The Orphan

Chinese ballad

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July 1, 2026

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"The Orphan" is a Chinese ballad that emerged during the Han dynasty (206 BCE–220 CE) as part of the yuefu, or Music Bureau, tradition. These yuefu were folk songs collected by the government, and they included touching lyrics and charming ballads that revealed the lives and emotions of ordinary people.1

"The Orphan" specifically tells the story of an orphan's struggles and disappointments. The poem's structure, with its irregular line lengths, is said to mimic the choked voice of those who suffer. This ballad, along with others like "The Song of Luofu" and "Southeast the Peacock Flies," became foundational to a new style of Chinese poetry known as gushi, or "ancient-style poems".1

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Chinese literature
Poetry
One such ballad, “The Orphan,” tells of an orphan’s hardships and disappointments; the form of the poem—lines of irregular length, varying from three to six syllables (or graphs)—represents the singer’s attempt to simulate the choking voice of the sufferers. Luofuxing (“The Song of Luofu”; also called Moshangsang, “Roadside…
Read More
One such ballad, “The Orphan,” tells of an orphan’s hardships and disappointments; the form of the poem—lines of irregular length, varying from three to six syllables (or graphs)—represents the singer’s attempt to simulate the choking voice of the sufferers. Luofuxing (“The Song of Luofu”; also called Moshangsang, “Roadside…
Read More