Li Qingzhao

Li Qingzhao (1084 - ca.1151), a major Song dynasty poet, is also perhaps China's most famous female poet.³ Although one of her poems might suggest that she herself played guqin, actual and specific connections between the qin and her have not been studied.⁴ So the reason she has a separate page on this site is mainly because the structure of many of her ci poems was later used as lyrics for qin songs.

Li was born in the Jinan region of Shandong province, hence the museum in her honor now in Jinan. Biographical information is readily available online. She was a daughter of the distinguished literatus 李格非 Li Gefei, and the wife of another literatus and senior official, 趙明誠 Zhao Mingcheng. The marriage was apparently a happy one. In 1127, when she was 43 and as the Northern Song dynasty was collapsing, she and her husband moved south. Her husband died shortly after this, after which her life was quite difficult.

Although Li Qingzhao is said to have written a great many poems, only a few have survived. Almost all are ci. Some sources credit her with as many as 100 ci, but the more conservative count given below is 43: other poems "attributed" to her are said to attest more to her popularity than to hard evidence. See also further details).

Relevant translations of Li Qingzhao's poems can be found in:

Egan, Ronald, The Works of Li Qingzhao; transl. Ronald Egan; ed. Anna M. Shields; Boston/Berlin, De Gruyter, 2019. (pdf)
36-page introduction then three chapters of translations: Classical Poetry (shi 詩 and fu 賦); Prose (wen 文); Song Lyrics (ci 詞)
Wang, Jiaosheng, The Complete Ci-poems of Li Qingzhao: A New English Translation. University of Pennsylvania, Sino-Platonic Papers, #13, October 1989 (.pdf)
"Forty-three ci-poems written by Li herself, (plus) twelve chosen from those attributed to her, which have long enjoyed popularity because of their being written in the style of Li Qingzhao."
Kenneth Rexroth and Ling Chung, Li Ch'ing-chao: Complete Poems; New York, New Directions, 1979
Translates 67 poems: 50 ci (6 say "attributed to"), 17 shi. Ends with a biography by Chung (pp. 83 - 95) then footnotes; no Chinese characters.
Chang, Kang-i Sun and Saussy, Haun: Women Writers of Traditional China; Stanford, Stanford U. Press, 1999
- Fenghuang Taishang Yi Chuixiao: a poetic rhythm "also known as Tiao xiao ling, 'Song of Flirtation'." (p. 814; here only by others)
- Huan Xi Sha (p. 91; translates qin as lute)
Xu Yuanzhong, Songs of the Immortals; New World Press, Beijing, 1994.
- Tune: Playing Flute Recalled on Phoenix Terrace" (p.229 [English], p.432 [Chinese]).
- Tune: Washing at Creekside ("Silk Washing Brook", pp. 231 and 433)

Musical settings of Li Qingzhao's own ci poetry
Only one of her ci poems seems to have been set directly for qin, and it was set twice:

Fenghuang Taishang Yi Chui Xiao (translations by Rexroth, p.30, and Wang, p.19)
1. Fenghuang Taishang Yi Chui Xiao (set to her lyrics of that title)
2. Gui Yuan Cao (an alternate title to the same lyrics, but here set to a different melody)

Qin songs set to ci patterns previously used by Li Qingzhao
Many 17th century qin songs have lyrics that follow a ci pattern that Li Qingzhao had used earlier. In these cases, of course, one should also be able to substitute Li's own lyrics. Examples include the following:

