Tears from my two eyes mingling as they fall.
EUNUCH-CHAMBERLAIN KAO: I submit Ten-thousand-years-grandfather-my-emperor: the place for us to halt lies just ahead.
(Emperor sighs)
SHINING AUGUST-EMPEROR: Ah me,
(Sings)
I’ve already been slated for one life and more,
Such my grief,
of lying down this night what can be the talk!
(Exeunt together)
(Enter Empress Yang’s spirit, walking along)
EMPRESS YANG’s SPIRIT: (Sings)
One posting-station pavilion after another the ancient road twists and turns,
I just must in the air avail myself of clouds to travel,
Weakly letting the breeze carry me on its back.
(Faces backstage and gazes) (Says)
Ah good, I can see the Great Imperial-carriage afar, just ahead of me.
(Sings)
Isn’t that its feather canopy floating and whisking up,
Its roc-banner rippling,
The imperial Kingfisher Hand-carriage towering up!
I must hurry, and catch it up.
(Moves along in haste)
(Sings)
I pray that my lone spirit may soon be beside the imperial seat,
And then the yellow chiffon-silk of the imperial dragon-robe’s sleeve
I’ll so firmly tug fast.
(Gongs sound backstage, to indicate a wind’s arising)
(Empress Yang’s spirit recoils in alarm) Oh dear, As I was gazing at the imperial gold-bells carriage, and just about to catch up with it, a black wind suddenly came along, and cut off my road to it, so I can’t even see the form of it. It’s so very distressing!
(Sings)
Darkly drizzle-drizzling the mist screens off the curve of the forest,
Far and so heavily the fog blocks the mountains and rivers from sight;
Twinkling waft-wafting I ceaselessly dither to and fro,
Quietly faint-faintly how can I soar and shift?
(Queen of the State of Kuo’s spirit cries out “Oh bitter misery!” backstage)
EMPRESS YANG’S SPIRIT: Look, over in that sorrowful mist and bitter fog there’s a spirit approaching. I’ll just dodge to one side.
(Makes empty-exit)
(Enter Queen of the State of Kuo’s spirit)
QUEEN OF THE STATE OF KUO’S SPIRIT: (Sings)
Gorgeous lascivious flowers drop before the wind,
Prosperity and splendour pass in a dream:
My dashing romantic self of yore who’d recognise!
My white-jade flesh is smashed to bits and my fragrance all but gone as I lie down in the countryside,
Love-making’s “clouds” cast away
and the “rain” severed,
and me fallen
into afterlife’s Layered Springs.
(Enter two demon lictors)
TWO DEMON LICTORS: Hoy, where are you going?
QUEEN OF THE STATE OF KUO’S SPIRIT: I’m the Queen of the State of Kuo.
DEMON LICTOR: (Laughs) Ah, so it’s you! During your life you enjoyed too much luxury, so now come along with us into Wrongly-died City.670
QUEEN OF THE STATE OF KUO’S SPIRIT: (Weeping) Oh dear dear. It’s so distressing!
(Sings)
My resentments and bitter feelings are like mountains in piled heaps,
And may I just ask you how big is that City of Dark Afterlife,671
As I just fear that it’ll not be roomy enough for this one spirit’s sorrows!
(Exeunt demon lictors dragging Queen of the State of Kuo’s spirit, she crying out “Oh, wretched misery!”)
(Enter Empress Yang’s spirit in haste. Looks)
EMPRESS YANG’S SPIRIT: Agh, just now that was my elder sister of the P’ei family, who was also murdered by mutinying soldiers. Oh it so terribly grieves one!
(Sings)
I mind how in those days gone by, by the edge of the sky672
we snatched supremacy in laughter and song,
But today we’re together withered and fallen down in the Ground.
It so terribly pains me that my woe was brought on me by all my life,
And I never thought it would furthermore wretchedly involve my whole family in disaster profound.
