The Play
Page 20
and rape pretty charmers.
(Exit, shouting “Kill!”, “Attack!”)
(Enter the old, white-whiskered T’ang dynasty general Ke-shu Han,604 leading two soldiers)
GENERAL KE-SHU HAN: (Sings)
I’m not so very old,
Only just past eighty.
Forces coming from Yü-yang,
Recognise this old elder brother me!
(Says)
I’m the elderly general Ke-shu Han, and I’m holding T’ung Pass.605 Unexpectedly, An Lu-shan has rebelled and is rushing this way on the attack. I’ve been resolved to close the Pass and guard it to the death. But alas, the eunuch attendant supervising my army has immediately forced me to issue forth and give battle. The situations beyond my control. My soldiers, join your strength with mine and advance to the attack.
SOLDIERS: Order received!
(They move off)
(Enter An Lu-shan leading his army on the attack)
(Ke-shu Han comes to meet him on the attack, and a mighty battle ensues)
(An Lu-shan’s army capture Ke-shu Han, and place him in bonds)
AN LU-SHAN: Bring that old creature over here. I’ll now spare your old life, but hurry up and deliver the Pass to me, and surrender, submit.
GENERAL KE-SHU HAN: As things stand, I’ll just have to surrender.
(Exeunt An Lu-shan’s men, pushing Ke-shu Han)
AN LU-SHAN: Let’s rejoice that we’ve now taken T’ung Pass. Our impetus is like splitting bamboo. My Three Armies of all ranks, let us just straightway race on the attack to the Western Capital.
(All assent, shout war cries, and move off)
AN LU-SHAN: (Sings)
I leap my horse forward and brandish my dagger-axe,
With more than a million crack fighting men.
I slightly stir the toe of my boot,
And trample to ruin their mountains-and-rivers domain,
Trample to ruin their mountains-and-rivers domain!
(Recites)
At break of dawn we crossed swords, by evening still hadn’t ceased,606 Our gongs and drums rattling the heavens, we press forward against China, that Divine Land; 607 & 608
Once T’ung Pass is defeated, we non-Chinese rejoice,609 And we lower our “bronze maces”610 and into the wine-houses ascend.
Act Twenty-four: Alarm at political upheaval
(Enter Eunuch-chamberlain Kao)
EUNUCH-CHAMBERLAIN KAO: (Recites)
In “jade bower” halfway up the sky, mouth-harmoniums and song start up, The breeze sends from palace-ladies the gentle sounds of chat and laughter; The moon palace-hall opens its form, and the night clepsydra is heard, Crystal portieres are rolled up open close by the autumn river.
(Says)
I’m eunuch-chamberlain Kao. I’m in respectful receipt of Ten-thousand-years-grandfather-the-emperor’s command, telling me to arrange a cozy feast in the imperial flower-garden, as he wants to come here together with Empress Yang to stroll and to enjoy the flowers, so I must just look out for their coming here.
(Enter emperor and Empress Yang riding in hand-carriages, leading Dame Ever-new, Dame Remember-me and two eunuch attendants. They carry on moving along)
SHINING AUGUST-EMPEROR: (Sings)
The sky’s pale, and leisurely the clouds,
Lined up in the high air, of new wild-geese are several rows;
In my imperial garden the autumn scene is splashed with rich bright colours:
Weeping-willows add ochre,
Cloverfern its green reduces,
Free tug scarlet lotus-petals.
All along the sweep of the carven balustrade,
Puffing their pure scent,
just opened have cassia blossoms.
(They arrive)
EUNUCH-CHAMBERLAIN KAO: Please alight from your hand-carriages, Your Majesty Ten-thousand-years-grandfather and Empress Yang.
(Emperor and Empress Yang descend from their hand-carriages)
(Exeunt unobtrusively Eunuch-chamberlain Kao together with eunuch attendants)
SHINING AUGUST-EMPEROR: My Most-prized-empress, let you and me stroll a while.
EMPRESS YANG: Please let’s, Your Majesty.
(The emperor takes Empress Tang by the hand)
EMPRESS YANG: (Sings)
Hand in hand amid the flowers,
For a while we our dark cares scatter;
Cool arises at the foot of the pavilion,
Where breeze-blown lotus-flowers flutter reflected in the water.
