Ma Zhiyuan facts for kids

A statue of Ma Zhiyuan in Beijing.

Ma Zhiyuan (born around 1250, died 1321) was a very famous Chinese poet and playwright. He lived in a city called Dadu (which is now Beijing) during the Yuan dynasty. His special pen name, or courtesy name, was Dongli (東籬).

Ma Zhiyuan is known for helping to create and make popular a type of Chinese poetry called sanqu (pronounced "san-choo"). This was a new and exciting way to write poems back then. His most famous sanqu poem is "Autumn Thoughts" (秋思), which comes from his book '东篱乐府'.

Ma Zhiyuan's Works

Ma Zhiyuan wrote many poems and plays. His poem "Autumn Thoughts" (秋思) is one of the most well-known. It uses simple pictures from nature to describe a feeling of sadness or loneliness during autumn. The poem is short, but it paints a strong picture in your mind.

Here is the poem "Autumn Thoughts":

《秋思》 Autumn Thoughts

枯藤老樹昏鴉。Over old trees with dry vines fly evening crows;

小橋流水人家。Under a small bridge near a cottage a stream flows;

古道西風瘦馬。On an old road in the west wind a thin horse goes.

夕陽西下，斷腸人在天涯。The sun sets in the west; Far from home is the heartbroken one.

Ma Zhiyuan wrote 15 plays, but only seven of them still exist today. Four of these plays have been translated into English so people around the world can read them.

His Famous Plays

• Autumn in Han Palace, 漢宮秋 (Full title: Breaking a Troubling Dream: A Lone Goose in Autumn over the Palaces of Han)
• The Yellow-Millet Dream, 黃粱夢 (Full title: On the Road to Handan, Awakening from a Dream Dreamt While Cooking Millet)
• Yueyang Tower, 岳陽樓
• Tears on the Blue Gown, 青衫淚 (Full title: The Overseer of Jiangzhou: Tears on the Blue Gown)
• 任風子 (Full title: 馬丹陽三度任風子)
• 薦福碑 (Full title: 半夜雷轟薦福碑)
• 陳搏高臥 (Full title: 西華山陳搏高臥)