Li Qingzhao §õ²M·Ó 1084-c.1155
She is one of China¡¦s foremost poets, and an anomaly in the male-dominated literary world. Born into a learned family, she established herself in adolescence as a talent to be reckoned with. In 1101 she was happily married to Zhao Mingcheng »¯©ú¸Û (1081¡V1129), a spiritual and intellectual equal to her; his early death, however, left her alone in the turmoil following the collapse of the Northern Song dynasty. Li was a prolific writer, said to have produced seven volumes of essays and six volumes of poetry, most of which is lost. Her writing, as a reflection of the dramas in her life, features technical precision and feminine sensitivity.
Works available in English:
As Though Dreaming: The Tz'u of Pure Jade by Li Ch'ing-chao (Lenore Mayhew
and William McNaughton). Berkeley: Distributed in the U.S. by Serendipity
Books; Tokyo: Mushinsha, 1977.
Li Ching-chao: Complete Poems (Kenneth Rexroth and Chung Ling). New York:
New Directions, 1979.
The Complete Ci-poems of Li Qingzhao: A New English Translation (Wang
Jiaosheng). Philadelphia: Department of Oriental Studies, University of
Pennsylvania, 1989.
The Lady and the Hermit: 30 Chinese Poems (by Li Qingzhao and Wang
Fanchih) (C.H. Kwock & Vincent McHugh). San Francisco: Tao Press, 1962.
The Lotus Lovers: Poems and Songs (by Tzu Yeh and Li Ch'ing-chao) (Sam
Hamill). Saint Paul: Coffee House Press, 1985.
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