Chuci predates Tang poetry by roughly six centuries, runs wilder, and is built differently: long lines broken by the particle “兮”, ritual cadence, river spirits, summoned souls, cosmological complaint. The default AI failure mode is to drop a single “兮” into every other line and call it Chuci, with no shamanistic feel and no exile bitterness. The ten prompts below each name a specific piece from the Chuci canon, lock the cadence, and block the common cliches that flatten the form into wallpaper.
TL;DR: Pin one named Chuci piece (Lisao, Jiu Ge, Tian Wen, Guo Shang) per song, spell out the eight-section ritual skeleton, keep “兮” at line ends only, and list forbidden phrases so the model stops reaching for “cruel fate” and “ancestors weep”. Paste any template below into GPT-5.5, Claude Opus 4.7, or Gemini 3.1 Pro for lyrics, then feed the result to Suno v5.5 (Pro $8/mo as of June 2026) with a chant-style tag rather than a pop-chorus tag. Suno v5.5 sings Mandarin 汉字 more cleanly than pinyin, but check tones on every line.
The structure these lyrics actually use
Chuci-flavored lyrics map onto a long-form ritual skeleton more than a pop verse-chorus:
- Invocation: first-person addresses a god, a spirit, or one’s own name
- Long verse 1: the speaker describes a landscape (river, mountain, sky) and a wound
- Refrain with 兮: one repeated line that carries the breath
- Long verse 2: the landscape changes, the speaker moves through it
- Refrain with 兮: repeat with a single character changed
- Bridge of questions: the speaker addresses the cosmos directly (why, who, how long)
- Long verse 3: the speaker declares a decision (to go, to stay, to die, to wait)
- Final refrain: one last line, broken cadence, no resolution
This is closer to a hymn than a pop song. Tell the model so explicitly.
A great prompt always includes
- Theme: not “Chuci” but “Qu Yuan walking the marsh after his second exile”
- Structure: name all 8 sections; specify that refrains carry “兮”
- Chorus / hook constraint: must contain 1 mythic image + 1 ritual action (pour, call, kneel, scatter)
- Forbidden phrases: “the ancestors smile”, “spirit world calls”, “destiny is sealed”, “thousand-year curse”, “mortal coil”
- Rhyme scheme: Chuci uses loose end-rhyme; pick one vowel and float it
- Mood: exiled grief / summoning urgency / cosmic complaint / river-spirit longing
- Length: long lines, 8–14 characters per line; 4 lines per verse, 1 refrain line
10 copy-ready prompt templates
1. Lisao self-exile
Best for: Historical epic OST, exile-themed solo single
Write Chuci-flavored lyrics in modern Chinese, channeling Qu Yuan in the spirit of Lisao after his second banishment from court.
Structure: Invocation / Long Verse 1 / Refrain (with 兮) / Long Verse 2 / Refrain / Bridge of Questions / Long Verse 3 / Final Refrain.
Theme: an exiled minister walks the marsh edge, names the herbs he can no longer offer at court, refuses to stop calling himself loyal.
Refrain rule: 1 herb-or-river image + 1 ritual action (gather, scatter, hold to the sky).
Forbidden phrases: "destiny sealed", "the ancestors weep", "mortal coil".
Rhyme: end refrains in -ang.
Mood: bitter, lucid, refuses self-pity.
Length: 8–12 characters per line, 4 lines per long verse.2. Jiu Ge ritual summoning
Best for: Ritual-scene drama score, ceremonial album track
Write Chuci-flavored lyrics in the spirit of Jiu Ge (Nine Songs), as a shaman summons a god to descend at a riverside altar.
Structure: Invocation / Long Verse 1 / Refrain (with 兮) / Long Verse 2 / Refrain / Bridge of Questions / Long Verse 3 / Final Refrain.
Theme: a shaman lays out offerings at dusk, names the god by an honorary title, asks the wind to carry the call upstream.
Refrain rule: 1 altar image (incense, jade, silk, drum) + 1 ritual action (kneel, pour, raise, chant).
Forbidden phrases: "evil spirits", "demonic", "exorcise", "haunt".
Rhyme: end refrains in -i or -ei.
Mood: urgent but disciplined, awe without fear.
Length: 8–12 characters per line.3. Qufu river spirit
Best for: River-myth animation, water-themed indie single
Write Chuci-flavored lyrics about a river spirit (河伯, He Bo) speaking to a passing boat at twilight.
Structure: Invocation / Long Verse 1 / Refrain (with 兮) / Long Verse 2 / Refrain / Bridge of Questions / Long Verse 3 / Final Refrain.
Theme: the spirit of the river introduces itself by the names of three tributaries, asks the boatman what he carries and why.
Refrain rule: 1 water image (current, foam, reed, fish) + 1 small action (turn the prow, lean over, drop a coin).
Forbidden phrases: "dark spirit", "drowning curse", "the deep takes all".
Rhyme: end refrains in -ou or -iu.
Mood: ancient, curious, neither hostile nor friendly.
