Tang-era piece: Yushu Hou Ting Hua
《玉樹後庭花》
compiled by David Badagnani (rev. 23 July 2023)
In an effort to make this information more accessible, this document contains resources related to the Tang-era piece entitled Yushu Hou Ting Hua《玉樹後庭花》(A Jade Tree's Rear-Court Blossom), which exists in the form of instrumental parts for a single-movement piece in the Mixolydian mode.
As preserved in Sino-Japanese sources, this piece is called Gyokuju gotei-ka『玉樹後庭花（ぎょくじゅごていか）』or Gyokuju kōtei-ka『玉樹後𨓀花（ぎょくじゅこうていか）』, and it appears in the following score collections:
1) and 2) Sango Yōroku and Jinchi Yōroku, both of which were compiled in the late 12th century
3) Ruisō Chiyō『類箏治要』(1296 or c. 1261)
4) Rosei Yōroku『蘆聲要録』(perhaps 1661)
The list of "Tang music" pieces prepared by the Japanese flute player Heguri no Hideshige (平群秀茂) that appears in his Sango Hishō『三五秘抄』(928) lists Yushu Hou Ting Hua as a po (破, "broaching") movement, in the Mixolydian mode on D.
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Chinese historical sources mentioning Yushu Hou Ting Hua
● Chen Shu《陈书》(The Book of Chen)
The official history of the Chen Dynasty (557-589), Chen Shu was compiled during the Tang Dynasty by compiled by the Sui and Tang Dynasty official Yao Silian (姚思廉, 557-637), and completed in 636, in the early Tang Dynasty. It is one of the Twenty-Four Histories (二十四史). Music is discussed in several volumes, and Yushu Hou Ting Hua is mentioned in volume 7, Collected Biographies no. 1: Empresses and Consorts.
● Sui Shu《隋书》(The Book of Sui)
The official history of the Sui Dynasty (581-618), the Sui Shu was completed in 636 (actually during the early Tang Dynasty). It is one of the Twenty-Four Histories (二十四史). Music is discussed in several sections, and Yushu Hou Ting Hua is mentioned in volumes 13 and 22.
● Tongdian《通典》(Comprehensive Institutions)
Written by Tang Dynasty scholar and historian Du You (杜佑, 735-812) between 766 and 801, Tongdian discusses music in its fifth section, and Yushu Hou Ting Hua is mentioned in volume 146.
● Jiu Tang Shu《旧唐书》(The Old Book of Tang), also known simply as Tang Shu《唐书》 (The Book of Tang), a historical work in 200 volumes that was completed in 945, actually during the Later Jin (后晋) Dynasty, one of the Five Dynasties during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms (五代十国) period following the fall of the Tang Dynasty; it is one of the Twenty-Four Histories (二十四史). Yushu Hou Ting Hua is mentioned in volume 29.
● Yuefu Shiji《乐府诗集》by Guo Maoqian (郭茂倩, 1041-1099)
Yushu Hou Ting Hua is mentioned in volumes 44, 47, and 61.
● Wenxian Tongkao《文献通考》(Comprehensive Examination of Literature) Compiled in the early 14th century by Ma Duanlin (马端临), this work contains a list and descriptions (though no illustrations) of many ancient and Medieval musical instruments. Yushu Hou Ting Hua is mentioned in volume 146.
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Chinese poems and poetic lyrics mentioning Yushu Hou Ting Hua
《玉树后庭花》
A Jade Tree's Rear-Court Blossom (Yushu Hou Ting Hua)
作者：陈后主陈叔宝（南朝 – 陈）
by Emperor Chen Houzhu, personal name Chen Shubao (Southern Dynasties: Chen, 553-604)
by Emperor Chen Houzhu, personal name Chen Shubao (Southern Dynasties: Chen, 553-604)
丽宇芳林对高阁，新装艳质本倾城。
映户凝娇乍不进，出帷含态笑相迎。
妖姬脸似花含露，玉树流光照后庭。
花开花落不长久，落红满地归寂中。
Notes:
The version of this poem in Yuefu Shiji《乐府诗集》by Guo Maoqian (郭茂倩, 1041-1099) does not include the fourth couplet, which seems to have been composed by another poet who wished to normalize the six-line poem to one of eight lines.