"Clear Peaceful Music" (清平樂 Qing Ping Yue, 1676; her lyrics translated by Rexroth, p.30, and Wang, p.77)
年年雪裏。常插梅花醉。 .... (see complete text and translation)
"A Touch of Red Lips" (點絳唇 Dian Jiang Chun, 1664; her lyrics translated by Rexroth ?? and p.19, and Wang, p.3 and p.33.)
1. 蹴罷鞦韆，起來慵整纖纖手。
  露濃花瘦，薄汗輕衣透。
  見客入來，襪剗金釵溜，和羞走。
  倚門回首，卻把青梅嗅。
2. 寂寞深閨，柔腸一寸愁千縷。
  惜春春去，幾點催花雨。
  倚遍闌干，只是無情緒。人何處？
  連天芳樹，望斷歸來路。
"Approaching Bliss" (好事近 Hao Shi Jin, 1664; reference; her lyrics translated by Rexroth, p.26, and Wang, p.94) 風定落花深，簾外擁紅堆雪。
長記海棠開後，正傷春時節。
酒闌歌罷玉尊空，青缸暗明滅。
魂夢不堪幽怨，更一聲啼鴂。
"Drunk in the Blossom's Shade" (醉花陰 Zui Hua Yin, 1664; her lyrics translated by Rexroth, p.14, and Wang, p.17) 薄霧濃雲愁永晝，瑞腦銷金獸。
佳節又重陽，玉枕紗廚，半夜涼初透。
東籬把酒黃昏後，有暗香盈袖。
莫道不銷魂，簾卷西風，人比黃花瘦。
"A Sprig of Plum Blossoms" (一剪梅 Yi Jian Mei, 1664; her lyrics translated by Rexroth, p.27, and Wang, p.7) 紅藕香殘玉簟秋，輕解羅裳，獨上蓮舟。
雲中誰寄錦書來，雁字回時，月滿西樓。
花自漂零水自流，一種相思，兩處閒愁。
此情無計可消除，才下眉頭，卻上心頭。
"To a short version of 'The Magnolia Flower'" (減字木蘭花 Jianzi Mulan Hua, 1682; her lyrics translated by Rexroth, p.6, and Wang, p.27)
賣花擔上。買得一枝春欲放。
淚染輕勻。猶帶彤霞曉露痕。
怕郎猜道。奴面不如花面好。
雲鬢斜簪。徒要教郎比並看。
"Spring in the Jade Tower" (玉樓春 Yu Lou Chun, 1682; form: ([7+7]x2)x2. Her lyrics are translated by Rexroth, p.8, and Wang, p.79]) 紅酥肯放瓊苞碎，探著南枝開遍未？
不知醞藉幾多時，但見包藏無限意。
道人憔悴春窗底，悶損闌干愁不倚。
要來小酌便來休，未見明朝風不起。
"Washing at Creekside" (also "Silk-Washing Brook" 浣溪沙 Huan Xi Sha; compare the extended form Tanpo Huan Xi Sha below)
Although Li Qingzhao wrote at least four or five poems in the form Huan Xi Sha (all available in English translation), traditional qin handbooks seem to have no settings of any lyrics in this form by any writers; the closest is a setting of its "extended form", Tanpo Huan Xi Sha. However, because one of Li's settings of Huan Xi Sha mentions qin I decided to adapt that to the tablature of Tanpo Huan Xi Sha. Her relevant Huan Xi Sha is as follows (compare next):
小院閒窗春色深，重簾未卷影沈沈，
倚樓無語理瑤琴。 ("jade zither")
遠岫出山催薄暮，細風吹雨弄輕陰，
梨花欲謝恐難禁。
"Extended Washing at Creekside" (攤破浣溪沙 Tanpo Huan Xisha in Shuhuai Cao, 1682; two poems)
There are at least two poems in this form attributed to Li Qingzhao. Here is one (translation by Rexroth, p.39, and Wang, p.39):
揉破黃金萬點輕，剪成碧玉葉層層。
風度精神如彥輔，太鮮明。
梅蕊重重何俗甚，丁香千結苦粗生。
熏透愁人千里夢，卻無情。
However, because the only one of Li Qingzhao's lyrics that seems to mention qin (see previous) is in the form Huan Xi Sha, I adapted the lyrics of that poem to the 1682 tablature for Tanpo Huan Xisha. There is further comment here.
"Spring at Wuling" (武陵春 Wuling Chun: compare the lyrics set for qin in 1687 [武林春 Wulin Chun?] with these by Li Qingzhao, which have an extra character at the end [her lyrics translated by Rexroth, p.48, and Wang, p.117]):
風住塵香花已盡，日晚倦梳頭。
物是人非事事休，欲語淚先流。
聞說雙溪春尚好，也擬泛輕舟。
只恐雙溪舴艋舟，載不動許多愁。
"The Honor of a Fisherman" (漁家傲 Yu Jia Ao, 1687; her lyrics translated by Rexroth, p.9, and Wang, p.45)
See further comment
雪裏已知春信至，寒梅點綴瓊枝膩。
香臉半開嬌旖旎。當庭際、玉人浴出新妝洗。
造化可能偏有意，故教明月玲瓏地。
共賞金尊沉綠蟻。莫辭醉、此花不與群花比。
"The Partridge Sky" (鷓鴣天 Zhegu Tian, 1682; her lyrics translated by Rexroth, pp.13 & 40, and Wang, pp.87 & 71)
This one of her ci:
寒日蕭蕭上鎖窗，梧桐應恨夜來霜。
酒闌更喜團茶苦，夢斷偏宜瑞腦香。
秋已盡，日猶長，仲宣懷遠更淒涼。
不如隨分尊前醉，莫負東籬菊蕊黃。
Wang, p.11 added a third ci poem in this pattern (枝上流鶯和淚聞....).
Immortal on the Riverbank (臨江仙 "Lin Jiang Xian" (2), 1682; her lyrics translated by Rexroth, pp.41 & 81, and Wang, pp.101 & 67)
This one has a preface referring to Ouyang Xiu:
庭院深深深幾許，雲窗霧閣常扃。 -->
柳梢梅萼漸分明，春歸秣陵樹，人老建康城。
感月吟風多少事，如今老去無成。
誰憐憔悴更凋零，試燈無意思，踏雪沒心情。
"Bodhisattva's Headdress" (菩薩蠻 Pu Sa Man (also here?) sometimes also translated as "Bodhisattva the Barbarian"); her lyrics have been translated by Rexroth, pp.25 & 37, and Wang, pp. 51 & 61).
Here is the first of the two attributed to Li Qingzhao:
歸鴻聲斷殘雲碧，背窗雪落爐煙直。
燭底鳳釵明，釵頭人勝輕。
角聲催曉漏，曙色回牛斗。
春意看花難，西風留舊寒。

