Li Sao is a Chinese poem dating from the Warring States Period, largely written by Qu Yuan (340 BC - 278 BC) of the Kingdom of Chu. One of the most famous poems of pre-Qin China, it is a representative work of the Chu Ci form of poetry.
　　 《离骚》是战国时期的诗歌，大部分由楚国屈原（公元前340-278）创作。作为楚辞的代表作，《离骚》是先秦时期最著名的诗歌之一。
　　 The title’s meaning has been debated about even in historical times. Sima Qian interprets the title as "Woes of Departure" i.e. Qu Yuan’s exile, while Ban Gu interprets it as "Encountering Trouble". Sima Qian’s interpretation is the more adopted one, though recent scholars also theorise that Li Sao is simply a different way of writing Lao Shang; the latter is a generic name for a Chu song. In English the title is often translated as either The Lament or Encountering Trouble.
　　 “离骚”这个题目的意义在历史上颇有争议。司马迁将其翻译为“离别之悲痛”意指屈原被流放；班固将其译为“遭遇忧患”。尽管新进学者们认为“离骚”只是“劳商”的另一种写法，而“劳商”即楚国歌曲的总称，人们还是多以司马迁的译法为准。英语中“离骚”一般被翻译为“悲歌”或“遭遇忧患”。
　　 The poem has a total of 372 lines and about 2400 characters, which makes it one of the longest poems dating from Ancient China. While the precise date of composition is unknown it is one of Qu Yuan’s later works, written after his exile by King Huai I of Chu.
　　 《离骚》共有372行，2400余字，是中国古代以来最长的诗歌之一。虽然《离骚》的具体创作时间未知，但可以确定它是在屈原被楚怀王流放之后的作品。
　　 As a representative work of Chu poetry it makes use of a wide range of metaphors derived from the culture of Chu, including shamanistic elements such as divination and the presence of spirits, as well as references in ancient history and legendary figures. Because of these influences the poem is seen as an initiator of a Romantic tradition of poetry in China.
　　 作为楚辞的代表作，《离骚》中有大量源自楚国文化的比喻，包括占卜、显灵等萨满教元素，以及历史和神话传说中的人物形象。因此，这首诗开创了中国诗歌的浪漫主义先河。