I’ve occupied by force the mountains and rivers of China, and taken the dynastic title of Great Yen,
And my robe’s dyed crimson,698
And I wear on my head an imperial Heaven-charging Crown.699
In crisp autumn with frozen sapphire sky,
My little Pear Orchard orchestra
Is lined up to sing and dance at my “feast chalcedon”.
(Says)
I’m the monarch An Lu-shan. Ever since I started military operations at Yü-yang, wherever I’ve turned I’ve found no enemy to match me. I made a rapid long push-in westwards, and came right here to Ch’ang-an. The T’ang dynasty emperor departed and escaped into Shu, and his brocade and broidered rivers-and-mountains came under my control.
(Laughs)
A merry thing indeed! Today I’ve assembled all my court mandarins for a Grand-peace Feast on the banks of Frozen-azure Pond, for some airy entertainment a while.
(Says)
Eunuch-attendants, have all my mandarins arrived and assembled in order?
EUNUCH ATTENDANTS: Yes, they’re all awaiting you in the outer palace-hall.
AN LU-SHAN: Call them here.
SOLDIERS: As you command! (They call out the order) Our monarch bids all his court-mandarins enter for audience with him.
(Enter four puppet mandarins)
PUPPET MANDARINS: (Recite)
A new Son of Heaven today, And we the same chief ministers of the old days; Alike we’re cognisant of and adapters to the times, We’re no ingrates.
(They meet with An Lu-shan) We come for audience with you in your court, and wish you, our ruler, ten thousand, nay ten thousand times ten thousand years of long life!
AN LU-SHAN: Arise, my ministers all. Today I’m taking leave for a little while from administrative matters, and have specially laid out a feast on the banks of Frozen-azure Pond, to join with you, my lords, in rejoicing at this time of Grand Peace.
PUPPET MANDARINS: Ten thousand years of long life to you!
SOLDIER: The feast’s ready. Please, our monarch, ascend to the banquet.
(Court music played backstage. The four puppet mandarins kneel, and serve An Lu-shan with wine)
AN LU-SHAN: (Sings)
A dragon sports beside the azure pond,
Just as five-coloured clouds open,
And the autumn air’s crisp and limpid.
Wandering airily in imperial Scarlet Palace-hall,
I pause a while my horse-whip jade-ornamented.
I hold a feast,
And crimson-robed700 court-waiters rush around slicing fine with “roc”-knives,
Brocade sleeves pushed up,
Presenting me full rhino-horn trays.
(Four puppet mandarins proffer him wine, and make repeated obeisances to him.
PUPPET MANDARINS: (Sing)
Down by Jasper Mere pond,
We “black-bear and grizzly-bear” fierce generals and civil-minister “mandarin-drakes and egrets”,
Make obeisance and serve wine like copious fast-flowing source-springs.
AN LU-SHAN: My eunuch attendants, transmit my command calling the Young Gentlemen of the Pear Orchard Conservatoire to perform court-music.
SOLDIERS: As you command! (They turn to face backstage) Our monarch has a command, that you should tell the Young Gentlemen of the Pear-orchard Conservatoire to perform some court-music.
(Response of assent from backstage, and court-music’s performed)
(Soldiers serve An Lu-shan with wine)
TOGETHER: (Sing)
At this feast,
All the court-musicians
Heaven-equalling music performing,
Of the Rainbow-skirt of the old days,
They once more go right through the singing.
Half of it enters the clouds, soars high,
And half of it blows down before the wind, does low resound.
Rarely seen,701
Except in Cave-paradise Palace Pure-void,
Only in Eaglewood Pavilion courtyard.
Today an immortal Taoist melody,
Doesn’t count as one of the years of Great T’ang period.
AN LU-SHAN: A good performance!
PUPPET MANDARINS: We’re minded that the Heaven-treasure August-emperor expended so much thought and effort teaching this melody. Today, though, it’s been bequeathed for you our monarch to enjoy, which is truly a blessing on a par with Heaven!
AN LU-SHAN: (Laughs) You speak rightly, my lords! Bring me some more wine.