There may also be other examples where Li's poetry can be set to later tablature. In addition, the following qin melodiy also has a connection to her poetry:

Xianpei Ying Feng (her lyrics mention the story)

Footnotes (Shorthand references are explained on a separate page)

1. 李清照 Li Qingzhao (1084 - ca.1151) (Wikipedia)
14819.1038 no image; nicknames 易安居士 Yi'an jushi and 樕玉 Suyu,
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2. 李清照纪念堂 Li Qingzhao Memorial Hall
Near Jinan's Rinsing Jade Spring (漱玉泉 Shu Yu Quan, now a part of a public park in the center of Jinan named after Baotu Spring (趵突泉); there are a number of an ancient springs in and around the park. Although Li Qingzhao was from Jinan there is nothing directly associating her with the springs here.

There is no image of Li Qingzhao in the 三彩圖會 Sancai Tuhui. There is an image of her in the Beijing National Palace Museum by a Qing dynasty painter named 崔錯 Cui Cuo and one can also find numerous modern images of Li Qingzhao online, including of a statue at the memorial hall in Jinan, but all seen to interpret her through modern ideas of glamor.
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3. Most famous?
Compare Zhu Shuzhen.
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4. Li Qingzhao and the qin
The main evidence suggesting Li Qingzhao herself played the qin is the following line in her poem Huan Xi Sha, also quoted above:

"倚樓無語理瑤琴 High in my chamber and without a word I play (lit. 'arrange') my jade (-studded) qin."

However, this line has no pronouns and Wang, p.15 translates it "someone plucking a jade zither".

Perhaps connected to this, there is a guqin in the collection of 龔一 Gong Yi that some people say once belonged to Li Qingzhao.
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