How Do Great Poets Describe Beauty? | Chinese Poetry for My Daughter · EP03 | 给女儿的古诗课第三课 | 清平调·其一

Poetry Lessons for My Daughter | 给女儿的古诗课EP03: Qingping Melody I | 第三课：清平调·其一—How Do Great Poets Describe Beauty?Clouds conjure her robes. Blossoms conjure her face.No eyes. No brows. Not a single feature described.And yet, a woman remembered as the greatest beauty of the Tang dynasty has lived in readers' imaginations for more than thirteen centuries.In this episode, we read Li Bai's Qingping Melody I (清平调·其一) — a poem written by imperial command beside a pavilion of blooming peonies, for Emperor Xuanzong and his beloved consort, Yang Guifei.Together, we explore how the greatest poets — Chinese and Western alike — rarely describe beauty directly. They conjure it.Along the way, we journey from the splendor of the Tang court to Shakespeare's Sonnet 18, Byron's She Walks in Beauty, Marlowe's Helen of Troy, and the story of how one woman's legend became forever intertwined with the rise and fall of China's golden age.And, as a little surprise at the end, a literary confession from the French president. 🇫🇷🎬 Subscribe for upcoming episodes. One poem at a time.—这一课，我们读李白的《清平调·其一》。没有眉眼，没有容颜，只有云朵、花朵、春风与露水。李白写杨贵妃，从不说她长什么样——却让她永远活在每一个读诗人的想象之中。从唐代宫廷到莎士比亚、拜伦与马洛，我们聊聊中西方诗人描写"美"的方式，以及一个美人的命运，如何映照一个时代的兴衰。片尾还有一个关于法国总统马克龙的文学彩蛋。🇫🇷一首诗，一次对话。欢迎加入我们。🌸—📖 Episode Guide00:00 Qingping Melody I: A Poem About Beauty01:48 Why Did Li Bai Write This Poem?07:55 The Art of Describing Beauty Without Description13:05 How Shakespeare and Byron Wrote Beauty15:35 Yang Guifei: Beauty, Power and a Fallen Empire20:46 The Legacy of Yang Guifei in Chinese Literature25:10 Fang Xiaoru: Loyalty Beyond Death29:05 Which Literary Character Does Macron Identify With?—清平调·其一 · 李白云想衣裳花想容，春风拂槛露华浓。若非群玉山头见，会向瑶台月下逢。Qingping Melody I · Li BaiClouds conjure her robes, blossoms conjure her face;the spring breeze brushes the balustrade as dewdrops deepen every bloom.Had one not seen her upon the jeweled peaks of Mount Qunyu,one would surely meet her beneath the moonlit terraces of heaven.—📚 Also referenced in this episode诗词 Poetry〈梦游天姥吟留别〉李白 A Dream Journey to Tianmu Mountain · Li Bai〈行路难〉李白 Hard Roads · Li Bai〈望岳〉杜甫 Gazing at Mount Tai · Du Fu〈长恨歌〉白居易 Song of Everlasting Regret · Bai Juyi〈滕王阁序〉王勃 Preface to the Pavilion of Prince Teng · Wang Bo典籍 Classical Texts《杨太真外传》 Unofficial Biography of Lady Yang戏剧 Drama《长生殿》洪昇 Palace of Eternal Life · Hong Sheng (Kunqu Opera)—📚 Also mentioned:Sonnet 18 · William ShakespeareShe Walks in Beauty · Lord ByronDoctor Faustus · Christopher MarloweThe Red and the Black《红与黑》· StendhalThe Count of Monte Cristo《基督山伯爵》· Alexandre Dumas—🌙 Ancient poems for modern hearts.Instagram: @chinesepoetryformydaughter🎹 Theme Music: Prelude to Water MelodyAvailable on Spotify, Apple Music & YouTube Music.—CreditsMusic adapted from "Shui Diao Ge Tou"（《水调歌头》）and performed by May MaEdited by Zhou HangProduction by 2 Soleil Creatives