(Soldier serves him with wine)
(Lei Hai-ch’ing sobs backstage)
LEI HAI-CH’ING: (Sings)
Kettle-drums and ku-drums of war of Yu-chou bawled,
A thousand households were covered in fleabane and daisy weeds,702
And over all the wild countryside was the smoke of beacons.
Leaves fell in the empty imperial palace,
Sudden astonished, the shocking political upheaval’s strings and songs.
Truly it was a case of Heaven and Earth flipped over and tumbled,
Truly it was a case of man’s sorrowings and ghosts’ bewailings.
(Weeps loudly) Oh, my Heaven-treasure sublime emperor,
(Sings)
Up in Gold Chariot-bells Palace-hall all the many court-mandarins make obeisance and dance,
When will they again pay homage at court to “Heaven”, the true emperor, perchance?
AN LU-SHAN: Hey, who’s that weeping and wailing? Most odd!
SOLDIER: It’s the court musician Lei Hai-ch’ing.
AN LU-SHAN: Seize him and bring him up here.
(Soldiers seize Lei Hai-ch’ing and he meets An Lu-shan)
AN LU-SHAN: Lei Hai-ch’ing, here’s me drinking at my Grand-peace Feast, yet you arrogate to yourself the right to weep and wail. That’s most detestable!
LEI HAI-CH’ING: (Berating him) Huh, An Lu-shan, you were originally a battle-losing frontier general, and should have had your head cut off for that crime. You had the good fortune that the emperor, in his sage kindness, didn’t execute you, but appointed you a commander, and gave you the title of prince. You didn’t yearn to gratefully requite the imperial court by your efforts, but instead declared war and rebelled, dirtying and filthying the divine capital, and compelling our sage emperor to relocate himself. Such crime and evil have reached their limit, and any day now the emperor’s celestial forces will arrive here and put you to death. What mention then will there be of your Grand-peace Feast!
AN LU-SHAN: (In great rage) Huh, so that’s what you’re up to! I’ve come into the imperial palace and ascended the mighty throne, and none of my subjects fails to obey me. How, I wonder, do you, this court musician, dare be so discourteous! Soldiers, see to your swords, and await my command.
(Soldiers utter their assent, and draw their swords)
LEI HAI-CH’ING: (Pointing and ranting at An Lu-shan) (Sings)
I blame you as too lacking in gratitude,
A wild-beast heart borrowing a human face,
And my hair shoots up my hat in anger.
Even though I’m an insignificant lowly entertainer,
I’m not as timid and reticent as your court minister.
(Says)
An Lu-shan,
(Sings)
You stole the Divine Vessel, the imperial throne,
And against sublime Heaven above rebelled:
You’re doomed very shortly to have your corpse sprawled out and your blood splashed.703
(He throws his p’i-p’a lute at An Lu-shan)
(Sings)
I throw my lute,
To smash your head with it and see the Open-origin emperor avenged.
(Soldiers snatch lute)
AN LU-SHAN: Quickly march this fellow out and chop off his head.
(Soldiers assent, seize Lei Hai-ch’ing, and chop off his head. Exeunt)
AN LU-SHAN. Most annoying! Most annoying!
FOUR PUPPET MANDARINS: Calm your wrath, our monarc
h. An ignorant court-musician’s just not worth taking any notice of, is he!
AN LU-SHAN: I feel out of sorts. Withdraw, my lords. will you.
FOUR PUPPET MANDARINS: As you command! We’ll respectfully see you back to the palace, our monarch.
(They kneel and serve him wine)
AN LU-SHAN: (Recites)
When you meet a bosom friend, a thousand cups of wine aren’t enough; Half a sentence is too much when your talk doesn’t hit it off.704
(Exit in a rage)
FOUR PUPPET MANDARINS: (Standing up) Good, he’s been executed! Good, he’s been executed! One lone court musician, and he thought he could start being a conscientiously serving minister! Did he mean to imply that we who’ve been eating at this Grand-peace Feast are terribly in the wrong, though!
(Sing)
We’re all just pretty faces flowery,
What’s a conscientiously serving minister worth?
Not a penny!
(They laugh)
Lei Hai-ch’ing! Lei Hai-ch’ing!