The version of this poem in Yuefu Shiji《乐府诗集》by Guo Maoqian (郭茂倩, 1041-1099) does not include the fourth couplet, which seems to have been composed by another poet who wished to normalize the six-line poem to one of eight lines.
* * * * * * * * *
《歌》
Song (Ge)
Song (Ge)
作者：陈后主陈叔宝（南朝 – 陈）
by Emperor Chen Houzhu, personal name Chen Shubao (Southern Dynasties: Chen, 553-604)
by Emperor Chen Houzhu, personal name Chen Shubao (Southern Dynasties: Chen, 553-604)
玉树后庭花，花开不复久。
* * * * * * * * *
《金陵歌送别范宣》
作者：李白（唐）
by Li Bai (Tang Dynasty, 701-762)
石头巉岩如虎踞，凌波欲过沧江去。
钟山龙盘走势来，秀色横分历阳树。
四十馀帝三百秋，功名事迹随东流。
白马小儿谁家子，泰清之岁来关囚。
金陵昔时何壮哉，席卷英豪天下来。
冠盖散为烟雾尽，金舆玉座成寒灰。
扣剑悲吟空咄嗟，梁陈白骨乱如麻。
天子龙沈景阳井，谁歌玉树后庭花。
此地伤心不能道，目下离离长春草。
送尔长江万里心，他年来访南山老。
Notes:
引用典故：白马小儿 后庭花 龙沈景阳井
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《句》
作者：卢秀才（唐）
by Lu Xiucai (Tang Dynasty)
长醉金陵前殿酒，偏闻玉树后庭花。
Notes:
This couplet is an excerpt from a poem entitled《殷淑妃》.
This couplet is an excerpt from a poem entitled《殷淑妃》.
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《琵琶行》
Pipa Song (Pipa Xing)
作者：牛殳（中唐）
by Niu Shu (mid-Tang Dynasty)
何人劚得一片木，三尺春冰五音足。
一弹决破真珠囊，迸落金盘声断续。
飘飘飖飖寒丁丁，虫豸出蛰神鬼惊。
秋鸿叫侣代云黑，猩猩夜啼蛮月明。
潏潏汩汩声不定，胡雏学汉语未正。
若似长安月蚀时，满城敲鼓声噒噒。
青山飞起不压物，野水流来欲湿人。
伤心忆得陈后主，春殿半酣细腰舞。
黄莺百舌正相呼，玉树后庭花带雨。
二妃哭处山重重，二妃没后云溶溶。
夜深霜露锁空庙，零落一丛斑竹风。
金谷园中草初绿，石崇一弄思归曲。
当时二十四友人，手把金杯听不足。
又似贾客蜀道间，千铎万磬鸣空山。
未若此调呦呦兮啁啁，嘈嘈兮啾啾。
引之于山，兽不能走。
吹之于水，鱼不能游。
方知此艺不可有，人间万事凭双手。
若何为我再三弹，送却花前一尊酒。
Pipa Song (Pipa Xing)
作者：牛殳（中唐）
by Niu Shu (mid-Tang Dynasty)
何人劚得一片木，三尺春冰五音足。
一弹决破真珠囊，迸落金盘声断续。
飘飘飖飖寒丁丁，虫豸出蛰神鬼惊。
秋鸿叫侣代云黑，猩猩夜啼蛮月明。
潏潏汩汩声不定，胡雏学汉语未正。
若似长安月蚀时，满城敲鼓声噒噒。
青山飞起不压物，野水流来欲湿人。
伤心忆得陈后主，春殿半酣细腰舞。
黄莺百舌正相呼，玉树后庭花带雨。
二妃哭处山重重，二妃没后云溶溶。
夜深霜露锁空庙，零落一丛斑竹风。
金谷园中草初绿，石崇一弄思归曲。
当时二十四友人，手把金杯听不足。
又似贾客蜀道间，千铎万磬鸣空山。
未若此调呦呦兮啁啁，嘈嘈兮啾啾。
引之于山，兽不能走。
吹之于水，鱼不能游。
方知此艺不可有，人间万事凭双手。
若何为我再三弹，送却花前一尊酒。
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《陈宫怨二首》
作者：许浑（唐）
by Xu Hun (Tang Dynasty, c. 788 or 791-c. 860 or 858)
其一
风暖江城白日迟，昔人遗事后人悲。
草生宫阙国无主，玉树后庭花为谁。
其二
地雄山险水悠悠，不信隋兵到石头。
玉树后庭花一曲，与君同上景阳楼。
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《相和歌辞 玉树后庭花》
作者：张祜（唐）
by Zhang Hu (Tang Dynasty, c. 785-c. 849)
by Zhang Hu (Tang Dynasty, c. 785-c. 849)
轻车何草草，独唱后庭花。
玉座谁为主，徒悲张丽华。
* * * * * * * * *
《后庭花破子》
作者：李煜（五代十国 – 南唐）
by Li Yu (Five Dynasties: Southern Tang Dynasty, 937-978)
玉树后庭前，瑶草妆镜边。
去年花不老，今年月又圆。
莫教偏，和月和花，天教长少年。