Length: 8–12 characters per line.4. Xiang River goddess
Best for: Goddess-romance OST, classical dance score
Write Chuci-flavored lyrics channeling the Xiang River goddess (湘君 or 湘夫人) waiting for a lover who does not arrive.
Structure: Invocation / Long Verse 1 / Refrain (with 兮) / Long Verse 2 / Refrain / Bridge of Questions / Long Verse 3 / Final Refrain.
Theme: a goddess prepares a boat with orchids and cassia, waits a season, decides whether to keep waiting.
Refrain rule: 1 flower-or-boat image (orchid, cassia, painted prow) + 1 waiting action (smooth silk, retie sash, scatter petals).
Forbidden phrases: "soulmate", "true love forever", "two hearts as one".
Rhyme: end refrains in -an.
Mood: patient, tender, slowly turning cold.
Length: 8–12 characters per line.5. Tian Wen cosmological questions
Best for: Sci-fi-historical hybrid score, philosophical concept album
Write Chuci-flavored lyrics in the spirit of Tian Wen (Questions to Heaven), as a single speaker addresses the cosmos with one question after another.
Structure: Invocation / Long Verse 1 / Refrain (with 兮) / Long Verse 2 / Refrain / Bridge of Questions / Long Verse 3 / Final Refrain.
Theme: a speaker stands under the night sky and asks who shaped the world, who lit the stars, why the just suffer.
Refrain rule: 1 cosmic image (star, vault, axle, dawn) + 1 questioning action (point, lift hands, write in dust).
Forbidden phrases: "the gods are silent", "no answer comes", "we are alone".
Rhyme: end refrains in -uo or -o.
Mood: relentless, curious, refuses to stop asking.
Length: 10–14 characters per line, often phrased as a question.6. Shao Si Ming destiny
Best for: Mythology drama theme, fate-themed solo single
Write Chuci-flavored lyrics channeling Shao Si Ming (the Lesser Master of Fate), the deity who measures the lives of children.
Structure: Invocation / Long Verse 1 / Refrain (with 兮) / Long Verse 2 / Refrain / Bridge of Questions / Long Verse 3 / Final Refrain.
Theme: the deity walks among mortals, counts a child's breaths, decides whether to lengthen the thread one more season.
Refrain rule: 1 thread-or-measure image (silk, knot, scale, lamp) + 1 weighing action (lift, cut, tie, blow out).
Forbidden phrases: "cruel fate", "destiny is written", "no escape".
Rhyme: end refrains in -ing.
Mood: tender, weighty, neither cruel nor kind.
Length: 8–12 characters per line.7. Mountain spirit recluse
Best for: Forest-spirit animation, recluse-themed instrumental + vocal
Write Chuci-flavored lyrics channeling the Mountain Spirit (山鬼), a half-divine being who lives among mosses and orchids.
Structure: Invocation / Long Verse 1 / Refrain (with 兮) / Long Verse 2 / Refrain / Bridge of Questions / Long Verse 3 / Final Refrain.
Theme: the spirit waits at a mountain hollow for a human visitor who promised to return, weaves a robe of vines while watching the path.
Refrain rule: 1 plant-or-mist image (vine, moss, fog, pine) + 1 waiting action (weave, listen, lean).
Forbidden phrases: "ghost", "haunted", "monstrous", "wild beast".
Rhyme: end refrains in -ai.
Mood: patient, slightly wild, lonely without bitterness.
Length: 8–12 characters per line.8. Daxue summoning the soul
Best for: Memorial drama theme, soul-summoning ritual scene
Write Chuci-flavored lyrics in the spirit of Da Zhao (Great Summons), calling a wandering soul to return home.
Structure: Invocation / Long Verse 1 / Refrain (with 兮) / Long Verse 2 / Refrain / Bridge of Questions / Long Verse 3 / Final Refrain.
Theme: a ritual speaker calls a beloved soul back from the four directions, describing the dangers of each direction and the warmth of home.
Refrain rule: 1 direction image (north wind, south sea, east tiger, west desert) + 1 calling action (call by name, light a lamp, lay out food).
Forbidden phrases: "dark realm", "underworld claims", "forever lost".
Rhyme: end refrains in -ai or -ei.
Mood: urgent, tender, pleading without despair.
Length: 8–12 characters per line.9. Yu Fu the fisherman
Best for: Philosophical short film, hermit-themed acoustic single
Write Chuci-flavored lyrics channeling the dialogue between Qu Yuan and the Fisherman (渔父), in the voice of the fisherman.
Structure: Invocation / Long Verse 1 / Refrain (with 兮) / Long Verse 2 / Refrain / Bridge of Questions / Long Verse 3 / Final Refrain.
Theme: a fisherman watches an exiled official refuse to compromise, sings a song about washing one's cap in clear water and one's feet in muddy water, then drifts on.
Refrain rule: 1 water image (current, mud, foam, oar) + 1 detached action (wash, push off, laugh quietly).
Forbidden phrases: "fight the world", "loyalty is dead", "stand alone forever".
Rhyme: end refrains in -u.
