingsui's vengeful ghost.

Not long after Li Hongji's death in 959, Li Congjia was given the post of royal secretary (尚書令) so that he could familiarize himself of governmental affairs. However, despite being the king's eldest surviving son, a few ministers considered him too dissolute and weak for the crown prince position, including Zhong Mo, who pleaded to have Li Congjia's younger brother Li Congshan chosen instead. Li Jing found Zhong's suggestion offensive and demoted him.

Suffering from poor health, Li Jing decided to transfer all responsibilities to his successor. He named Li Congjia the crown prince in spring 961 to take over in the capital Jinling (金陵; modern Nanjing, Jiangsu) while he retired to the southern city of Hongzhou (洪州; modern Nanchang, Jiangxi). A few months later he died, and Li Congjia officially succeeded the throne, not without a last-second effort by Li Congshan to challenge him. By then Zhong Mo had also died, so Li Congshan asked chancellor Xu You to bring Li Jing's last will to him. Xu refused and confided in Li Congjia of Li Congshan's intentions. Li Congjia — changing his name to Li Yu — did not punish his younger brother other than a slight demotion.

As Southern Tang ruler

Appeasing the Song Dynasty

A year before Li Yu ascended the throne, Southern Tang's nominal overlord Later Zhou had been replaced by the Song dynasty established by former Later Zhou general Zhao Kuangyin, who had earlier participated in several campaigns against Southern Tang. Knowing the limit of Southern Tang's military strength and trying hard to be subservient to the northern court, Li Yu immediately sent a high official Feng Yanlu with a letter — whose language was of extreme humility — to inform Song of his succession. Things got to a rocky start: during his accession to the throne Li Yu built a golden rooster, a symbol of imperial power, the news of which infuriated Zhao Kuangyin. In the end, the Southern Tang ambassador in the Song capital of Bianliang (汴梁; modern Kaifeng, Henan) had to give the explanation that the golden rooster was actually a "weird bird" to satisfy the Song emperor.

Such an embarrassing relationship would define Li's entire reign, as tribute payments, both regular and irregular, drained the Southern Tang treasury. Essentially Li was ready to fulfill Emperor Taizu of Song's every demand except go to Bianliang himself. In 963, Li Congshan who accompanied a tributary mission was held hostage in Bianliang and had to write letters on behalf of the Song emperor asking his elder brother also join him at the Song court. Li Yu, naturally, did not heed the request.

Successive deaths in the family

Li Yu remained close to his musically gifted wife Zhou Ehuang — now Queen Zhou — so close that he sometimes canceled government meetings to enjoy her performances. The absences continued until a censor (監察御史) spoke out against it.

In around 964, the second of the couple's 2 sons, a 3-year-old still called by his milk name Ruibao (瑞保), died unexpectedly. Li would mourn his son by himself so as not to sadden his wife more than necessary, but Queen Zhou was completely devastated and quickly deteriorated in health. During her illness, Li attended her so devotedly that he did not disrobe for days. When the queen finally succumbed to illness, Li mourned so bitterly until "his bones stuck out and he could stand up only with the aid of a staff." In addition to several grieving poems, he chiseled the roughly 2000 characters of his "Dirge for the Zhaohui Queen Zhou" (昭惠周後誄) — "Zhaohui" being her posthumous name — to her headstone himself. Part of the dirge read (as translated by Daniel Bryant):

孰謂逝者		Who is it says, of those departed,
荏苒彌疏		they grow more remote as times goes by?
我思姝子		I long for her, that beautiful lady,
永念猶初		eternally remembering, just as at first.
愛而不見		"I love her but I cannot see her";
我心毀如		my heart seems to blaze and burn.
寒暑斯疚		With chills and fever I am afflicted,
吾寧禦諸		can I ever overcome this?

