Liu Changqing

Liu Changqing (Chinese: 劉長卿; Wade–Giles: Liu Ch'ang-ch'ing; 709–785) , courtesy name Wenfang (文房) was a Chinese poet and politician during the Tang dynasty. Eleven of his poems were collected in the popular anthology Three Hundred Tang Poems.[1]

In this Chinese name, the family name is Liu.
Liu Changqing
劉長卿
Liu Changqing.
Born709
Luoyang, Henan, China
Died785 (aged 75–76)
China
OccupationPoet, politician
Chinese name
Traditional Chinese劉長卿
Simplified Chinese刘长卿
Wenfang
Chinese文房

Biography

Liu Changqing was born around either 710 or 725.[lower-alpha 1] He came from the city of Xuancheng. His ancestral hometown was Hejian. Most of his youth was spent in the city of Luoyang. Liu obtained his Jinshi title around 750s. In 780, he became the governor of Suizhou in Henan province. Because of his term in Suizhou, Liu was often called Liu Suizhou by his contemporaries.[2]

He died around 786.[lower-alpha 2]

Poetry

Liu's poems did not receive much praise during his lifetime although he was one of the representative poets during the reign of Emperor Dezong of Tang. However, he was gradually acknowledged by later generations. Liu was especially skillful on the writing of poems with 5 characters.[3][4] An example of his poetry can be seen below:

While Visiting on the South Stream the Taoist Priest Chang (尋南溪常山道人隱居)[5]

一路經行處，   Walking along a little path, ;
莓苔見履痕，   I find a footprint on the moss.
白雲依靜渚，   A while cloud low on the quiet lake
春草閉閒門。   Grasses that sweeten an idle door.
過雨看松色，   A pine grown greener with the rain;
隨山到水源，   A brook that comes from a mountain source –
溪花與禪意，   And, mingling with Truth among the flowers,
相對亦忘言。   I have forgotten what to say.

See also

Notes
    1. Ueki et al. (1999, p. 104) give "726?", Maruyama (1994) gives "725?", while World Encyclopedia gives "710?" and Britannica Kokusai Dai-Hyakkajiten gives 709. Daijirin does not give a date for his birth.
    2. Ueki et al. (1999, p. 104) and Daijirin give "786?", Britannica Kokusai Dai-Hyakkajiten gives 785, World Encyclopedia gives "785?", while Maruyama (1994) gives "791?". Daijirin does not give a date for his death.

    References
    1. Watson, 117
    2. 《唐诗大辞典修订本》
    3. 《中国历代人名大辞典》
    4. 《唐诗大辞典》
    5. Bynner. An anthology of 320 poems. Discover Chinese poetry in its golden age and some of the greatest Chinese poets.

    Works cited
    • Ueki, Hisayuki; Uno, Naoto; Matsubara, Akira (1999). "Shijin to Shi no Shōgai (Ryū Chõkei)". In Matsuura, Tomohisa (ed.). Kanshi no Jiten 漢詩の事典 (in Japanese). 1. Tokyo: Taishūkan Shoten. pp. 104–105. OCLC 41025662.
    • Watson, Burton (1971). CHINESE LYRICISM: Shih Poetry from the Second to the Twelfth Century. New York: Columbia University Press. ISBN 0-231-03464-4
    • "Liu Changqing (Ryū Chōkei in Japanese)". World Encyclopedia (in Japanese). Heibonsha. 1998. Retrieved 2017-01-29.
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