Li Bai 李白, also known in the West by various other transliterations, especially Li Po, was a major Chinese poet of the Tang dynasty poetry period. He has been regarded as one of the greatest poets in China's Tang period, which is often called China's "golden age" of poetry. Around a thousand existing poems are attributed to him. Thirty-four of his poems are included in the popular anthology Three Hundred Tang Poems.

In the area of Chinese cultural influence, Li Bai's poetry has been much esteemed from his lifetime through the present day. His influence also extends to the West through many translations, adaptations, and much inspiration.

Name Variants

Names Chinese: 李白 Pinyin: Lǐ Bái or Li Bó Wade-Giles: Li Po or Li Pai Middle Chinese: (reconstructed) Lǐ Bhæk Cantonese: Léih Baahk Japanese Rōmaji: Ri Haku (り はく / リ ハク) Korean: 이백 or 이태백 Zì 字: Tàibái 太白 Hào 號: Qīnglián Jūshì 青蓮居士 aka: Shīxiān, 詩仙 The Poet Sage Vietnamese: Lý Bạch

Li (李) is the family name, or surname. His given name is written with a Chinese character (白), which is romanized variously as Po, Bo, Bai, Pai, and other variants. Even in Hanyu Pinyin, there is ambiguity, as Bái is the common variant and Bó the literary variant (and thus presumably closer to the original pronunciation). His style name, also known as courtesy name, was Tài Bai (太白), literally "Great White," a reference to the planet Venus. Thus, combining the family name with the style name, we get variants such as Li Tai Bo, Li Tai Bai, Li Tai'p'o, and so on (including, Le Pih, Ly Pé, Li Tai-pé, and Li Tai-po[2]). He also may be known by the pseudonym (hao), Qinglian Jushi (青莲居士), meaning Householder of the Azure Lotus. Furthermore, he has the nicknames Poet Transcendent (traditional Chinese: 詩仙; simplified Chinese: 诗仙; pinyin: Shī​xiān​), Wine Immortal (Chinese: 酒仙; pinyin: Jiǔ​xiān​), Immortal in Exile (traditional Chinese: 謫仙人; simplified Chinese: 谪仙; pinyin: Zhé​xiān​), and Poet Knight-Errant (traditional Chinese: 詩俠; simplified Chinese: 诗侠; pinyin: Shī​xiá, or "Poet-Hero"​). In works derived through Japanese, he is sometimes known as Ri Haku. All of these variants, and more, with or without hyphenation, have been historically attested to. The original pronunciation of his name can be reconstructed, not with certitude but based upon extensive scholarly linguistic analysis of Middle Chinese. Based upon a succession of such work of Bernhard Karlgren and Samuel Martin, and revised by Yale's Hugh M. Stimson the Tang Dynasty era pronunciation was Lǐ Bhæk.[3]

Life

The two "Books of Tang", The Old Book of Tang and The New Book of Tang remain the primary sources of bibliographical material on Li Bai.[4] Other sources include internal evidence from poems by or about Li Bai, and certain other sources.

Birth

The year of Li Bai's birth is known to be 701, however the location where is uncertain (although, apparently somewhere in Central Asia[5]). Apparently, his family had originally dwelt in what is now southeastern Gansu, and later moved to Jiangyou, near modern Chengdu in Sichuan province, when he was perhaps five years old. Two accounts given by contemporaries Li Yangbing (Preface to the Thatched Cottage Collection) and Fan Chuanzheng (Tang's Zuo Sheyi Hanlin Xueshi Li Gong's Xin Mubei Bingxu) stated that his family was originally from what is now southeastern Gansu, as in the Xin Tangshu 215. The evidence suggests that during the Sui Dynasty, during the 610's, his ancestors, most likely as the result of some act of crime, were forced to relocate "incognito" from their original home in what is now Gansu to some location further west.[6] Some believe that Li Bai's birthplace is Suiye (Chinese: 碎叶城; pinyin: Suìyè Chéng) in Central Asia (near modern-day Tokmok, Kyrgyzstan).[5][7]

While she was pregnant with him, Li Bai's mother had a dream of a great white star falling from heaven. This seems to have contributed to the idea of his being a banished immortal (one of his nicknames).[8] That the Great White Star was synonymous with Venus helps to explain his style name, "Tai Bai".

