BOOKMARK

Clear, Serene Melody, Poem 1

By Li Bai Tang Dynasty

English Poetic Translation

Clouds dream her robes and blossoms shape her face,
while spring winds brush the balustrade where heavy dews grace.
If she were not a vision from the jade peak's crown,
surely she dwells where moonlight bathes the terrace down.

Classical Chinese & Pinyin

雲想衣裳花想容，春風拂檻露華濃。
若非羣玉山頭見，會向瑤臺月下逢。

yún xiǎng yī shang huā xiǎng róng,
chūn fēng fú kǎn lù huá nóng.
ruò fēi qún yù shān tóu jiàn,
huì xiàng yáo tái yuè xià féng.

Philological Direct Translation

Clouds think of her garments and flowers think of her face,
Spring wind caresses the railing, dew flowers are rich.
If not upon the peak of Mount Qunyù seen,
Surely at Jasper Terrace beneath the moon encountered.

Scholarly Exegesis & Cultural Commentary

I. Formal Poetic Architecture & Meter

This poem is written in the jueju form, specifically a four-line regulated verse with seven characters per line (qiyan jueju). It adheres strictly to the tonal constraints and parallelism required of High Tang regulated poetry. The rhyme scheme is level tone on the rhyme characters rong (容), nong (濃), and feng (逢), creating a smooth, melodic resonance that underscores the ethereal subject matter. The spatial movement shifts gracefully from the celestial heights of clouds and flowers down to an earthly garden balustrade, before ascending once more to mythological realms like Mount Qunyu and the Jasper Terrace.

II. Historical Chronology & Existential Impulse

Composed during the Tianbao era at the zenith of the Tang dynasty, this piece belongs to a famous series of three lyrics commissioned by Emperor Xuanzong. The sovereign and his favored consort, Yang Guifei, were enjoying the blooming peonies in the Aloeswood Pavilion when Li Bai was summoned to compose court lyrics. Rather than writing mundane panegyrics, the poet elevates the consort's beauty by associating her with divine immortals, fusing natural splendor with courtly pageantry in a brilliant display of impromptu genius.

III. Line-by-Line Exegesis & Allusion Decoding

Lines 1-2 (Opening Couplet): Clouds evoke her garments while flowers suggest her face; the spring wind caresses the balustrade where the dewy blossoms are heavy and rich. The opening utilizes indirect metaphor and synesthesia, comparing the consort's attire and countenance to the most sublime phenomena of the natural world, charged with vibrant life and moisture.
Lines 3-4 (Closing Couplet): If she were not seen atop Mount Qunyu, surely she would be met beneath the moon at the Jasper Terrace. This couplet invokes Daoist mythology, elevating Yang Guifei from an earthly beauty to a transcendent immortal goddess residing in celestial paradises, thus subtly flattering both the consort and the emperor's divine realm.

IV. Aesthetic Synthesis & Poetic Aftertaste

The poem achieves a masterful synthesis of sensuous luxury and otherworldly transcendence. By avoiding direct physical descriptions and instead relying on flora, meteorological wonders, and Daoist mythology, Li Bai captures the elusive essence of imperial glamour. The lingering aftertaste is one of ethereal lightness and dazzling brilliance, cementing the piece as a cornerstone of court poetry and a high-water mark in the lyrical celebration of feminine grace.