To the Tune of “Pure Peace” 3, Li Bai (Tang Shi #319)
Wednesday, 22 April 2020 13:55![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
lnhammerSuch flowers and devastating beauty both bring joy—
And always make their ruler gaze on them with a smile.
To dispel the springtime wind’s unbounded resentment,
North of Aloeswood Pavilion, they lean on the railing.
清平调之三
名花倾国两相欢，
常得君王带笑看。
解释春风无限恨，
沈香亭北倚阑干。
Still with the tree peonies, this time directly comparing them to Yang Guifei, who is described as a “kingdom-wrecker” level of beauty without the irony of historical hindsight. The last line is sometimes understood as the couple leaning on the railing to pick flowers.
(I really meant it, about wanting to cross-reference all the poems about Xuanzong and Yang against “Song of Everlasting Regret.” In fact, that would make an excellent collection to publish...)
And with that, I’m out of four-line poems in this collection. Time to take a deep breath and move on to the 140-odd eight-liners. (That, or spent the effort to dig up the couple more six-liners first.)
---L.
And always make their ruler gaze on them with a smile.
To dispel the springtime wind’s unbounded resentment,
North of Aloeswood Pavilion, they lean on the railing.
清平调之三
名花倾国两相欢，
常得君王带笑看。
解释春风无限恨，
沈香亭北倚阑干。
Still with the tree peonies, this time directly comparing them to Yang Guifei, who is described as a “kingdom-wrecker” level of beauty without the irony of historical hindsight. The last line is sometimes understood as the couple leaning on the railing to pick flowers.
(I really meant it, about wanting to cross-reference all the poems about Xuanzong and Yang against “Song of Everlasting Regret.” In fact, that would make an excellent collection to publish...)
And with that, I’m out of four-line poems in this collection. Time to take a deep breath and move on to the 140-odd eight-liners. (That, or spent the effort to dig up the couple more six-liners first.)
---L.