(Sing)
All said and done, you never wore mandarin’s raven gauze-silk hat, and your point of view’s shallow and petty!
(Recite)
The flowing blood of the Three Ch’ins705 has already formed a river,706 It was only chance happening that a “captive”-barbarian a king became;707 Who is there in the world sympathises with the stickler for integrity!708 One must just keep making merry, and not talk of any turn-back game.709
Act Twenty-nine: Hearing little bells
EUNUCH-CHAMBERLAIN-KAO: (Calls out backstage)
Soldiers, gallop on, and wait ahead.
(Sound of gongs backstage and soldiers’ assenting)
EUNUCH-CHAMBERLAIN-KAO: Ten-thousand-years-grandfather-our-emperor, please mount your horse.
(Enter emperor on horseback, and Eunuch-chamberlain Kao walking with him)
SHINING AUGUST-EMPEROR: (Sings)
I travel ten thousand miles on my “tour of inspection”,
So many feelings along the sad chill road.
When I see cloudy mountains pile on pile,
They seem to resemble my disordered sorrows as one intermingled.
Boundless leaf-lorn trees resound with sounds of autumn,
In the tall sky a lone wild-geese sob-chokes ever more sad.
(Says)
Since I left Ma Wei’s Slope, I’ve tasted my fill of bitter hardship. The other day I sent an envoy to respectfully convey my imperial seal and documents, passing my throne onto my crown prince. We’ve been travelling for a month, and are about to approach Shu. Let’s rejoice that the rebel forces are being left steadily further away. so we may advance at a leisurely pace along our road. It’s just that, facing this birds’ calling and flowers’ falling, the streams’ dark-green and the mountains’ light-green, all without exception augment my sad feelings. What on Earth can I do to improve things!
EUNUCH-CHAMBERLAIN KAO: Ten-thousand-years-grandfather-our-emperor, our route’s frost-blown, utterly toilsome and wearying. Please console yourself, and don’t take things so far as to be excessively grieved.
SHINING AUGUST-EMPEROR: Ah me, Eunuch-chamberlain Kao, me and my Most-prized-empress, when we sat, we put our small tables side by side, and when we walked, went shoulder to shoulder. Today, as I in haste and confusion tour west, having abandoned her to such an ending, how am I to cast her off!
(Sheds tears)
(Sings)
At the mention of my grievous matters,
My tears are as if pouring.
I gaze back at the foot of Ma Wei’s Slope,
And find bitter regrets my breast filling.
EUNUCH-CHAMBERLAIN KAO: Ahead lies the strutted wooden gallery.710 Please, Ten-thousand-years-grandfather-my-emperor, pull back your silken reins securely, and advance very slowly.
SHINING AUGUST-EMPEROR: (Sings)
My flags and banners sinuously flutter,
And, with my back to the sun,
The wind makes my shadow shudder.
With my single horse on the twisting turning mountain way,
how can I even for a little while delay!
I just see murky clouds dark and pale,
and the sky hazy and sombre,
Wailing gibbons breaking one’s heart,
Cuckoos weeping blood,
To listen to them makes one most afraid.
Oh but it’s terribly miserable, alack allay,
Oh but it’s alack allay terribly wretched.
Desolation arises so,
Few people pass at the foot of Mount E-mei,
Cold rain pouncing into one’s face, and slanting wind.
EUNUCH-CHAMBERLAIN KAO: Please, Ten-thousand-years-grandfather-my-emperor, go up into Sword Kiosk for a while to get out of the rain.
(Emperor dismounts, goes up into Sword Kiosk, and sits down)
EUNUCH-CHAMBERLAIN KAO: (Turning to face backstage) Soldiers, temporarily encamp here. We’ll continue on our way when the rain stops.
(Calls of assent in response from backstage)
SHINING AUGUST-EMPEROR: (Recites)
Alone I ascend on high and look into the distance, my thoughts more and more grieved, I deplore the Shu mountains’ and streams’ faintness far-removed; Wind blows rain from somewhere or other, Strewing, bouncing heartbreak every drop, every sound.
