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As I was spending the night watching Imperial ceramics on Youtube, I found a few nice poems. Did some research and found where most of the poems written on the porcelain imperial wares came from. However, there was one which I could not gather more information. After learning what is a "jade cutter" refers to, this simple two elegant couplet has a deeper meaning and allusion...
玉剪穿花過, The swallow zipping through the flowers
霓裳帶月歸. The rainbow skirt beckoning the moon to return.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3FESMMrnRU
Where is these two from?
玉剪穿花过 Swallows flying through the flowers.
云裳带月归 Clouds returnning along with the Moon.
It is all between the line, I believe everyone would have different interpretations and evoke different images in their minds while reading, but it is hard for readers to understand deeper what underlying feelings and emotions were conveyed through this poem.
玉剪穿花过: my immediate thought was that the poet might portray the moment when these ceramic flowers was elaborately carved and polished, which were made to come alive with the contribution of jade cutters, but on second thought, that might be too literal and explicit, I must have just scratch the surface and underestimate the depth of sentiment that the poet was trying to convey. I didn't think that the poet was only complimenting the craftmanship.
To dig deeper into it, I was always have a sneaking feeling that 剪 should have something to do with the scissors-like tail of the swallows on the porcerlain, because the metaphor like 燕子尾巴似剪刀 are commonly used and deeply entrenched in our mind. The poem really evoked another image in front of me, several swallows were flying aound the flowers, on second thought, I drew the same conclusion as I previously did, that might be too obvious or intuitive. I didn't think that was exactly what the poem was trying to convey.
To get to the core of it, I had to do some research and knew more to it than meet the eye, which also confirmed my previous ideas and thoughts. Never undere燕 and 宴 sound the same, but 宴 itself would carry more conotations and implications, tons and tons of information, messages, images lying behind it. 金榜题名 or 天子赐宴？
Who knows? Only he knows.That is my definition of poetry? The depth of poetry depends on the depth of your mind.
It is all in the mind...
Feeding our imagination...
Food for thought...
I think the allusions are for 趙飛燕 and 楊貴妃 for their dancing.
Where did you get 云 from?
I did the research but unfortunately didn't get anything that could help me to understand this poem.
Please kindly find the link below, but this poem is just mentioned in passing
http://www.taoci999.com/blog/?3/viewspace-85
From a imperial Yung Cheng bowl.
First line can be explained away as 殿試宴 but how about the 2nd line? I think it's a comparison to 趙飛燕's 掌上舞 with 楊貴妃's 霓裳舞. Most porcelain designs are rebus of auspiciousness and beauty. I am quite sure they won't put something so stern on pieces of imperial enjoyment. Also 楊貴妃's nickname is 太真 aka the moon.
清平調三首 was the cause of Li Po's removal from the imperial Court.
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