Early years

In 705, when Li Bai was four years old, his father secretly moved his family to Sichuan, near Chengdu, where he spent his childhood.[9]

The young Bai read extensively, including Confucian classics such as The Classic of Poetry (Shijing) and the Classic of History (Shujing), as well as various astrological and metaphysical materials which the Confucians tended to eschew.[9] He also engaged in other activities, such as taming wild birds and sword play.[9] Apparently, he became accomplished in the martial arts:

This autobiographical quote by Li Bai helps to illustrate the wild life that he led in the Sichuan of his youth: "When I was fifteen, I was fond of sword play, and with that art I challenged quite a few great men." Li Bai[10]

The young Li Bai, before twenty years of age, had fought and killed, apparently for reasons of chivalry, several men.[9]

In 720, he was interviewed by Governor Su Ting, who considered him a genius. Though he expressed the wish to become an official, he never took the civil service examination.

On the way to Chang'an

In his mid-twenties, about 725, Li Bai left Sichuan, sailing down the Yangzi River, through Dongting Lake, to Nanjing, beginning his days of wandering. He then went back up-river, to Yunmeng, in what is now Hubei, where his marriage to the granddaughter of a retired Prime Minister, Xu Yushi, seems to have formed but a brief interlude.[11] During the first year of his trip, he met celebrities and gave away much of his wealth to needy friends.

In 730, Li Bai stayed in the Zhongnan Mountain near the capital Chang'an (Xi'an), and tried but failed to secure a position. He sailed down the Yellow River, stopped by Luoyang, and visited Taiyuan before going home.

In 735, Li Bai was in Shanxi, where he intervened in a court martial against Guo Ziyi, who was later to repay the favour during the An Shi disturbances.[8]

By perhaps 740, he had moved to Shandong. It was in Shandong, at this time, that he became one of the group known as the "Six Idlers of the Bamboo Brook", an informal group dedicated to literature and wine.[8]

He wandered about the area of Zhejiang and Jiangsu, eventually making friends with a famous Daoist priest, Wu Yun.[8]

In 742, Wu Yun was summonsed by the Emperor to attend the imperial court, where his praise of Li Bai was great.[8]

At Chang'an

Wu Yun's praise of Li Bai led the Emperor to summon Li to the court in Chang'an, as well, where he met the Emperor of China, Ming Huang (born Li Longji and also known as Emperor Xuanzong). His personality fascinated the aristocrats and common people alike, including another Taoist (and poet) He Zhizhang who bestowed upon him the nickname "the Transcendent dismissed from the Heaven", or "Immortal Exiled from Heaven".[8] Indeed, after an initial audience, where he was questioned upon his political views the Emperor was so impressed that he held a big banquet in his honor. At this banquet the Emperor was said to show his favor, even to the extent of personally seasoning his soup for him.[8][12]

Emperor Ming Huang found employment for him as a translator, as Li Bai knew at least one non-Chinese language.[8] Ming Huang eventually gave him a post at the Hanlin Academy, which served to provide scholarly expertise and poetry for the Emperor.

When the emperor ordered Li Bai to the palace, he was often drunk, but quite capable of performing on the spot.

Li Bai wrote several poems about the Emperor's beautiful and beloved Yang Guifei, the favorite royal consort.[13] Once, while drunk, Li Bai had asked Gao Lishi, the most powerful eunuch in the palace, to take off his boots in front of the emperor. Gao, offended by this importunity, later managed to persuade Yang Guifei to take offense at the poems concerning her.[13]

At the persuasion of Yang Guifei and Gao Lishi, Ming Huang reluctantly, but politely, and with large gifts of gold and silver, sent Li Bai away from the royal court.[14]

More wandering

After leaving the court, Li Bai formally became a Taoist, making a home in Shandong, but wandering here and there for the next ten some years, writing poems.[14]

He met Du Fu in the autumn of 744, and again the following year. These were the only occasions on which they met. A dozen of Du Fu's poems to or about Li Bai survive, while only one from Li Bai to Du Fu remains.

War and exile

At the end of 756, the An Lushan disorders burst across the land. The Emperor eventually fled to Sichuan; then, later, during the confusion, the Crown Prince opportunely declared himself the head of government. As the An Shi disturbances continued, Li Bai became an adviser to one of Ming Huang's sons, who was far from the top of the primogeniture list. Upon the defeat of the Prince's forces, Li Bai escaped, but was later captured and sentenced to death. Through the intervention of the by then famous and powerful Guo Ziyi, whom he had a couple of decades earlier saved from a court martial, his death sentence was commuted to exile to remote Yelang,[14] towards which he proceeded quite slowly, writing poems along the way. He was pardoned before he ever reached Yelang.[14]

Final years and death

Finally, Emperor Daizong named Li Bai the Registrar of the Left Commandant's office in 762. When the imperial edict arrived in Dangtu, Anhui, Li Bai was already dead.

