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.

《離騷》是戰國時期的詩歌，大部分由楚國屈原(公元前340-278)創作。作為楚辭的代表作，《離騷》是先秦時期最著名的詩歌之一。

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.

“離騷”這個題目的意義在歷史上頗有爭議。司馬遷將其翻譯為“離別之悲痛”意指屈原被流放;班固將其譯為“遭遇憂患”。盡管新進學者們認為“離騷”只是“勞商”的另一種寫法，而“勞商”即楚國歌曲的總稱，人們還是多以司馬遷的譯法為準。英語中“離騷”一般被翻譯為“悲歌”或“遭遇憂患”。

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.

《離騷》共有372行，2400余字，是中國古代以來最長的詩歌之一。雖然《離騷》的具體創作時間未知，但可以確定它是在屈原被楚懷王流放之后的作品。

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.

作為楚辭的代表作，《離騷》中有大量源自楚國文化的比喻，包括占卜、顯靈等薩滿教元素，以及歷史和神話傳說中的人物形象。因此，這首詩開創了中國詩歌的浪漫主義先河。