Introduction to the Text
Ask any Chinese person to name a female poet from imperial China and they will most likely answer “Li Qingzhao.” Born into a prestigious family, Li Qingzhao (1084 - 1151 CE) was ambitious about her place in literature, which was normally considered a man’s realm, and quickly made herself known for her talent in poetry. She was not only an exceptional ci writer but also an important critic of the genre. As she rightly argued, ci poetry is inherently gendered, because it was almost always written to be performed by female singers. Male poets therefore found themselves in the awkward position of outsiders, always trying to imagine women’s domestic spaces and inner feelings and to imitate female voices. Her ci poetry reveals a woman writing from a female perspective, without artifice or pretense.
About this Edition
This translation is under review.
Suggested Citation
Li Qingzhao. 'At night, I was drunk and did not take off my makeup'. Trans. Qin Jia. Global Medieval Sourcebook.