Gao Qi
Encyclopedia
Gao Qi style name Ji Di 季迪, pseudonym Qinqiuzhi 青丘子 is generally acknowledged as the greatest poet of the Ming dynasty
in China
. He was born and raised in the shore of Wusong
River, north of Puli Town near Suzhou
. His life was dominated by the fall of the Yuan dynasty
and the rise of the Ming.
In the 2nd year of Ming Hongwu, Gao Qi was called on as editor of Yuan Shi, The History of Yuan. Soon afterward, he was promoted to the post of deputy finance minister; but he declined, on pretext that he had no ability to manage finance. He retired to Blue Hill of Puli Town and taught students for living. Emperor Hongwu deemed him not cooperative; in 1374 he was accused of involvement in a "rebellion conspiracy" and was executed, he was only 39 years old.
Gao Qi ( Ming Dynasty )
I heard Sound of spinning wheel
Mingled with sound of flowing water
Sight of wooden bridge,
flowerless trees in hazy spring
Where from the aroma the breeze brought so close ?
Ah, next neighbor is baking afternoon tea !
Translated by Martin Tai (1998)
Ming Dynasty
The Ming Dynasty, also Empire of the Great Ming, was the ruling dynasty of China from 1368 to 1644, following the collapse of the Mongol-led Yuan Dynasty. The Ming, "one of the greatest eras of orderly government and social stability in human history", was the last dynasty in China ruled by ethnic...
in China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
. He was born and raised in the shore of Wusong
Wusong
Wusong,Chinese: s , t , p Wúsōng. formerly Woosung, was a port town located fourteen miles downriver from Shanghai.The Battle of Woosung occurred on 16 June 1842 between British and Chinese forces during the First Opium War. It was the site of China's first telegraph wires and first railroad, both...
River, north of Puli Town near Suzhou
Suzhou
Suzhou , previously transliterated as Su-chou, Suchow, and Soochow, is a major city located in the southeast of Jiangsu Province in Eastern China, located adjacent to Shanghai Municipality. The city is situated on the lower reaches of the Yangtze River and on the shores of Taihu Lake and is a part...
. His life was dominated by the fall of the Yuan dynasty
Yuan Dynasty
The Yuan Dynasty , or Great Yuan Empire was a ruling dynasty founded by the Mongol leader Kublai Khan, who ruled most of present-day China, all of modern Mongolia and its surrounding areas, lasting officially from 1271 to 1368. It is considered both as a division of the Mongol Empire and as an...
and the rise of the Ming.
In the 2nd year of Ming Hongwu, Gao Qi was called on as editor of Yuan Shi, The History of Yuan. Soon afterward, he was promoted to the post of deputy finance minister; but he declined, on pretext that he had no ability to manage finance. He retired to Blue Hill of Puli Town and taught students for living. Emperor Hongwu deemed him not cooperative; in 1374 he was accused of involvement in a "rebellion conspiracy" and was executed, he was only 39 years old.
Poems
Farm HouseGao Qi ( Ming Dynasty )
I heard Sound of spinning wheel
Mingled with sound of flowing water
Sight of wooden bridge,
flowerless trees in hazy spring
Where from the aroma the breeze brought so close ?
Ah, next neighbor is baking afternoon tea !
Translated by Martin Tai (1998)