Guxi Lyrics

李之仪Jun 2025

Rating 4.0
Word count
6.6K words
Chapters
87

Tags

Classical Poetry Disciple of Su ShiSimple Words Deep FeelingWater as EmotionEmotion from ScenerySubtle and SuggestiveGraceful Ci SchoolLove and SceneryElegant StyleNorthern Song LiteratiMusical Rhythm

Summary

86 ci in total. The author is Li Zhiyi, courtesy name Duanshu, self-styled the Layman of Guxi and the Old Farmer of Guxi. He was an important member of the "Su Men" literati circle of the mid-to-late Northern Song, a disciple of Su Shi, and skilled at ci, especially in plain language, scenic description, and emotional expression. His Bu Suan Zi ("I live at the head of the Yangtze") draws feeling from scene, conveys principle through incident, and uses the river as a vehicle for love, exceedingly deep and restrained.

Editor's review

Guxi Ci collects 86 ci by Li Zhiyi in a concise volume suited to concentrated reading. Li Zhiyi, self-styled the Layman of Guxi, was an important member of the "Su Men" literati circle of the mid-to-late Northern Song and a disciple of Su Shi; his ci excel especially in plain language, scenic description, and emotional expression, often revealing depth and restraint through unassuming strokes. The Bu Suan Zi that begins "I live at the head of the Yangtze" draws feeling from scene and uses the river as a vehicle for love, endlessly suggestive, and is the entry point to his style. Though few in number, the collection shows the delicate craft of late Northern Song ci between emotion and scene, and another face of Su Men literati in ci composition. Read slowly, attending to the emotional flavor in his plain language and the layering in his scenic description, and read alongside Su Shi and contemporary poets to sense the balance between mentorship and individual style. For readers who wish to enter close reading of Song ci in a compact format, this book is a light yet rewarding choice.

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Reading tips

  1. Read Bu Suan Zi ("I live at the head of the Yangtze") first, then return to the other works to sense the common technique of expressing feeling through plain language.
  2. Read each ci twice: first for overall meaning, second to mark scenic and emotional language and observe how the two connect.
  3. Read alongside Su Shi's ci, noting the influence of mentorship and the differences in Li Zhiyi's individual style.

Contents

  1. 版权信息
  2. 水龙吟
  3. 蓦山溪
  4. 蓦山溪
  5. 蓦山溪
  6. 蓦山溪
  7. 满庭芳
  8. 满庭芳
  9. 玉蝴蝶
  10. 早梅芳
  11. 谢池春
  12. 怨三三
  13. 春光好
  14. 千秋岁
  15. 千秋岁
  16. 千秋岁
  17. 千秋岁
  18. 千秋岁
  19. 千秋岁
  20. 临江仙
  21. 临江仙
  22. 江神子
  23. 江神子
  24. 江神子
  25. 清平乐
  26. 清平乐
  27. 清平乐
  28. 清平乐
  29. 清平乐
  30. 浪淘沙
  31. 卜算子
  32. 忆秦娥
  33. 蝶恋花
  34. 蝶恋花
  35. 蝶恋花
  36. 蝶恋花
  37. 浣溪沙
  38. 浣溪沙
  39. 浣溪沙
  40. 浣溪沙
  41. 西江月
  42. 西江月
  43. 西江月
  44. 鹊桥仙
  45. 鹊桥仙
  46. 踏莎行
  47. 踏莎行
  48. 鹧鸪天
  49. 鹧鸪天
  50. 鹧鸪天
  51. 鹧鸪天
  52. 朝中措
  53. 朝中措
  54. 朝中措
  55. 阮郎归
  56. 采桑子
  57. 如梦令
  58. 临江仙
  59. 临江仙
  60. 丑奴儿
  61. 青玉案
  62. 更漏子
  63. 渔家傲
  64. 南乡子
  65. 南乡子
  66. 南乡子
  67. 南乡子
  68. 南乡子
  69. 蓦山溪
  70. 减字木兰花
  71. 减字木兰花
  72. 减字木兰花
  73. 减字木兰花
  74. 减字木兰花
  75. 天门谣
  76. 好事近
  77. 好事近
  78. 好事近
  79. 浣溪沙
  80. 浣溪沙
  81. 浣溪沙
  82. 菩萨蛮
  83. 菩萨蛮
  84. 雨中花令
  85. 雨中花令
  86. 留春令
  87. 踏莎行

FAQ

What is Li Zhiyi's relationship with Su Shi? Records note that Li Zhiyi was an important member of the "Su Men" literati circle of the mid-to-late Northern Song and a disciple of Su Shi. While reading Guxi Ci, note the connection between his style and the Su Men background, but the 86 ci themselves are distinguished by plain language, scenic description, and emotional expression; one should not simply substitute the mentorship for close reading of individual works.
What are the characteristics of Bu Suan Zi ("I live at the head of the Yangtze")? Records point out that this ci draws feeling from scene, conveys principle through incident, and uses the river as a vehicle for love, exceedingly deep and restrained. While reading, note how the image of the "Yangtze" carries emotion and how the whole piece achieves restrained expression in everyday language; this is also an entry point to understanding Li Zhiyi's style.
How is the 86-ci volume suited to reading? The volume is concise, suited to reading straight through or a few ci a day at a slow pace. It is suggested to feel the overall language style on the first pass, select romantic and scenic pieces for close reading on the second, and note concrete examples of the three techniques—plain language, scenic description, and emotional expression—to grasp the author's strengths.

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About the author

李之仪 Author

Li Zhiyi was a literati of the Northern Song dynasty, best known for his ci poetry, and he styled himself Guxi Jushi. His exact birth and death years, native place, and official career are difficult to describe in detail because publicly available sources are limited. The surviving collection Guxi Ci, in one volume, is the main basis for understanding his literary profile. In subject matter, his ci mostly treat parting sorrow, the melancholy of travel, and reflections on daily life; he was skilled at using natural scenery to set off inner moods. His language is clear and graceful yet restrained, his emotions are expressed with genuine delicacy, and his work is relatively free of elaborate ornamentation. His short lyrics show particular skill, often unfolding layer upon layer of feeling within a brief compass and revealing depth in apparently plain passages, reflecting the common Northern Song approach of conveying emotion through scenery. Though Li Zhiyi's reputation in the history of ci is less prominent than that of the major poets of his time, the gentle style and lyrical technique displayed in Guxi Ci still offer a concrete example for studying the evolution of ci style in the middle and late Northern Song, and his works are occasionally mentioned in later anthologies and critical remarks on ci.