A Song of Pure Happiness II
- Poetry of Li Bai (Li Po)
There's a perfume stealing moist from a shaft of red blossom,
And a mist, through the heart, from the magical Hill of Wu- -
The palaces of China have never known such beauty-
Not even Flying Swallow with all her glittering garments.
Folk-song-styled-verse
This poem centers on the beauty and favor of Yang Guifei, using imagery such as flowers, the goddess, and the ancient beauty Zhao Feiyan to layer upon layer highlight her unparalleled elegance and supreme status. Emperor Xuanzong of Tang doted on Yang Guifei excessively, and the poet uses this to express her glory of "gathering the favor of three thousand in one person," while also subtly implying a critique of the emperor's excessive favoritism.
一枝秾艳露凝香，云雨巫山枉断肠。
借问汉宫谁得似，可怜飞燕倚新妆。
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一枝紅豔露凝香， 雲雨巫山枉斷腸。
借問漢宮誰得似， 可憐飛燕倚新妝。
- Why Chinese poems is so special?
- The most distinctive features of Chinese poetry are: concision- many poems are only four lines, and few are much longer than eight; ambiguity- number, tense and parts of speech are often undetermined, creating particularly rich interpretative possibilities; and structure- most poems follow quite strict formal patterns which have beauty in themselves as well as highlighting meaningful contrasts.
- How to read a Chinese poem?
- Like an English poem, but more so. Everything is there for a reason, so try to find that reason. Think about all the possible connotations, and be aware of the different possibilities of number and tense. Look for contrasts: within lines, between the lines of each couplet and between successive couplets. Above all, don't worry about what the poet meant- find your meaning.
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