(Says)
Agh,
(Sings)
I’ve uselessly ended up, at the very mention,
with my tears deluging:
Where am I to dispel my bitter regrets!
No wonder sorrowful clouds wrap round on all sides, ̶
They’re all puffs from my complaining breath’s thousand cries.
(Gazes)
Over there’s another spectre, with fresh blood all over its body, flying in haste this way. So scary!673
(Sings)
So sad,
I sob that my lone spirit’s all on it own,
has no returning to harmony,
So perturbed,
That I’ve just ended up with so many abandoned-corpse ghosts on my dark road to Hades keeping company.
(Makes empty exit)
(Enter Yang Kuo-chung’s spirit, running)
YANG KUO-CHUNG’S SPIRIT: (Sings)
In my life I met with my violent killing,
And encountered Yama Raja674 after dying.
(Enter ox-headed demon675 grasping steel trident and yaksha676 grasping iron hammer and rope. They bar his way)
(Exit Yang Kuo-chung’s spirit, running)
(Ox-headed demon and yaksha catch up with him again)
OX-HEADED DEMON and YAKSHA: Where are you going, Yang Kuo-chung!
YANG KUO-CHUNG’S SPIRIT: Oh dear, I was the prime minister of the imperial court of our times, and I’ve just now been murdered by mutinous soldiers. What are you doing, coming and barring my way as well?
OX-HEADED DEMON: Traitorous rogue, on Yama Raja King of Hell’s command we’ve come here specially to arrest you. Get a move on!
YANG KUO-CHUNG’S SPIRIT: Where are we going?
OX-HEADED DEMON and YAKSHA: (Sing)
To a teeny-weeny city, Feng-tu,677
To have you on the Sword-trees678 and Knife-mountain679
merry fun go seeking.
(Ox-headed demon drags Yang Kuo-chung’s spirit, and grasping the trident, prods him in the back with it. Yaksha chains Yang Kuo-chung’s spirit. Exeunt)
(Enter Empress Yang’s spirit in haste. Looks)
EMPRESS YANG’S SPIRIT: Oh dear dear, wasn’t that my elder cousin? He was so pitiful!
(Laments)
Oh dear,
(Sings)
It’s already a fifth-watch night’s-end short dream.
And in the blink of an eye
I’ll wake up in Southern Tree-limb Land,680
Having cast aside glory and splendour,
With only a lot of sins and calamities left behind.
(Says)
Oh, when I think of my elder cousin being like that, I feel that I certainly won’t be able to avoid being accused of crimes, will I!
(Sings)
I fear that if my body melts away and my bones melt,
It won’t be atonement enough for my love-obsession of old.
(Says)
Stop a moment: gazing into the faint far distance, I see no path ahead for me to travel along. I’d best go back into to Ma Wei’s posting-station as before.
(Turns and moves off)
(Sings)
I’m going to turn again to the posting-station Slope,
And I’m already timid and affrighted feeling.
Hearing those twilight sparrows in the forests on my way back,
I mistake them for the mutinous soldiers’ again angry bellowing.
(Makes an empty exit)
(Enter local god of the land)
LOCAL GOD-OF-THE-LAND: (Recites)
Down in the ground wrongly-died ghosts are constantly being added, In the mortal world it’s impossible Any Returning-the-spirit Perf
ume681 to find.
(Says)
I, this minor god, am the local god-of-the land of Ma Wei’s Slope. I’m in respectful receipt of a command from the Emperor-ruler of East Sacred-peak,682 who says that Most-prized-empress Yang Jade-bangle was originally an immortal of Erigeron-chenopodium Paradise, and has now died within my god-area. So he’s specially commanded me to protect her fleshly body, and to calm her souls, so as to await his “jade” edict. I must go and find her.
(Moves off)
(Sings)
But she’s served love-joy and diversion in Emerald-and-scarlet Land,683
Amid the cluster of Powdered-and-perfumed Ones684
her debts of wrongs and sins were many,
And in a trice she “lightning shine and flint-fire”685
transient swiftly extinguished became.