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Videos and recordings of Yushu Hou Ting Hua
● Trio performance of Yushu Hou Ting Hua by Xu Ge and members of his ensemble (Beijing, China, 2017)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ILQzdcio_yc
● Performance, with dance, of Yushu Hou Ting Hua by Xu Ge and his ensemble (China, 2017)
● Performance, with dance, of Yushu Hou Ting Hua by Xu Ge and his ensemble (Beijing, China, 2017)
● Performance, with dance, of Yushu Hou Ting Hua by Xu Ge and his ensemble (Shanghai, China, 2017)
● Small ensemble realization of Yushu Hou Ting Hua, done by Liu Tao using synthesized sounds (Beijing, China, c. 2018)
● Performance of Yushu Hou Ting Hua by Xu Ge and his ensemble (China, 2018)
● Studio recording of Yushu Hou Ting Hua, performed by Bilibili user Beilin Zhai Zhuren (北林斋主人), heng di (China, 2020)
● Recording of Yushu Hou Ting Hua, as reconstructed by Xu Ge and Liu Tao, performed by Bilibili user Beilin Zhai Zhuren (北林斋主人), bili (China, 2020)
● Quartet performance of Yushu Hou Ting Hua by Xu Ge and members of his ensemble (Beijing, China, 2020); Yushu Hou Ting Hua starts at 99:17
● Performance of Yushu Hou Ting Hua by Xu Ge and his ensemble, with added Western harmony (China, 2020)
● Full-ensemble realization of Yushu Hou Ting Hua, done by Tokinori Yanagita using synthesized sounds (Japan, 2021)
● Full-ensemble realization of Yushu Hou Ting Hua, done by Tokinori Yanagita using synthesized sounds, revised version (Japan, 2021)
● Performance of Yushu Hou Ting Hua by Xu Ge and his ensemble, with added Western harmony (China, 2021)
● Electronic realization of Yushu Hou Ting Hua by YouTube user 古樂尋蹤_HGofACH (Canada, 2023)
● Electronic realization of the zheng part to Yushu Hou Ting Hua by YouTube user 古樂尋蹤_HGofACH (Canada, 2023)
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Bibliography
● Laurence Picken, ed., with Rembrandt F. Wolpert, Allan J. Marett, Jonathan Condit, and Elizabeth J. Markham, and with Yōko Mitani and Noël J. Nickson. Music from the Tang Court, vol. 3. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1985.
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Thanks to Benjamin Daniels, Jeff Loh, and Steven G. Nelson for assistance with this page.
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