I love the quiet still of the parasol-tree shade,
And looking side-by-side from the deep-deep-emerald winding covered walkways;
I adore the fragrant-nested autumn swallows who cleave close to man,
And sleeping mandarin duck-and-drake pairsm on the silvery ponds who compel one’s eyes.
SHINING AUGUST-EMPEROR: Eunuch-chamberlain Kao, bring wine over here, and I and Empress Yang will drink a cozy few cups.
EUNUCH-CHAMBERLAIN KAO: A feast is already laid out at the top end of the pavilion. Please proceed to the feast, Ten-thousand-years-grandfather and Empress Yang.
(Empress Yang hands a cup of wine to the emperor, but emperor stops her)
SHINING AUGUST-EMPEROR: Be seated, my Most-prized-empress.
(Sings)
I won’t put your white-jade silk-fibre-slender fingers to the toil,
to the bother of the ceremonial courtesy of high-raising a cup,
I’m just going to avail myself of a cozy drinking party to face your eyebrow- “hills”.611
Let you and me pour shallow and softly sing,
taking it in turn with one another,
Three goblets, two cups,
To while away our leisure and dispel our cares.
(Says)
My Most-prized-empress, even though today’s is a cozy party, it’s lofty and refined. We’ve avoided the imperial kitchens’, avoided the imperial kitchens’
(Sings)
“Boiled dragons and sauté-ed phoenixes” piled on trays and tables,
Squeak squeak creak creak,
hastening, galloping, the court-music sounds,
Just a few tastes of so very crisp vegetables,
Just a few tastes of so very crisp vegetables,
and fruits that are fresh
and wine-snacks that are delicacies,
Are most fitting for you to dine off,
beautiful lady of immortal flesh and jade bones.
(Says)
My Most-prized-empress, as you and me airily stroll and cozily drink, I can’t be bothered, don’t have the patience, to listen to any of those old melodies of my Pear-orchard Conservatoire. I recall when that year we were enjoying the peonies up in Eaglewood Pavilion, I summoned Plume-forest Academician Li Pai to draft his three Pure-level Mode poems, and ordered Li Kui-nien to transpose them into a new music-score, and the wordings were truly excellent. I wonder if you still remember them, my Most-prized-empress?
EMPRESS YANG: Yes, I still remember them.
SHINING AUGUST-EMPEROR: You may sing them for me, my Most-prized-empress, and I’ll accompany you in person with my jade flute.
EMPRESS YANG: As you command!
(Dame Ever-new presents the emperor with his jade flute, and he plays it)
EMPRESS YANG: (Taking up the beat, sings)612
Abundant flowers of rich gorgeousness call to mind her facial looks,
Her clothes minding of clouds shine effulgency;
Whose novel attire’s like hers!
Poor Flying-swallow with her delicate languor pretty.
Wondrous flowers and state’s prime beauty,
Ever winning their monarch’s glance,
that contemplates them with faint smile.
In spring breeze skilled to dispel spring sorrows,
As north of Eaglewood Bower at wooden railing they loll.
SHINING AUGUST-EMPEROR: Exquisite! Li Pai’s brocade-splendid sentiments, and your embroidery-fine lips are truly pai
red in supremacy. Palace ladies, fetch giant wine-cups here, and I’ll drink face-to-face with my Most-prized-empress!
(Dame Ever-new and Dame Remember-me serve them with wine)
SHINING AUGUST-EMPEROR: (Sings)
It’s just as in our eager joy the beat halts and the singing stops,
In our eager joy the beat halts and the singing stops,
And wine-cups are conveyed and goblets served mid jollity and laughs.
(Says)
My Most-prized-empress, drain one cup!
(Looks at reflection in his cup)
(Sings)
No need of any tedious garrulous chattering
Guessing-the-riddle613 or Hide-the-hook,614
Or noisy profuse playing with clappers, and strumming of silk.
(Looks at reflection in cup again) (Says)
My Most-prized-empress, drain another cup.
EMPRESS YANG: I can’t drink any more
SHINING AUGUST-EMPEROR: Palace charmeuses, kneel down and try to persuade her.
