Only more than seventy Liao poems have survived, and the authors were both Khitan and Han. Among them, the works of Khitan poets that best embody the characteristics of Liao poetry should be considered. Most of the Khitan poets were monarchs, royal families and concubines, because they had the opportunity to come into contact with Han culture earlier.
The first famous Khitan poet in the Liao Dynasty was Yelu Bei. He is well-read and has a great yearning for Chinese culture. There is an existing "Poetry on the Sea":
The small mountains are overwhelming the big mountains, and the big mountains are completely powerless. Ashamed to see people from his hometown, he went to a foreign country from then on.
"山" is a small Khitan character, and its meaning is "Khan", which is synonymous with the Chinese character "山". "Little Mountains Press Down Big Mountains" is actually about the Empress Dowager Li Deguang, who was abandoned even though she had a prince. This is a typical example of a poem combining Khitan and Chinese. The poet made use of the coincidence between the image of the Chinese character "mountain" and the meaning of the Khitan word "Khan" to make this poem have both a vivid image and a profound metaphorical meaning. Therefore, later generations praised it: "The love words are sad and short. The meaning is long, and it is in line with Feng Ren's purpose." (Volume 27 of Zhao Yi's "Twenty-two Historical Notes")
The achievements of Khitan female poets Xiao Guanyin and Xiao Sese are also considerable. Xiao Guanyin's poems are relatively diverse, including heroic and bold poems that reflect the boldness of the North, and also euphemistic and profound poems. The former is like "Fu Hu Lin Waiting for Control":
The majestic force can dominate Nantang for thousands of miles, and it can cross the Yalu River when going east. All the spirits and monsters are afraid, but the tiger will not surrender.
Rough and strange, the momentum is extraordinary. The latter is like "Reminiscence of the Past":
There are only Zhao Jiazhuang in the palace, and the rain and lingering clouds mislead the King of Han. Only one who knows about it has watched the flying swallow enter Zhaoyang for a month.
Using history to express emotions, it is profound and subtle. She also has ten pieces of "Hui Xin Yuan Ci", which are deeply emotional and delicate in imagery and are always praised as masterpieces. Xiao Sesu's poems contain political opinions, and the existing "Songs of Allegory" and "Ode to History" all satirize the government. The former said:
"Don't complain and block the dark red dust, don't hurt the troubled people and fear the barbarians. It's better to block the path of evil and choose virtuous ministers, and only have to eat the courage and sacrifice the brave men, so that you can go to the Qing Dynasty "I sleep in the desert in the desert."
The poem points out the dangers faced by the country and advises the court to work hard to govern. The latter uses historical facts to satirize the dark and obstructed state of the imperial court, which is about to collapse. Both poems are a bit explicit, but they are deeply emotional and unrestrained in style. The poem is written in Sao style, with uneven sentence patterns and strong power.
Among the Khitan poems, the largest and most typical one is "Song of Drunken Righteousness". This poem is signed by "Master Si Gong", and the author must be a monk. The original poem was written in Khitan and later translated into Chinese by Yelu Chucai in the early Yuan Dynasty. It is now preserved in Chucai's "Collected Works of Zhanran layman". The translation is in seven-song style and is 120 sentences long. This poem starts with drinking on the Double Ninth Festival, expressing emotions about life in many aspects and expressing love for the secluded life:
“I love my father-in-law, a farmer in Nancun, and the mountains and streams are secluded and hidden in my cultivation. Old illnesses are especially depressing. Sweet, the ancient customs are clear, and the journey is still long. Avoid the hustle and bustle at the foot of the rock, and relax by the open clouds and waterside."
It also shows the willingness to use Buddhism and Taoism to dissolve the troubles of life:
"I ask you what you are doing in vain, why is this humble and why is the other high? The mirage will change and disappear when the sun rises, and the cloud peak will be difficult to hold fast when the wind rises. The mustard and Xumi are busy, who knows that the sea swallows the feather. Don't be a butterfly in your dream. It is false, and Zhuang Zhou feels that it is not true."
Due to numerous discussions, the artistic appeal has been weakened, but the whole poem has a well-organized structure and a clear context, making it the most outstanding long poem in Liao poetry. OK. Although the original poem was written in Khitan, it uses many allusions from Han culture, which is a vivid example of the integration of cultures of various ethnic groups in ancient poetry.
In contrast, Han people’s creative achievements in Liao poetry are not great, but there are occasional excellent works. For example, Zhao Yanshou's "Untitled":
The yellow sand is blown up in the air, and the clouds are heavy and the mountains are covered with snow in the suburbs. The man who explored the water replied that he was in the tent, and the eagle arrow fell from his bow. Birds peck at the frost when they are hungry, and horses run across the sandy river when they are thirsty. Occupying the fertile grassland on the plateau, they lit fires and broke the forest tops late at night.
The description of the scenery and life in the northern country is simple and rough, which can well reflect the true character of the northern nation.
Although there are not many preserved works of Liao poetry, it not only expresses the national character and social life conditions of the Khitan people, but also reflects their gradual acceptance of sinicization, and has high historical and artistic value. .