While Li Yu was almost certainly sincere in his love for his wife, during her last days he also engaged in a secret sexual relationship with Queen Zhou the Younger, the queen's younger sister, who was only around 14 at that time. Worst of all, the queen discovered the "affair" which probably hastened her demise and multiplied Li Yu's regret. A few months later, in late 965, disaster stroke again: Queen Dowager Zhong died after several months of attentive care-taking by Li. The subsequent mourning period delayed Li's marriage to the younger Lady Zhou until 968.

Deaths of Lin Renzhao and Pan You

After conquering Jingnan, the Hunan region and Later Shu, the Song Dynasty army set off to invade Southern Han in 971, Southern Tang's southwestern neighbor. Lin Renzhao, the Southern Tang military governor of Zhenhai Command (鎮海軍) centering in Wuchang (in modern Hubei), believed the opportunity golden to attack the Song cities around Yangzhou (in modern Jiangsu) as the main Song army would be a long distance away and already severely fatigued. Li Yu immediately rejected Lin's request: "Stop the nonsense talks, (stop) destroying (our) country!"

What Li was perhaps unaware was a year before, the Song military had gotten hold of an important chart with detailed measurements of Yangtze River crossing points, provided by a Southern Tang defector named Fan Ruoshui. After the conquest of Southern Han, their next step was to eliminate Lin Renzhao. In 974, Emperor Taizu of Song got hold of a Lin portrait through agents working in Southern Tang, and Li Congshan, the hostage kept in Bianliang, was then made to believe that Lin's loyalty was with Song. When Li Yu was told of this, he without a thorough investigation secretly poisoned Lin to death. Chancellor Chen Qiao angrily reacted to Lin's death: "Seeing loyal ministers killed, I don't know where I will die!".

Fall of Southern Tang

Not known for his governing skill, Houzhu was nevertheless a highly accomplished scholar, he allowed himself indulgence with artistic and literature pursuits, with little regard to the strong Song Kingdom that was eying its weaker neighbor. In 971, Houzhu dropped the name of Tang from its Kingdom's name, in a desperate move to please the mighty Emperor Taizu of Song.

Of the many other kingdoms surrounding the Southern Tang, only Wuyue to the east had yet to fall. The Southern Tang's turn came in 974, when, after several refusals to summons to the Song court, on the excuse of illness, Song dynasty armies invaded. After a year long siege of the Southern Tang capital, modern Nanjing, Li Houzhu surrendered, in 975; and, he and his family were taken as captives to the Song capital at present-day Kaifeng. In a later poem, Li wrote about the shame and regret he had on the day he was taken away from Jinling (as translated by Hsiung Ting):

四十年來傢國		For forty years my country and my home —
三千裏地山河		Three thousand li of mountains and rivers.
鳳閣竜樓連霄漢		The Phoenix Pavilion and Dragon Tower reaching up to the Milky Way,
玉樹瓊枝作煙蘿		Jade trees and jasper branches forming a cloudy net —
幾曾識幹戈		Not once did I touch sword or spear!
一旦歸為臣虜		Suddenly I became a captive slave.
瀋腰潘鬢銷磨		Frail my waist, gray my temples, grinding away.
最是倉皇辭廟日		Never shall I forget the day when I bade hasty farewell at the ancestral temple.
教坊猶奏別離歌		The court musicians played the farewell songs,
揮淚對宮娥		My tears streamed as I gazed at the court maidens.

Devotion to the arts

Although, Li Yu indeed was a great exponent and developer of the Ci poetry form, which form sometimes or often seems to characterize poetry of the Song Dynasty, there is also some difficulty in categorizing him as a Song poet: the Southern Tang state is more of a continuation of Tang than a precursor on the Song side of the divide of the history of the Tang-Song transition, also known as the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period. Li Yu represents both a continuation of the Tang poetry tradition, as well as representing the Ci poetic style which is so especially associated with the poetry of Song.

