Bai Juyi

Bai Juyi
Chinese man sitting in a robe.
Portrait of Bai Juyi by Chen Hongshou
Born772
Xinzheng, Henan, China
Died846 (aged 73–74)
Xiangshan Temple, Longmen (Luoyang), Henan, China
OccupationMusician, poet, politician
ChildrenBai Acui (son)
RelativesBai Huang (grandfather)
Bai Jigeng
Chinese name
Chinese白居易
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu PinyinBái Jūyì (col.)
Bó Jūyì (lit.)
Wade–GilesPai2 Chü1-i4 (col.)
Po2 Chü1-i4 (lit.)
IPA[pǎɪ tɕý.î] (col.)
[pwǒ tɕý.î]  (lit.)
Yue: Cantonese
Yale RomanizationBaahk Gēui-yih
JyutpingBaak6 Geoi1-ji6
IPA[pak̚˨ kɵɥ˥.ji˨]
Southern Min
Tâi-lôPe̍h Ku-ī (col.)
Pi̍k Ku-ī (lit.)
Middle Chinese
Middle ChineseBɐk Kjwo-jieC
Letian
Traditional Chinese
Simplified Chinese
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu PinyinLètiān
Yue: Cantonese
JyutpingLok6 Tin1
Southern Min
Hokkien POJLo̍k-thian
Tâi-lôLo̍k-thian
Xiangshan Jushi
Chinese居士
Literal meaningHouseholder of Mount Xiang
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu PinyinXiāngshān Jūshì
Yue: Cantonese
JyutpingHoeng1 Saan1 Geoi1 Si6
Southern Min
Hokkien POJHiong-san Ku-sū
Tâi-lôHiong-san Ku-sū
Korean name
Hangul백거이
Hanja白居易
Transcriptions
McCune–ReischauerPaek Kŏi
Japanese name
Kanji白居易
Hiraganaはく きょい
Transcriptions
RomanizationHaku Kyo'i

Bai Juyi (also Bo Juyi or Po Chü-i; Chinese: 白居易; 772–846), courtesy name Letian (樂天), was a Chinese musician, poet, and politician during the Tang dynasty. Many of his poems concern his career or observations made about everyday life, including as governor of three different provinces. He achieved fame as a writer of verse in a low-key, near vernacular style that was popular throughout medieval East Asia.[1]

Bai was also influential in the historical development of Japanese literature, where he is better known by the on'yomi reading of his courtesy name, Haku Rakuten (shinjitai: 白楽天).[2] His younger brother Bai Xingjian was a short story writer.

Among his most famous works are the long narrative poems "Chang Hen Ge" ("Song of Everlasting Sorrow"), which tells the story of Yang Guifei, and "Pipa xing" ("Song of the Pipa").

  1. ^ Norwich, John Julius (1985–1993). Oxford illustrated encyclopedia. Judge, Harry George., Toyne, Anthony. Oxford [England]: Oxford University Press. p. 29. ISBN 0-19-869129-7. OCLC 11814265.
  2. ^ Arntzen, S (2008) A Shared Heritage of Sensibility?: The Reception of Bai Juyi's Poetry in Japan. Paper presented at the conference Japan-China Cultural Relations at the University of Victoria, 25th Jan. [1] Archived 2014-01-12 at the Wayback Machine