The Works of Li Qingzhao, Ci Poems 3.57 - 3.66

[x_los]

The FINAL instalment of Li Qingzhao’s poetry. This book is freely available via De Gruyter's Library of Chinese Humanities in Mandarin and English and via several publication formats, including two open access options (the pdf appears to be better formatted than the ebook). We're reading the poems 3.57 through 3.66, inclusive.

How to Read Chinese Poetry has three chapters on the ci forms Li Qingzhao uses here: 

Chapter 12, Ci Poetry: Short Song Lyrics (Xiaoling) 

Chapter 13, Ci Poetry: Long Song Lyrics (Manci) 

Chapter 14, Ci Poetry: Long Song Lyrics on Objects (Yongwu Ci)

Recall from the introduction that everything after 3.35 is relatively likely to be misattributed. This is especially true after 3.45: these may be written deliberately 'in Li Qingzhao's style'. 

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Comments

Re: 3.58

[llonkrebboj]

there is a sort of grumpy and being slightly unreasonable vibe in this one.

praising the osmanthus for its gold petals and jade leaves and comparing them to yanfu (who was a dude that lived about eight to nine hundred years before her time xD he was particularly praised for being modest, pure and very frank and lively) but then a quick turnaround here, calling them both too vivid, too bright (太鮮明). and then the mood plunges even further when she starts on the plum blossoms and lilacs lmao, then turns right around and accuses the osmanthus' fragrance pungency for waking her from her dreams of a place (or someone?) she misses. as if you can smell things in your sleep!