DAME EVER-NEW and DAME REMEMBER-ME: As you command! Milady, please accept this one cup.
(Empress Yang makes an effort to drink)
(Dame Ever-new and Dame Remember-me again and again try to persuade her to drink.)
SHINING AUGUST-EMPEROR: (Sings)
I, saying nothing, grasp my cup and look on carefully,
And already see a blossom mounting onto her cheek.
(Empress shows signs of drunkenness)
EMPRESS YANG: I’m drunk now, really.
SHINING AUGUST-EMPEROR: (Sings)
In a moment she’s all soft and giggly,
willow dipping, a flower lolling,
All soft and giggly,
willow dipping and flower lolling,
Weary, wine-drowsy, oriole-delicate,
swallow-languorous feeling.
(Says)
My Most-prized-empress is drunk now. Palace-charmeuses, help milady onto her hand-carriage, and take her into the imperial palace.
DAME EVER-NEW and DAME REMEMBER-ME: As you command!
(They help Empress Yang to stand up, by her arms).
EMPRESS YANG: (Shows drunkenness. Cries out:) Ten thousand years of long life to you!
(Dame Ever-new and Dame Remember-me support her by the arms, and they move)
(Empress Yang makes a drunken posture)
EMPRESS YANG: (Sings)
With such poorly air,
as some light cloud my four limbs soft buckle,
With such drisky form,
as some empty flower,
my pair of eyes lose all restraint;
So shyly dainty-pretty,
my weeping-willow waist can hardly be helped up,
So heavily weary, I have to force
my dainty-pretty wrists to lift;
All soft and floppy my Gold Lotus615 feet totter back,
So loose and dishevelled,
my cloud-like hair-coils droop on my scented shoulders;
I long to find my beautiful sweet sweet phoenix-pillow,
My steps slow and dawdling,
I have the palace-charmeuses support me
into my embroidered bed-curtains.
(Exeunt Dame Ever-new and Dame Remember-me, supporting Empress Yang)
(Enter unobtrusively Eunuch-chamberlain Kao together with a eunuch attendant.)
(Sounds of drums backstage)
SHINING AUGUST-EMPEROR: (In alarm) Where are those drum-sounds suddenly issuing from?
(Enter Yang Kuo-chung in haste)
PRIME MINISTER YANG KUO-CHUNG: (Recites)
Kettledrums and ku-drums of Yü-yang come, the ground shuddering, Startling interrupted the Rainbow-skirt dance.
(Asking Eunuch-chamberlain Kao) (Says) Where is Ten-thousand-years-grandfather-our-emperor?
EUNUCH-CHAMBERLAIN KAO: He’s in the imperial flower-garden.
PRIME MINISTER YANG KUO-CHUNG: There’s an urgent military crisis. I’ll have to go straight in.
(Goes in and meets emperor)
Your Majesty, things have turned bad. An Lu-shan has mobilised forces and risen in rebellion, attacking and getting through T’ung Pass, and any day now he’ll reach Ch’ang-an.
SHINING AUGUST-EMPEROR: (In great alarm) Where are our generals and soldiers who are guarding the passes?
PRIME MINISTER YANG KUO-CHUNG: Ke-shu Han’s troops have been defeated, and he’s already surrendered to the rebels.
SHINING AUGUST-EMPEROR: (Sings)
Oh dear,
You say that Ke-shu Han has lost a battle, …
An Lu-shan who’s started waging war,
Has truly left Yü-yang,
Taken the Eastern Capital616 Lo-yang,
And conquered T’ung Pass barriers.
It scares one so one’s gall shudders and one’s heart shakes,
It scares one so one’s gall shudders and one’s heart shakes,
One’s gut panics and one’s belly’s fevered,
One’s spiritual souls fly and one’s animal souls scatter,
And the moonlight blossoms’ fresh smiling sparkle’s already shattered by the alarms.
(Says)
What policy do you have for repelling the rebel forces?
PRIME MINISTER YANG KUO-CHUNG: In the past I submitted memorials to you again and again saying that An Lu-shan was bound to rebel, but Your Majesty wouldn’t heed me, and today sure enough my words have been fulfilled. The trouble has arisen all of a sudden, so how can we resist the enemy? You’d best temporarily favour Shu617 with a visit, so as to wait for the world to come to your relief.