I’ll escort her flesh substance to the “nest of the Springs”,686 Hades,
And have her spiritual and nervous souls keep to her nest of a tomb.687
(Makes an empty-exit)
(Enter Empress Yang’s spirit moving along)
EMPRESS YANG’S SPIRIT: (Sings)
I pass through the wintry mist on the slope where plants trail,
After each step, I dawdle a while.
(Looks)
Oh, there are some words written on that tree. Let me have a look at them.
(Reads out aloud)
“Most-prized-empress milady Yang is buried here.”
(Laments)
So they buried me right here in this place! Ah me, Jade-bangle! Jade-bangle!
(Sobs)
(Sings)
They just thought a wilderness pile of cold earth and half a tree,
Would be for the pretty one,
the wafty willowy one,
A good nest to end up in.
(Says)
When I was about to die, I instructed Eunuch-chamberlain Kao to bury my gold hairpins and the gold-strip-flower casket along with me. I wonder if he did bury them?
(Sings)
I fear that my old objects may have been thrown away and dropped into the dust,
That that true love of mine was a mistake in life and death,
so should I consent!?
(Says)
Even if he did duly bury them,
(Sings)
I still fear that this remnant body of mine would be ruined and sloughed,
And couldn’t hug firmly the twin flowers of hearts shared.
(Says)
I must give a call.
(Calls)
Yang Jade-bangle, your spirit is here!
(Sings)
I,
Quietly cry out for her into the wind,
Call her out loud.
(Sobs)
(Sings)
Of course, you’re actually me,
Agh!
Just feigning sleep, like that you to slumber pretend!
(Enter local god-of-the-land. Calls out)
LOCAL GOD-OF-THE-LAND: Hey you over there, the one crying and weeping, are you the spirit of Most-prized-empress Yang Jade-bangle?
EMPRESS YANG’S SPIRIT: Yes, that’s me. What honoured god are you? I beg you forgive my rude impertinence in intruding.
LOCAL GOD-OF-THE-LAND: I’m the local god-of-the-land of Ma Wei’s Slope.
EMPRESS YANG’S SPIRIT: I hope that you, honourable god, will take up my cause.
LOCAL GOD-OF-THE-LAND: Most-prized-empress, listen to what I’m going to tell you.
(Recites)
You originally were an immortal of Erigeron-chenopodium paradise, For some slight misdemeanour were banished
to descend to the Mortal Dust world; Now, even though
the term of your “floating” life has expired, Your old immortals mountain lies cut off beyond its scarlet cloud.
(He unties the white silk strip for her)
(Says)
I’ve received Sacred-peak God’s direction, to release you from your knots of wrong, and spare you from sinking and drowning into perdition.
(Empress Yang’s spirit wishes him “Ten thousand blessings!”)
EMPRESS YANG’S SPIRIT: Thank you so much, honoured god. I just wonder if I and the sublime emperor will one day meet again.
LOCAL GOD-OF-THE-LAND: That’s a matter beyond my knowledge.
(Empress Yang’s spirit laments)
LOCAL GOD-OF-THE-LAND: Most-prized-empress, just stay for the while in Ma Wei’s posting-station as a spirit of Hades. I’ll depart now.
(Exit)
EMPRESS YANG’S SPIRIT: How distressing. I must just go into the Buddha-hall in the posting-station, and just for now roost there.
(She moves off)
(Sings)
I come here again and pass through the courtyard where my life was cut short,
And see at the foot of this tree my tear-marks are still stuck moist:
How can I fly away to Mount Erigeron,
to seek my former causal fate!