Li Houzhu devoted much of his time to pleasure-making and literature, and this is reflected in his early poems. A second phase of Li's ci poems seems to have been the development of an even sadder style after the death of his wife, in 964. His best-known, and saddest, poems were composed during the years of his captivity, after he formally abdicated his reign to the Song, in 975. He was created the Marquess of Wei Ming (Chinese: 違命侯; literally, the Marquess of Disobeyed Edicts), a token title only: actually, he was a prisoner, though with the outward accoutrements of a prince. Li's works from this period dwell on his regret for the lost kingdom and the pleasures it had brought him.

He developed the ci by broadening its scope from love to history and philosophy, particularly in his later works. He also introduced the two stanza form, and made great use of contrasts between longer lines of nine characters and shorter ones of three and five. Only 45 of his ci poems survive, thirty of which have been verified to be his authentic works, the other of which are possibly composed by other writers: also, seventeen shi style poems remain to his credit. His story remains very popular in many Cantonese operas.

Death

He was poisoned by the Song emperor Taizong in 978, after he had written a poem that, in a veiled manner, lamented the destruction of his empire and the rape of his second wife Empress Zhou the Younger by the Song emperor. After his death, he was posthumously created the Prince of Wu (吳王).

Writing

Ci poetry

The roughly 40 (some of which incomplete owing to damaged manuscripts) ci poems possibly written by Li Yu are summarized in the table below. The ci as a poetic form follows set patterns or tunes (詞牌).

A few poems have been set to music in modern times, most notably the 3 songs in superstar Teresa Teng's 1983 album Light Exquisite Feelings. Some of the songs are mentioned below.