Mood: amused, detached, neither preaching nor mocking.
Length: 8–12 characters per line.10. Honoring fallen warriors
Best for: War memorial, historical battle aftermath score
Write Chuci-flavored lyrics in the spirit of Guo Shang (国殇), honoring soldiers who fell defending the homeland.
Structure: Invocation / Long Verse 1 / Refrain (with 兮) / Long Verse 2 / Refrain / Bridge of Questions / Long Verse 3 / Final Refrain.
Theme: a survivor walks the battlefield after the fight, names what each fallen comrade was carrying, swears to remember without glorifying.
Refrain rule: 1 battlefield image (broken spear, banner, dust, kite) + 1 honoring action (kneel, lay down a coin, speak a name).
Forbidden phrases: "glorious sacrifice", "their blood was worth it", "heroes never die".
Rhyme: end refrains in -ang.
Mood: heavy, grateful, refuses propaganda.
Length: 8–12 characters per line.Common mistakes
- Adding “兮” to a normal pop verse and calling it Chuci — the cadence has to actually be long-line ritual
- Mixing Tang restraint with Chuci wildness — they fight; pick one
- Skipping the forbidden block — model defaults to “cruel fate” and “ancestors weep”
- Naming no specific Chuci piece — output averages across the whole canon
- Modernizing the ritual action — Chuci’s power is in pre-modern verbs (kneel, scatter, summon, weave)
Which model writes the lyrics, and which Suno plan sings them
Any frontier model can draft these lyrics. As of June 2026, GPT-5.5, Claude Opus 4.7, and Gemini 3.1 Pro all handle classical Chinese register well; Opus 4.7 tends to hold the long-line cadence most consistently across a whole song, while GPT-5.5 is quicker to obey a forbidden-phrase block. Write the lyrics there, then move to Suno for audio.
Suno tiers as of June 2026:
| Plan | Price (monthly) | Credits / month | Model | Commercial use |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | 50 / day (~10 songs) | v4.5-all | No |
| Pro | $8 ($6.40 annual) | 2,500 (~500 songs) | v5.5 | Yes |
| Premier | $24 ($19.20 annual) | 10,000 (~2,000 songs) | v5.5 + Suno Studio (stems, MIDI) | Yes |
For any release you intend to publish or monetize, you need a paid plan: Suno grants commercial rights only on Pro and Premier, and only for songs made while subscribed. v5.5 (shipped March 2026) improved Mandarin articulation noticeably over v5.
How to push results further
- Force the model to draft the ritual scene in two prose sentences first, then sing it
- Pin which deity, river, or piece — Chuci is a constellation of named figures, not a vague mood
- For Suno, set the style tag to “guqin and slow ritual drum, no melodic chorus” — Chuci is closer to chant than song
- Feed Suno 汉字, not pinyin; v5.5 pronounces characters more cleanly and you keep tonal control
- Hold the “兮” only at line ends, not in the middle — middle “兮” reads fake
- After draft, read the refrain aloud; if it does not feel like a breath, rewrite
FAQ
Q: Does Chuci require classical Chinese?
A: No, but it requires ritual-feeling modern Chinese. Verbs matter more than nouns — keep them concrete and pre-modern (scatter, kneel, summon).
Q: How is Chuci different from Tang poetry?
A: Tang is restrained, urban, individual. Chuci is wild, riverine, shamanistic, often plural (a chorus summoning a god). Choose the right form for the theme.
Q: Should I use the actual line “魂兮归来” or write a fresh version?
A: For original songs, write a fresh refrain in the same cadence. Direct quotation reads like a museum.
Q: Does Suno handle the particle “兮” cleanly?
A: On v5.5 (the default model on paid plans as of June 2026), Mandarin usually renders “兮” as a soft “xi” with a trailing breath, which suits the ritual cadence. It still drops or slurs the particle on some lines because Chinese is tonal and Suno occasionally mis-tones a syllable. Generate two takes and ask the prompt for a backup version without 兮 if a line breaks.
Q: Do I need a paid Suno plan to release a Chuci track?
A: Yes if you plan to publish or monetize it. As of June 2026, commercial rights come only with Pro ($8/mo) or Premier ($24/mo), and only for songs made while you are subscribed. The Free tier (50 daily credits, v4.5-all) is non-commercial and runs an older model that handles Mandarin less cleanly.
Q: How long should a Chuci-flavored single be?
A: 4–5 minutes. The form needs room to breathe. Anything under 3 minutes feels like a sketch.
Related articles
- Ancient-Poetic Chinese Lyric Prompts
- Tang Dynasty Style Lyrics Prompts
- Chinese-Style Lyric Prompts
- Suno Chinese Fusion Music Prompts
- Ancient Poetic sub-hub
- Song Dynasty Style Lyrics Prompts: 10 Ci Poetry Templates
External references: the Chu Ci entry at the Chinese Text Project hosts the full classical text of every piece named above; Suno’s pricing page lists current plans and model access.
Tags: #Lyrics #Ancient poetic #chuci #Prompt