Letter of Li Bo to his two Small Children

Li Bo, courtesy name Fengxian, was a military general and warlord who lived during the late Eastern Han dynasty of imperial China.

 Since Li Bo spent much of his time in traveling, he was often separated from his family. He wrote and sent the following poem to his Children, staying in Eastren Lu at Wen Yang Village under Turtle Mountain.

               Here in Wu land mulberry leaven are green,

               Silkworms in Wu have now had three sleeps:

               My family, left in Eastren Lu,

               Oh, to sow now turtle-shaded feilds,

               Do the spring things I can never join,

               Sailing Yangtse always on my own-

               Let the South wind blow you back my heart,

               Fly and land it in the Tavern court

               Where, to the east, there are sprays and leave

               Of one peach-tree, Sweeping the blue mist;

               This is the tree I myself put in

               When I left you, nearly three years past;

               A peach-tree now level with the eaves

               And I sailing cannot yet turn home!

               Pretty daughter P'ing-yang is your name,

               Breaking Blossom, there beside my tree,

               Breaking Blossom, you cannot see me

               And your tears flow like the running stream;

               And little son Po'ch in you are called, 

               Your big sister's shoulder you must reach

               When you come there underneath my peach,

               Oh, to pat and pet you too, my child!

               I dreamt like this till my wits went wild,

               By such yearning daily burned within;

               So tore my silk, wrote this distant pang

               From me to you living at Wen Yang....