Tune	First line	Notes
Cǎi Sāng Zǐ (采桑子)	Lù Lú Jīn Jǐng Wú Tóng Wǎn (轆轤金井梧桐晚)
	Tíng Qián Chūn Zhú Hóng Yīng Jìn (庭前春逐紅英盡)
Cháng Xiāng Sī (長相思)	Yún Yī Guā (雲一緺)
Dǎo Liàn Zǐ Ling (搗練子令)	Shēn Yuàn Jìng (深院靜)
Dié Liàn Huā (蝶戀花)	Yáo Yè Tíng Gāo Xián Xìn Bù (遙夜亭臯閑信步)
Huàn Xī Shā (浣溪沙)	Hóng Rì Yǐ Gāo Sān Zhàng Tòu (紅日已高三丈透)
Làng Táo Shā (浪淘沙)	Lián Wài Yǔ Chán Chán (簾外雨潺潺)	Tune written as Làng Táo Shā Lìng (浪淘沙令)
	Wǎng Shì Zhǐ Kān Āi (往事衹堪哀)
Lín Jiāng Xiān (臨江仙)	Qín Lóu Bù Jiàn Chuī Xiāo Nǚ (秦樓不見吹簫女)	Tune written as Xiè Xīn Ēn (謝新恩) Missing 1 character in the sixth line
	Yīng Táo Luò Jìn Chūn Guī Qù (櫻桃落盡春歸去)	Authenticity of the last 3 lines questioned
Liǔ Zhī (柳枝)	Fēng Qíng Jiàn Lǎo Jiàn Chūn Xiū (風情漸老見春羞)
Pò Zhèn Zǐ (破陣子)	Sì Shí Nián Lái Jiā Guó (四十年來傢國)	Shiao Lih-ju sang it in Mandarin
Pú Sà Mán (菩薩蠻)	Huā Míng Yuè Àn Lóng Qīng Wù (花明月暗籠輕霧)
	Péng Lái Yuàn Bì Tiān Tái Nǚ (蓬萊院閉天台女)
	Rén Shēng Chóu Hèn Hé Néng Miǎn (人生愁恨何能免)	Tune written as Zǐ Yè Gē (子夜歌)
	Tóng Huáng Yùn Cuì Qiāng Hán Zhú (銅簧韻脆鏘寒竹)
	Xún Chūn Xū Shì Xiān Chūn Zǎo (尋春須是先春早)	Tune written as Zǐ Yè Gē (子夜歌)
Qīng Píng Yuè (清平樂)	Bié Lái Chūn Bàn (別來春半)
Ruǎn Láng Guī (阮郎歸)	Dōng Fēng Chuī Shuǐ Rì Xián Shān (東風吹水日銜山)	Possibly by Feng Yansi
Sān Tái Lìng (三臺令)	Bù Mèi Juàn Cháng Gèng (不寐倦長更)	Authorship questioned
Wàng Jiāng Nán (望江南)	Duō Shǎo Hèn (多少恨)
	Duō Shǎo Lèi (多少淚)
	Xián Mèng Yuǎn (閑夢遠) 2nd line: Nán Guó Zhèng Fāng Chūn (南國正芳春)	Tune written as Wàng Jiāng Méi (望江梅)
	Xián Mèng Yuǎn (閑夢遠) 2nd line: Nán Guó Zhèng Qīng Qiū (南國正清秋)
Wū Yè Tí (烏夜啼)	Zuó Yè Fēng Jiān Yǔ (昨夜風兼雨)
Xǐ Qiān Yīng (喜遷鶯)	Xiǎo Yuè Zhuì (曉月墜)
Xiāng Jiàn Huān (相見歡)	Lín Huā Xiè Liǎo Chūn Hóng (林花謝了春紅)	Teresa Teng sang it in Mandarin
	Wú Yán Dú Shàng Xī Lóu (無言獨上西樓)	Teresa Teng sang it in Mandarin Shiao Lih-ju sang it in Mandarin
Xiè Xīn Ēn (謝新恩)	Jīn Chuāng Lì Kùn Qǐ Huán Yōng (金窗力睏起還慵)	Missing the rest of the poem
	Rǎn Rǎn Qiū Guāng Liú Bù Zhù (冉冉秋光留不住)	Possibly missing lines and/or characters
	Tíng Kōng Kè Sàn Rén Guī Hòu (庭空客散人歸後)
	Yīng Huā Luò Jìn Chūn Jiāng Kùn (櫻花落盡春將睏)	Missing 2 lines
	Yīng Huā Luò Jìn Jiē Qián Yuè (櫻花落盡階前月)
Yī Hú Zhū (一斛珠)	Wǎn Zhuāng Chū Guò (晚妝初過)
Yú Fù (漁父)	Làng Huā Yǒu Yì Qiān Chóng Xuě (浪花有意千重雪)
	Yī Zhào Chūn Fēng Yī Yè Zhōu (一棹春風一葉舟)
Yù Lóu Chūn (玉樓春)	Wǎn Zhuāng Chū Liǎo Míng Jī Xuě (晚妝初了明肌雪)	Chang Chen sang it in Mandarin
Yú Měi Rén (虞美人)	Chūn Huā Qiū Yuè Hé Shí Liǎo (春花秋月何時了)	Teresa Teng sang it in Mandarin Chan Ho Tak sang it in Cantonese Huang Yee-ling and others sang it in Taiwanese Huang Fei sang it in Taiwanese
	Fēng Huí Xiǎo Yuàn Tíng Wú Lǜ (風回小院庭蕪綠)

Poetry Examples

Poems like these are often invoked in later periods of strife and confusion by literary figures.

"Western Tower" (獨上西樓)

One of Li Yu's most famous poems, popularly known as "Alone Up the Western Tower" (獨上西樓), was written after his capture. As translated by Chan Hong-mo: This was also rendered into a song by Teresa Teng, one of the most popular Asian singers ever. Teresa Teng 1983: 獨上西樓

無言獨上西樓		Alone to silence, up the western tower, I myself bestow.
月如鉤		Like silver curtain hook, so does the moon glow.
寂寞梧桐		The fallen leaves of one forsaken parasol
深院鎖清秋		Make deeper still the limpid autumn locked up in the court below.
剪不斷		Try cutting it, it is still profuse –
理還亂		More minding will but more confuse –
是離愁		Ah, parting's such enduring sorrow!
別有一番滋味在心頭		It leaves behind a very special taste the heart alone could know.