SHINING AUGUST-EMPEROR: I’ll do as you propose. Quickly convey my edict that the various princes and all the court mandarins are immediately just to accompany me on a tour to favour Shu with my visit.
PRIME MINISTER YANG KUO-CHUNG: As you command!
(Exit in haste)
SHINING AUGUST-EMPEROR: Eunuch-chamberlain Kao, hurry up and get ready cavalry, and convey my edict that the Dragon-warrior General of the Right,618 Ch’en Yȕan-li,619 is ordered to take command of three thousand soldiers to escort my imperial carriage and proceed.
EUNUCH-CHAMBERLAIN KAO: Command received!
(Exit)
EUNUCH ATTENDANT: If it please you, Ten-thousand-years-grandfather-the-emperor, return to your palace.
(Emperor turns and walks)
SHINING AUGUST-EMPEROR: (Sighs) Just as I was enjoying diversion, I was suddenly surprised by this upheaval. How on Earth will it end!
(Sings)
Safe and securely,
we were feasting in the palace courtyard,
When in wild confusion and disturbance there arose rebellion on the frontiers.
Boom boom the battle-drums clamour,
Up and up soars the black smoke of the beacon-fires.
Skitter-scuttle ministers and subjects flee and scatter,
Black so pervading,
Heaven and Earth toss and turn,
It’s so very bleak and miserable,
my altars of soil and millet are being destroyed and ruined,
It’s so very bleak and miserable,
my altars of soil and millet are being destroyed and laid in ruin.
The soughing hissing west wind can’t be blocked
from seeing off the evening,
Darkly darkly the one-wheel declining sun
chills Ch’ang-an.
(Faces backstage and asks) Palace charmeuses, might Empress Yang have taken a tranquil sleep?
DAME EVER-NEW and DAME REMEMBER-ME: (Responding from backstage) She’s fast asleep now.
SHINING AUGUST-EMPEROR: Don’t disturb her. Let’s wait till the morning at fifth watch-drum, and we’ll travel together.
(Sobs) Heaven above, I’m cursed that I encounter this need to flee elsewhere, burdening her of jade-fair looks and blossom face, making her gallop and charge along the roads. Ah, it so pains my heart!
(Sings)
Accustomed still to delicate leisure in th
e depths of my imperial palace,
How will she put up with the road to Shu’s hardships!620
(Weeps)
You Most-prized-empress of mine,
(Sings)
I’m so terribly sorrowful that your white-jade softness
and flower-tenderness,
Is going to have to gallop the roads!
(Recites)
The form of imperial palace is ragged in the falling sunshine,621 The beacons of Yü-yang light Box Pass with flames;622 The cloud-stopping623 voices cease,624
Act Twenty-five: Burying the white-jade one
(Enter Ch’en Yȕan-li leading soldiers)
CH’EN YȔAN-LI: (Sings)
Hustling the yak-tail banners and grasping our big battle-axes,
we gallop forward,
Gallop forward,
Feather-forest palace-guards crowding round and guarding the gold-bells imperial carriage,
Round the gold-bells imperial carriage crowded;
In scurrying haste we evade the rebels,
and take to the long road,
We struggle through the vegetation,
We wade the streams,
Our path rugged and rocky:
When , I wonder, shall we reach our Ch’eng-tu625 destination?
(Says)
I, this lowly mandarin, am the Dragon-warrior General of the Right, Ch’en Yȕan-li. Because An Lu-shan’s started a rebellion, and taken T’ung Pass by force, our sage emperor’s favouring Shu with a visit to avoid the warfare, and has commanded me to lead palace guards to escort his carriage. We’ve travelled one league, and are now at Ma Wei’s Slope.
(Drums and noise from backstage)
CH’EN YȔAN-LI: Why are our soldiers shouting war-cries?
VOICES BACKSTAGE: It’s all Yang Kuo-chung’s manipulation of power that’s caused our sage emperor to flee. and excited a major rebellion. If that rogue minister isn’t executed, we shall not for the life of us escort the imperial carriage!