(Sings)
Not to mention her dainty-pretty pouts and her alluring smiles,
And her romantic verve, that I’ll have by me no more,
Even her rosy countenance and slightest shows of petulance,
Her tearful eyes too languorous to raise,
That even with a thousand gold-guineas could be bought just nowhere!
Even if there were another beautiful lady,
With the same figure and air,
How could she be so congenial in love and so mentally attuned,
Exactly delighting one’s heart.
(Says)
I’m struck numb as my musings reach this point.
You know, since my Most-prized-empress passed away, even though I’m physically alive, it’s as if I were dead, and if I were dead, it would be better, meeting her again than this living alone.
(Sings)
Lone and isolated, I’m ashamed of my body and dried bones,
I ought also to die, in what little of my life remains.
I just pray I may speedily quit the mortal dust,
Soon beget myself to Springs Terrace,
And Down in the Ground with you grow as
Mingled-branch Love-trees.
(Says)
I remember how that year on Seventh Night, you and I, my Most-prized-empress, together prayed to Oxherd and Weaving-damsel, and completed out secret vows with one another. Little did we know that this night in the moonlight I’d be left on my own here, a single person!
(Sings)
In Lasting-life Palace-hall,
I once came down the steps,
Whispering, my cheek against your fragrant cheek laid.
The love between us two was in concord,
And we prayed we might in loving affection life after life be bound.
Who’d have thought that, that night the Two Stars shone together,
But this night the solitary moon comes again!
Time shifts and circumstances change, human affairs switch round.
(Says)
Moon, moon, I think that when we made our secret vows, you too were there together with us, and heard and saw!
(Sings)
I remember the Magpie Bridge over the Milky Way,
And your Constant-charmeuse was also present,
So how could we deny one another!
You surely must egg on Oxherd and Weaving-damsel,
Our casket and hairpins to make whole, to bring together.
(Enter eunuch attendants)
EUNUCH ATTENDANTS: The night’s deep now, so we beseech you Ten-thousand-years-grandfather-our-emperor to go into the palace, and take repose.
SUBLIME AUGUST-EMPEROR: (Recites)
The Silver River Milky Way ripple-ripples, and the moon shim-shimmers,909 Ten thousand carriages forlorn and bleakly along the Shu road come home returning;910 Her perfume has dispersed
and her gorgeousness been dispelled, like all one dream,911Her wandering spirit steadily flies after the cuckoo chasing.912
Act Forty-two: Posting-station preparations
(Enter Posting-station Sheriff)
POSTING-STATION SHERIFF: (Sings)
I’m not much cop as posting-station sheriff,
I miss out providing service duties,
and they often beat me;
This morning the imperial carriage has arrived,
and that’s no joke,
If I’m slow with any tasks,
they’ll arrest and execute me.
(Says)
I’m the sheriff of Ma Wei’s Slope posting-station. From when I was young, I’ve served in local-government administrative offices. I took an exam and became a Sub-official Functionaries’ Column-leader,913 and was selected for the Grand Posting-station of Ma Wei’s Slope. Even though the land routes are bustling and crowded, to my pleasure the funding’s plentiful. From the bribes my subordinates give my superiors, I knock off discounts. When expense accounts are made out, I embezzle a few horses. To my daily upkeep regular salary, I further monthly knock off a portion from the provender for the administrative-office artisans.914
What I fear’s the court-clerks and court-office attendants, and the ones I terrorise are the transported convicts and the posting-station lictors, who seek to bribe evasions from public service, and who go by fixed rules of payment by distance travelled. I check their monthly money, and squeeze them with menaces in every way. When it comes to dealing with vacancies in the posting-station, I always harry them till they shit bricks.
Now there’s a major bit of business arriving. The Grand Sublime August-emperor’s coming, planning to stay here. I’ve hurriedly called all kinds of craftsmen, to tidy up all the surrounds of this posting-station building. And I’m also, because Most-prized-empress Yang’s being reburied, re-erecting a tomb. But, fearing that the male local artisans might peek at her jade-fair body, I’m going to select another lot, of four hundred female artisans.
It’s reported that milord Eunuch-chamberlain Kao’s already arrived, and is trying to hurry up the project, as one of urgency. If I delay matters even a bit,
(Flicks his gauze-silk hat)
I fear this head will become one foot shorter.
(Enter posting-station lictor. They meet)
POSTING-STATION LICTOR: Venerable dad, I’ve now hastened the various artisans together. Set your mind at rest. No need to be forlorn or worry.
POSTING-STATION SHERIFF: Are they also female artisans?
POSTING-STATION LICTOR: Yes, I now have four hundred female artisans, who are now all gathered together at the posting-station gates.
POSTING-STATION SHERIFF: Quickly call them in here.
POSTING-STATION LICTOR: (Calling) Female artisans, get a move on!
(Enter three village women Chou Second-mum, Third-nanny Wu and Chou Fat-aunty, and a man, “Big Elder-sister Yu”, with whiskers and in woman’s garb, each holding a spade and mattock)
ALL: (Recite)
We’re originally women of the village manor, Come to serve as burier and builder.