<<望江南>> "Jiangnan Remembrance" (second stanza)

多少恨，Such hatred,

昨夜夢魂中。Last night I departed in my dream.

還似舊時遊上苑，To enjoy the park as of yore,

車如流水馬如竜。The carriages flow like water and the horses like dragon.

花月正春風。 Blossoms and the moon in the spring breeze

Shi poetry

Li Yu's poems in the form of shi include:

• "Bìng Qǐ Tí Shān Shě Bì" (病起題山捨壁; "Getting up while Ill: Written Upon the Wall of My Mountain Lodge")
• "Bìng Zhōng Gǎn Huái" (病中感懷; "Feelings while Ill")
• "Bìng Zhōng Shū Shì" (病中書事; "Written while Ill")
• "Dào Shī" (悼詩; "Poem of Mourning")
• "Dù Zhōng Jiāng Wàng Shí Chéng Qì Xià" (渡中江望石城泣下; "Gazing at Stone City from Mid-river and Weeping")
• "Gǎn Huái" (感懷; "My Feelings") — 2 poems
• "Jiǔ Yuè Shí Rì Ǒu Shū" (九月十日偶書; "Jotted Down on the Tenth Day of the Ninth Month")
• "Méi Huā" (梅花; "Plum Blossoms") — 2 poems
• "Qiū Yīng" (秋鶯; "Autumn Warbler")
• "Shū Líng Yán Shǒu Jīn" (書靈筵手巾; "Written on the Napkin for a Sacrificial Banquet")
• "Shū Pí Pá Bèi" (書琵琶背; "Written on the Back of a Pipa")
• "Sòng Dèng Wáng Èr Shí Dì Cóng Yì Mù Xuān Chéng" (送鄧王二十弟從益牧宣城; "On Saying Farewell to My Younger Brother Chongyi, the Prince of Deng, Who is Going Away to Govern Xuancheng") — including a long letter
• "Tí jīn lóu zi hòu" (題金樓子後; "Written at the end of the Jinlouzi") — including a preface
• "Wǎn Chí"(輓辭; "Poem of Mourning") — 2 poems

"To the Tune of Liǔ Zhī" mentioned in the ci section may also be classified as a shi.

Prose writing

Though miscellaneous in character, Li Yu's surviving prose writings also demonstrated his poetic genius. For example, "Dirge for the Zhaohui Queen Zhou" is rhymed and almost entirely in regular four-character metre, resembling the dominant fu form a millennium before.

Calligraphy

Li Yu's calligraphy style has been dubbed "golden inlaid dagger" (金錯刀) for its perceived force and clarity. As one Song Dynasty writer noted: "The large characters are like split bamboo, the small ones like clusters of needles; altogether unlike anything done with a brush!"

Television series

Three independent television series focused on the complex relationships between Li Yu (Li Houzhu), Emperor Taizu of Song (Zhao Kuangyin) and the various women in their lives. They are:

• The Sword and the Song (絕代雙雄), a 1986 Singaporean series starring Li Wenhai as Li Yu.
• Love, Sword, Mountain & River (情劍山河), a 1996 Taiwanese series starring Chin Feng as Li Yu.
• Li Houzhu and Zhao Kuangyin (李後主與趙匡胤), a 2006 Chinese series starring Nicky Wu as Li Yu.

See also

• Song poetry
• Tang poetry

Notes and references

Sources

Primary sources

• (in Chinese) Wu Renchen (1669). Shiguo Chunqiu (十國春秋) [Spring and Autumn Annals of the Ten Kingdoms].
• (in Chinese) Toqto'a; et al., eds. (1345). Song Shi (宋史) [History of Song].
• (in Chinese) Ouyang Xiu (1073). Wudai Shiji (五代史記) [Historical Records of the Five Dynasties].
• (in Chinese) Li Tao (1183). Xu Zizhi Tongjian Changbian (續資治通鑑長編) [Extended Continuation to Zizhi Tongjian].
• (in Chinese) Sima Guang (1086). Zizhi Tongjian (資治通鑑) [Comprehensive Mirror for Aid in Government].
• (in Chinese) Quan Tangshi (全唐詩) [Complete Tang Poems]. 1705.
• (in Chinese) Lu You (1184). Lushi Nantangshu (陸氏南唐書) [Book of Southern Tang by Lu You].

