Circa A.D. 750





Of his life we know little, save that he was the intimate friend
of the great poet Tu Fu, and came of a noble family. He was,
moreover, Censor under the Emperor Su Tsung (A.D. 756-762),
and rose to be Governor of Chia-chou. What remains of his verse
mostly takes the form of quatrains, yet for originality of thought,
wealth of imagery and style, they have seldom been excelled.
He was a master of metre, and contributed certain modifications
to the laws of Chinese prosody which exist to the present day.




A Dream of Spring



Last night within my chamber's gloom some vague light breath of Spring
Came wandering and whispering, and bade my soul take wing.

A hundred moonlit miles away the Chiang crept to sea;
O keeper of my heart, I came by Chiang's ford to thee.

It lingered but a moment's space, that dream of Spring, and died;