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Yang Wan-li (1124–1206) was from Chishui in Kiangsi province. He was so devoted to literature, it was said, that he favored a good poem over a beautiful woman. Despite such devotion, or perhaps because of it, he managed to become a member of the Institute of Academicians and, eventually, director of the Palace Library. However, his frequent disagreements with official policy resulted in a career spent mostly in the provinces. In 1178, while serving on the Grand Canal as prefect of Changchou, he came to a new understanding of poetic technique. Breaking with the more formal style favored by members of the ruling elite, Yang created poems that were known for their clarity and humor and their use of everyday speech. He retired to his hometown in 1192, and by the time of his death he was considered one of the greatest poets of the Southern Sung. In the Sungshihchiao this poem is entitled “Hiking Up Wanhua Valley at Dawn to See Begonias.” The East Wind rises with the sun as it returns from its annual southerly migration in spring.

Spring Lament

YANG WAN-LI

I was hoping joy would overflow this spring

as usual I’ve wasted another East Wind

it’s been years since I could look at flowers

if not because of cares then illness