also: がくふ
noun
Music Bureau (Han dynasty)
Historical term for the government office during the Han dynasty that collected folk songs and ballads.
楽府は漢の時代に民間の歌を集める役所だった。
The Music Bureau was a government office during the Han dynasty that collected folk songs.
noun
yuefu (folk-song-style poetry)
Refers to a genre of Chinese poetry written in the style of the folk songs collected by the Music Bureau. Often used in literary contexts.
唐代の詩人たちは楽府の形式で多くの作品を残した。
Tang dynasty poets left many works in the yuefu style.
From Chinese 樂府 (yuèfǔ), literally 'music bureau'. The term originally referred to the Han dynasty office and later to the poetic genre inspired by its collected songs.