LI YE (1314-1381)

Li Ye was born in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province. He was a disciple of Zheng Xixue, who appreciated his talent so much that he married his daughter to Zheng. During the early years of the Hongwu Reign (1368-1398), he was recommended to the position of an assistant instructor in the National Academy, though later he was removed from that position because of poor health. He was innovative in poetry writing. For instance, in his 530 character poem "Song of Double-blade Bamboo Leaves Painted by Wang Ziyue," he used different line lengths in a seemingly casual way while gluing together comments and impression with a loose narrative thread. Biographical information on him can be found in Records of Events in Ming Poetry, Part A, Vol. 24.

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Walking on the Lake Bank at Dawn

Last night's clouds are ink-dark as I walk around the lake bank.
The yellow willow and green rushes are almost invisible.
When I get to the painted bridge, the sky suddenly wakes.
Whose thatched cottage is that? A rooster crows!

        ---Translated by Tony Barnstone and Chou Ping