(Small bells ring backstage) (Says)
Listen over there, there are ceaseless sounds ringing out, dinning my ears most unbearably. Eunuch-chamberlain Kao, can you make out what it is?
EUNUCH-CHAMBERLAIN KAO: It’s the sound of rain in the forest, in harmony with the little hand bells and wooden-clappered bells of the eaves ringing out with the wind.
RESPLENDENT EMPEROR: Agh! The sound of those hand-bells really doesn’t make things easy for one!
(Sings)
Hiss hiss tinkle tinkle,
On whole stretch of forlornness,
subtly alarming my heart.
Afar I hear across mountains and across trees,
Wind and rain joined in battle,
Resounding loud and singing soft.
Drip drop, sound on sound,
will-o’-the-wisps’ shine is wintry,
And amid the vegetation
the dampness throws the fireflies awry.
I just feel remorse that in my panic and confusion
I let you down, my lady,
let you down, my lady!
Alone in this mortal world,
I don’t wish to remain alive, truly.
I tell you my pretty one,
Sooner or later in the Shades I’ll keep you company.
As soon as I’m by loneliness overwhelmed,
It’s by handbells echoed.711
The gallery-road rears high in the mountains,
Like my winding guts’ regrets can’t be quashed.
EUNUCH-CHAMBERLAIN KAO: Ten-thousand-years-grandfather-my-emperor, you mustn’t be upset, now. The rain’s stopped so please come down from the Kiosk, will you.
(Emperor descends from the Kiosk, and mounts his horse.
EUNUCH-CHAMBERLAIN KAO: (Turning to face backstage) Soldiers, the imperial carriage will set off ahead.
(All backstage respond with assent)
(Eunuch-chamberlain Kao sets off with emperor)
SHINING AUGUST-EMPEROR: (Sings)
On the far far road ahead,
impossible to void are my sorrows,
Trying to Summon her soul, leaving my capital,
both tug at my feelings.
TOGETHER: (Sing)
The thousand dots of green of the mountains after the rain
are endless in our gazing.
SHINING AUGUST-EMPEROR: (Recites)
The joined mountains of Sword Kiosk are a thousand miles of scenery,712 It’s doubly grievous as the separated person here arrives;713 Vainly my Emerald Hand carriage is set toiling, charging against the mud and rail714 For every turn of Rain-showered hand-bells, several lines of tears.715
>
Act Thirty: Love-remorse
(Enter Local Land-god of Ma Wei’s Slope.)
LOCAL LAND-GOD: (Sings)
At the foot of Ma Wei’s Slope it’s so very deserted and chill,
Even venerable milord Local Land-god, depressed he feels.
Tumbled down are his temple-walls,
No one sacrifices Blessings Offerings to the god nor the Three Sacrificial Animals!716
(Says)
I’m the Local Land-god of Ma Wei’s Slope. I always had an abundance of incense burnt to me, but just because of An Lu-shan’s rebellion, and with all the people of this area fled and dispersed, it left my temple deserted and forlorn, and put an end to the incense-smoke there. Nowadays there are so very many wild-country demons around, and I’m afraid they may emerge and cause trouble, so I think I’ll patrol all around and take a look. Truly it’s a case of:
(Recites)
Just because this god’s fortune has collapsed, I ever fear the demons will run wild.
(Makes empty-exit)
(Enter Empress Yang’s spirit)
EMPRESS YANG’S SPIRIT: (Sings)
Wrongs done me are fold on fold,
My bitter regret is layer on layer:
Down in the Springs,
when shall I awake from long sleeping?
My spirit broken,
in the grey mist and wintry moonlight,
I go with the wind’s soughing,
the empty courtyard crossing.
(Recites)
One Rainbow-skirt melody chases the dawn breeze, The world’s most fragrant, the land’s most beautiful of looks, but all the same I came to naught; How piteous that only the heart cannot die, Pent with feeling and forever retaining boundless regret.
(Says)
I’m the spirit of Yang Jade-bangle. After I suffered my plight at Ma Wei’s Slope, I gratefully received a command sent to me from the god Sacred-peak Emperor, by which I was able to “roost my spiritual souls” in this posting-station house, avoiding falling down into the Shades.
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