(Recites)
My wronged bones are buried in the soil where the vegetation grows lush,688 Turning my head to look at the mortal world, I see it’s still a mechanism of disaster;689 After the “clouds and rain” love-making at Ma Wei’s Slope has been parted and dispersed:690 What year along what road shall we able to return home together!691
Act Twenty-eight: Berating the rebel
(Enter Lei Hai-ch’ing cradling a p’i-p’a-lute in his arms)
LEI HAI-CH’ING: (Recites)
The warrior generals and civil mandarins are all old mandarin colleagues, And that they flipped over and serve the new court one feels bitter; Usually I stay in the Pear orchard Conservatoire. But for this musician’s one life what do they care!
(Says)
I’m Lei Hai-ch’ing. I received the Heaven-treasure reign-period August-emperor’s exalted favour. and was made a Co-opted Court-entertainer692 in the Pear-orchard Conservatoire. Unexpectedly, An Lu-shan rebelled, and conquered Ch’ang-an, and our sublime emperor favoured Hsi-ch’uan, Shu, with a visit. All those military and civil mandarins of the imperial court usually had high office and liberal salaries, their children given official preferment and their wives noble titles. They enjoyed glory and splendour, and received wealth and eminence. None of these things was not an affectionate gift from the emperor! Now though, each and every one of them greeds for life and fears death, turns his back on objective morality and forgets imperial favours, striving to surrender without cease, only trying to devise contentment and happiness of the present moment, and having no concern whatsoever that their name may be cursed for all ages to come. Ah me, that’s certainly shameful, certainly deplorable, isn’t it!
Even though I, Lei Hai-ch’ing, am a court musician, I truly could never perform such shameless tricks. Today, An Lu-shan and that band of rebels of his are having a major feast on the banks of Frozen-azure Pond,693 and he’s sent a message that the Pear-orchard Conservaroire is to assemble there and perform court-music. I must take this opportunity to go right up to that fellow, confront him, and give him a thorough telling-off, to vent my indignation in words. They may smash my bones and body to powder and smithereens, who can say! Let me hold this p’i-p’a-lute in my arms, and go there now.
(Sings)
Even though as a court musician I’m lowly and superfluous,
So dogged and ignorant benighted,
And have never studied books or presented policy-documents to the emperor,
Nor taken or in the imperial civil-service exams succeeded,
Nor loftily in the Mandarin-drake Troupe694
ranks of court mandarins stood.
It’s just that in this blood-innate-nature knight-errant nature of mine,
Within my breast,
I do, though, have a certain amount of conscientiously serving liver-valour and gall-courage for doing deeds of good.
Today, having surveyed death and demise,
Encountered perils and hardships,
And met with the misery of poli
tical upheavals,
I can’t help but grit my teeth in pain,
Swallowing my voice and holding back in my mouth my bitter feelings.
What I hate and detest is that loathsome frowzy sheep-stinky coarse general blocks off the dragon throne with his smell,
That scabby toad overwheeningly wants to eat the flesh of swans,
And has rudely compelled our emperor to relinquish his palace-hall and flee far to the south of the skies.
Do you deem such barbarous conduct tolerable!
Even if it’s impossible to sever bitter feelings of “skin-sleeping695and flesh-eating”696 hatred,
Who’d have thought that gang would be so brainless,
Have such evil feelings,
Be such roguish male-dogs!
It was their wont habitually to stretch their mouths and chat
of conscientious service to their monarchs and compliant love to their parents,
But at the moment of critical peril, they faced the other way,
and coveted wealth and eminence.
Already in unison they were wagging their tails and accepting new mandarin titles,
To a personal enemy of their monarch as their benefactor harbour grateful sentiments.
I,
just ask you: shouldn’t they be in shame hiding their faces!
It’s obvious none of them will venture to be a minister of service conscientious,
So Lei Hai-ch’ing,
If you don’t take the burden on your lone shoulders,
As a hair-on-head teeth-in-mouth human being this me will be invalid, useless
If I can but attain a constancy without a gap,
My whiskers and eyebrows will have no guilt,
And I’ll gladly suffer Nine Deaths.697
(Enter An Lu-shan, leading two soldiers)
AN LU-SHAN: (Sings)
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