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清平调词
（三首其二）
一枝红艳露凝香，
云雨巫山枉断肠。
借问汉宫谁得似？
可怜飞燕[1]倚新妆[2]。
第二首第一句再把美人比花，不但写色，而且写香。然后从时间上来比，先比作楚襄王为之断肠的、朝为行云暮为雨的巫山神女，后比作汉成帝的宠妃，能做掌上舞的赵飞燕。不过飞燕倚仗新妆，杨妃却是天姿国色，这样借古喻今，又是抑古扬今了。
注释：
[1]飞燕：指西汉皇后赵飞燕。
[2]妆：梳妆打扮。
The Beautiful Lady Yang
(II)
She is a peony sweetened by dew impearled,
Far fairer than the Goddess[1]bringing showers in dreams.
Who could equal her in palace of ancient world?
Not e’en the newly-dressed“Flying Swallow”[2],it seems.
注释：
[1]The legend said that the king of a Southern Kingdom dreamed of the Goddess of Wushan Mountains with whom he made love and who would come out in the morning in the form of a cloud and in the evening in the form of a shower.
[2]“Flying Swallow”was the favorite concubine of Han Emperor Chengdi(reigned 32–6 B.C.)