It was reported, from uncertain sources, that Li Bai drowned after falling from his boat when he tried to embrace the reflection of the moon in the Yangtze River, something later believed by Herbert Giles.[14] However, the actual cause appears to have been natural enough, although perhaps related to his hard-living lifestyle. Nevertheless, the legend that Li Bai died trying to embrace the reflection of the moon has entered Chinese culture, and is considered to be synonymous to an illusion.[15]

There is a memorial to Li Bai, just west of Ma'anshan.

Li Bai, 李白, (Lǐ Bái or Lǐ Bó; lived 701 – 762), also known in the West by various other transliterations, especially Li Po, was a major Chinese poet of the Tang dynasty poetry period. He has been regarded as one of the greatest poets in China's Tang period, which is often called China's "golden age" of poetry. Around a thousand existing poems are attributed to him. Thirty-four of his poems are included in the popular anthology Three Hundred Tang Poems.

In the area of Chinese cultural influence, Li Bai's poetry has been much esteemed from his lifetime through the present day. His influence also extends to the West through many translations, adaptations, and much inspiration.

Life

The two "Books of Tang", The Old Book of Tang and The New Book of Tang remain the primary sources of bibliographical material on Li Bai. Other sources include internal evidence from poems by or about Li Bai, and certain other sources.

Birth

The year of Li Bai's birth is known to be 701. He was born somewhere in Central Asia. Apparently, his family had originally dwelt in what is now southeastern Gansu, and later moved to Jiangyou, near modern Chengdu in Sichuan province, when he was perhaps five years old. Two accounts given by contemporaries Li Yangbing (Preface to the Thatched Cottage Collection) and Fan Chuanzheng (Tang's Zuo Sheyi Hanlin Xueshi Li Gong's Xin Mubei Bingxu) stated that his family was originally from what is now southeastern Gansu, as in the Xin Tangshu 215. The evidence suggests that during the Sui Dynasty, during the 610's, his ancestors, most likely as the result of some act of crime, were forced to relocate "incognito" from their original home in what is now Gansu to some location further west.[6] Some believe that Li Bai's birthplace is Suiye (Chinese: 碎叶城; pinyin: Suìyè Chéng) in Central Asia (near modern-day Tokmok, Kyrgyzstan).

While she was pregnant with him, Li Bai's mother had a dream of a great white star falling from heaven. This seems to have contributed to the idea of his being a banished immortal (one of his nicknames). That the Great White Star was synonymous with Venus helps to explain his style name, "Tai Bai".

Early years

In 705, when Li Bai was four years old, his father secretly moved his family to Sichuan, near Chengdu, where he spent his childhood. There is currently a monument commemorating this in Zhongba Town, Jiangyou, Sichuan province.

The young Bai read extensively, including Confucian classics such as The Classic of Poetry (Shijing) and the Classic of History (Shujing), as well as various astrological and metaphysical materials which the Confucians tended to eschew. He also engaged in other activities, such as taming wild birds and sword play. Apparently, he became accomplished in the martial arts; this autobiographical quote by Li Bai helps to illustrate the wild life that he led in the Sichuan of his youth.

Indeed, the young Li Bai, before twenty years of age, had fought and killed, apparently for reasons of chivalry, several men.

In 720, he was interviewed by Governor Su Ting, who considered him a genius. Though he expressed the wish to become an official, he never took the civil service examination.

• *

Final years and death

Li then returned to Jiangxi, although he did not cease his wandering lifestyle, he generally confined his travels to Nanjing and two cities in Anhui, Xuancheng and Li Yang. Eventually, in 762, Li Yangbing became magistrate of Dangtu, and Li Bai went to stay with him there. Then, the new emperor, Daizong, named Li Bai the Registrar of the Left Commandant's office in 762. However, by the time that the imperial edict arrived in Dangtu, Anhui, Li Bai was already dead.

It was reported, from uncertain sources, that Li Bai drowned after falling from his boat when he tried to embrace the reflection of the moon in the Yangtze River, something later believed by Herbert Giles. However, the actual cause appears to have been natural enough, although perhaps related to his hard-living lifestyle. Nevertheless, the legend that Li Bai died trying to embrace the reflection of the moon has entered Chinese culture, and is considered to be synonymous to an illusion.

Works

The only surviving calligraphy in Li Bai's own handwriting, titled Shangyangtai (Going Up To Sun Terrace), located at the Palace Museum in Beijing, China.

Criticism of Li Bai's works has focused on his strong sense of the continuity of poetic tradition, his glorification of alcoholic beverages (and, indeed, frank celebration of drunkenness), his use of persona, the fantastic extremes of some of his imagery, his violations of formal poetic rules – and his ability to combine all of these with a seeming effortless virtuosity in order to produce inimitable poetry.