Secondary sources

• Birch, Cyril, ed. (1965). Anthology of Chinese Literature: from Early Times to the Fourteenth Century. New York: Grove Press. LCCN 65-14202.
• Bryant, Daniel (1982). Lyric Poets of the Southern T'ang: Feng Yen-ssu, 903–960, and Li Yü, 937–978. University of British Columbia Press. ISBN 0-7748-0142-5.
• Chan Hong-mo (2011). The Birth of China Seen Through Poetry. Singapore: World Scientific. ISBN 981-4335-33-9.
• Chang, Kang-i Sun (1980). The Evolution of Chinese Tz'u Poetry: From Late T'ang to Northern Sung. Princeton University Press. ISBN 0-691-06425-3.
• Davis, A. R. (Albert Richard), Editor and Introduction, The Penguin Book of Chinese Verse. Baltimore: Penguin Books (1970).
• Dolling, Susan Wan (1997). A River in Springtime: My Story of Li Yu in Myth and Poetry. Austin, Tex.: Puck's Gold Projects. ISBN 0-9655255-0-3.
• Koh, Malcolm Ho Ping; Nair, Chandran (1975). A Translation: The Poems & Lyrics of Last Lord Lee. Singapore: Woodrose Publications.
• Kurz, Johannes L. (2011). China's Southern Tang Dynasty, 937–976. Abingdon, Oxon; New York: Routledge. ISBN 0-203-82861-5.
• Liu Yih-ling; Suhrawardy, Shahid (1948). Poems of Lee Hou-chu. Calcutta: Orient Longmans.
• Landau, Julie. 1994. Beyond spring tz'u poems of the Sung dynasty. Translations from the Asian classics. New York: Columbia University Press. ISBN 0-231-09678-X ISBN 978-0-231-09678-2
• Liu, Kezhang. 2006. An appreciation and English translation of one hundred Chines (i.e. Chinese) cis during the Tang and Song dynasties. Pittsburgh, Penn: RoseDog Books. ISBN 0-8059-9008-9 ISBN 978-0-8059-9008-9
• MacKintosh, Duncan and Alan Ayling. 1967. A collection of Chinese lyrics. Nashville: Vanderbilt University Press.
• Mote, F.W. (1999). Imperial China: 900–1800. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press. ISBN 0-674-44515-5.
• Nienhauser, William H, ed. (1986). The Indiana Companion to Traditional Chinese Literature. Indiana University Press. ISBN 0-253-32983-3.
• Pannam, Clifford L. (2000). The Poetry of Li Yu. Ormond, Victoria: Hybrid Publishers. ISBN 1-876462-10-8.
• Payne, Robert, ed. (1947). The White Pony: An Anthology of Chinese Poetry. New York: John Day Company.
• Sze, Arthur (2001). The Silk Dragon: Translations from the Chinese. Port Townsend, Wash.: Copper Canyon Press. ISBN 1-55659-153-5.
• Turner, John A. (1976). A Golden Treasury of Chinese Poetry. Hong Kong: The Chinese University Press. ISBN 0-295-95506-6.
• Wagner, Marsha L. (1984). The Lotus Boat: The Origins of Chinese Tz'u Poetry in T'ang Popular Culture. New York: Columbia University Press. ISBN 0-231-04276-0.
• Watson, Burton (1984). The Columbia Book of Chinese Poetry, from Early Times to the Thirteenth Century. New York: Columbia University Press. ISBN 0-231-05682-6.