清平调
PURE SERENE MUSIC
李白
Li Bai
云想衣裳花想容，
From the clouds you think of her dresses，
from the flowers her face；
春风拂槛露华浓。
A spring breeze caresses the rail，
pearls of dew roll with grace.
若非群玉山头见，
If not seen atop the Jade Mountain，
会向瑶台月下逢。
You would meet her
under the moon in the Jade Terrace.
The poem was written in praise of the beauty of Yang Yuhuan.
Yang Yuhuan who was known as one of the Four Beauties of ancient China. She was the beloved consort of Emperor Xuanzong of Tang Dynasty during his later years. According to the legend, the inspiration of this poem was that Yang Yuhuan was enjoying the beautiful and precious peonies in the garden. The image was with extreme elegance and gracefulness, so the author painted this scene with this poem.
The poet used flowers and cloud to mirror her beauty: “You are so perfect that a peony wishes to decorate your beauty, your curves are so stunning that clouds come to dress you. With the spring breeze blowing, you are beautiful like an angle. If not to see you in the wonderland at the mountaintop, it is only to admire your face in the temple of a goddess.
The common point applied both eastern and western poetries is that they all use flowers as a resemblance of famine beauty.
hellochinese.poetry.blog 