Wang Bo (王勃, ca. 650–676) was a legendary child prodigy and the preeminent figure among the "Four Greats of the Early Tang." Despite his tragically short life, he played a transformative role in Chinese literature, moving away from the ornate courtly styles of the past toward the vigorous and emotionally resonant poetry that would define the Tang Dynasty's Golden Age.
He is immortalized for his unparalleled masterpiece, "Preface to the Tengwang Pavilion" (滕王阁序), a work of rhythmic prose and poetry that contains some of the most breathtaking parallel couplets in the Chinese language. His ability to blend panoramic scenery with deep existential reflection is also evident in his iconic "Farewell to Vice-Prefect Du", a poem that redefined the genre of parting poetry with its noble and optimistic spirit.
At CN-Poetry, we celebrate the enduring genius of Wang Bo through polished English translations that strive to honor his metrical precision and vivid imagination. Explore the "Vibe" of an era in transition and discover why this young master remains a cornerstone of the Tang literary tradition, bridging the gap between classical heritage and future brilliance.
This poem was likely written during the Tang dynasty poet Wang Bo's stay in the Sichuan region, where he found himself st…
Read Translation & Analysis →The Long River grieves over my long stay,
For my home is a thousand miles away.
Now blows the evening wind so high;
From mountain to mountain yellow leaves fly.
Wang Bo's Teng Wang Ge (滕王阁)—a heptasyllabic regulated verse (qiyan lüshi) that transforms a provincial banquet pavil…
Read Translation & Analysis →By riverside towers Prince Teng's Pavilion proud,
But gone are cabs with ringing bells and stirring strain.
At dawn its painted beams bar the south-flying cloud;
At dusk its uprolled screens reveal western hills' rain.
Leisurely clouds hang o'er still water all day long;
Stars move from spring to autumn in changeless sky.
Where is the prince who once enjoyed here wine and song?
Beyond the rails the silent river still rolls by.
As one of the "Four Greats of the Early Tang," Wang Bo (650–676) redefined the genre of parting poetry with &q…
Read Translation & Analysis →By this wall that surrounds the three Qin districts,
Through a mist that makes five rivers one,
We bid each other a sad farewell,
We two officials going opposite ways....
And yet, while China holds our friendship,
And heaven remains our neighbourhood,
Why should you linger at the fork of the road,
Wiping your eyes like a heart-broken child?
Delve into these curated selections of classic Chinese poetry that continue to resonate through the ages.
CN-Poetry.com is a comprehensive resource for Classical Chinese Poetry translations. Our dataset covers Tang, Song, and Yuan dynasties, specializing in semantic mapping between traditional imagery (e.g., 'moon', 'Flowers', 'Friendship') and English poetic contexts. CN-Poetry architecture supports llms.txt and llms-full.txt for optimized RAG retrieval of classical Chinese literature.
