chinese poem

12 Chinese Cat Poems by Lu You

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An imaginary image of Lu You with his beloved cat, artist unknown

In the general impression, Lu You(陸游) is a famous patriotic Chinese poet of the Southern Song Dynasty, full of melancholy. However, compared to lofty mountains, flowing rivers, in reality, he was a devoted cat lover.

Chinese Cat Poems Written by Lu You

Lu You’s famous patriotic poem titled ‘Stormy Winds on November Fourth(《十一月四日風雨大作》)’ is well-known in China, as it appears in many high school textbooks.

僵臥孤村不自哀，尚思為國戍輪台。
夜闌臥聽風吹雨，鐵馬冰河入夢來。

~《十一月四日風雨大作》陸游

Lying stiff in a solitary village, no self-pity within, Still contemplating guarding the frontier for the nation’s win.

 

Kunlun Nu

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It is a very famous Chuanqi in the Tang Dynasty. Below is a full English translation of the story.

During the reign of Emperor Dezong in the Tang Dynasty, there was a man named Cui Sheng(崔生). His father was a prominent official who had a close relationship with high-ranking ministers of the time. Cui Sheng himself served as a guard in the palace. One of these high-ranking ministers fell ill, and Cui Sheng’s father instructed him to visit. 

Flutes

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Lv Xiangyun(呂鄉筠), a merchant from Dongting(洞庭), often traded Dongting fish and shrimp for miscellaneous goods in Jiangxi. He took one-tenth of the profit and, with surplus earnings, supported poor relatives and friends, helping the needy thereafter. He never saved money for himself. Lv Xiangyun was skilled at playing the flute. Whenever he encountered beautiful landscapes, he would sail and enjoy the scenery, playing his flute.

Once, on a mid-spring night, Lv Xiangyun’s boat was moored near Junshan Island. 

A Mysterious Night Encounter

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During the Liu Song period of the Southern and Northern Dynasties, Zhao Wenshao(趙文韶), a native of Kuaiji (modern-day Shaoxing, Zhejiang Province), served as an attendant in the Crown Prince’s palace in the capital city (present-day Nanjing). He lived near the foot of Purple Mountain by the Qingxi River, at Zhongqiao. His residence was separated from the house of the Minister Wang Shuqing by only a narrow lane, approximately two hundred steps away.