author
Juyi Bai
772–846
Remembered as one of the Tang dynasty’s great poets, he wrote in a clear, approachable style that brought everyday life, sorrow, friendship, and public injustice vividly onto the page. His poems were admired in his own lifetime and have remained among the best-known works in classical Chinese literature.
1 Audiobook
長恨歌
by Juyi Bai
About the author
Born in 772 and active during the Tang dynasty, Bai Juyi was not only a poet but also a government official. Reliable reference sources describe him as a major literary figure whose writing stood out for its direct language and strong interest in ordinary life, making his work more readable and widely loved than much elite verse of his time.
Many of his poems reflect both public service and personal feeling. He is especially associated with famous narrative works such as Song of Everlasting Sorrow and The Song of the Pipa, and he also wrote about friendship, exile, aging, and the hardships faced by common people.
He died in 846, leaving behind a remarkably large body of poetry. Part of his enduring appeal is how modern he can still feel: plainspoken, observant, humane, and deeply attentive to the emotional weight of everyday experience.