(They meet) (Say)
We female artisans kow-tow to you!
POSTING-STATION LICTOR: Stand up, and answer to your roll-call.
POSTING-STATION SHERIFF: (Reads out roll-call) Chou Second-mum!
(Chou Second-mum responds)
POSTING-STATION SHERIFF: Nanny Wu!
(Nanny Wu responds)
POSTING-STATION SHERIFF: Fat-aunty Cheng!
(Fat-aunty Cheng responds)
POSTING-STATION SHERIFF: Big Elder-sister Yu!
(“Big Elder-sister Yu” covers his mouth, and responds in a delicate voice)
(Posting-station sheriff looks closely at “Big Elder-sister Yu”)
POSTING-STATION SHERIFF: Hey, why’s this female artisan covering up her mouth as she responds? There’s something odd about it, for sure. posting-station lictor, take a look for me.
(Posting-station lictor responds with assent, tugs Elder-sister Yu’s hands apart, and looks)
POSTING-STATION LICTOR: Venerable dad, it’s a beardy.
POSTING-STATION SHERIFF: Is it a male or female?
ELDER-SISTER YU: I’m a female.
POSTING-STATION SHERIFF: How can a woman have a beard growing up around her lips! I don’t believe you. Posting-station lictor, examine again, and have a search around inside the trousers.
(Posting-station lictor responds with assent, and searches Big Elder-sister Yu. They joke)
POSTING-STATION LICTOR: Venerable dad, this beardy’s pretending to be a female artisan.
POSTING-STATION SHERIFF: Oh dear, that’s terrible! These are imperial craftsmen in the employ of the emperor, and that’s no trivial matter. Thank goodness I’ve been circumspect. If I’d let the Sublime August-emperor see this, I’d have been as good as sacrificing this head of mine for your beardy mouth! You deserve a beating! You deserve a beating!
BIG ELDER-SISTER YU: It was just because you here were hurrying us up so urgently, venerable d
ad, and my village managed to scrape together three hundred and ninety-nine female artisans, simply just one short, so I provisionally made up the number. Tomorrow you can change me for someone else, and that’ll be that.
POSTING-STATION SHERIFF: That’s it! Quickly beat him out of here.
(Posting-station lictor responds with assent, and beats “Big Elder-sister Yu”. Exeunt)
(Posting-station Sheriff looks at the crowd of women, who laugh)
POSTING-STATION SHERIFF: Now I’m starting to feel suspicious, and I’m just afraid even you aren’t women.
ALL: (Laughing) We’re all women.
POSTING-STATION SHERIFF: That’s what you say, but there’s no proof of it. I’m just going to have a grope around all of you with my fingers. Only then will I believe you.
(He lifts up a skirt and feels. All dodge away, and flee, laughing)
CHOU SECOND-MUM: (Recites)
I laugh at you, venerable dad, for having such long fingers,
CHENG FAT-AUNTY: (Recites)
All you’ve found by groping is just brushes with bristly mane!
POSTING-STATION SHERIFF: (Recites)
I’ve got all my hand covered with white kipper scent;
NANNY WU. (recites)
Take it into your house as a snack to go with your wine.
(They josh)
(Enter Mummy Wang from one side of the stage)
MUMMY WANG: (Recites)
I’m going to present the Son of Heaven With the stocking of brocade, And serve as female worker, for a bit grasping mattock and spade.
(Says)
I’m Mummy Wang. Since I picked up Empress Yang’s brocade stocking, passing customers have vied in asking to have a look at it, and I’ve earned a lots of coins and paper currency. At present, having heard that our venerable Ten-thousand-years-grandfather-the-emperor’s coming back, for one thing I’ve in my keeping a forbidden article, and am afraid I’ll meet some disaster for that, but secondly, if I present this brocade stocking to the emperor, I just may perhaps get a rich reward for it, you never know!
Right now by happy coincidence, they’re recruiting female artisans in the posting-station, so I’m going to nip in as one of them. After the burial, I’ll be well placed to present the stocking to Sublime August-emperor. Ah, here I am in front of the posting-station now.
(Enter Posting-station lictor)
POSTING-STATION LICTOR: You, elderly woman, where have you come from?
MUMMY WANG: I’ve come to serve as a female artisan.
POSTING-STATION LICTOR: Stop there.
(Goes in)
Venerable dad, there’s an old woman outside who’s come to serve as a female artisan.
POSTING-STATION SHERIFF: Call her in.
(Posting-station lictor goes out, and calls Mummy Wang in. She meets Posting-station Sheriff)
POSTING-STATION SHERIFF: You’re the one who’s come here to serve as a female artisan, are you?
MUMMY WANG: Yes, that’s me.
POSTING-STATION SHERIFF: You look a bit too old. I’m afraid you won’t be up to doing the work. But it’s just that at present I’m one worker short, and as the matter’s urgent, and I lack the extra person, I think I’ll take you on. What’s your name?
MUMMY WANG: I’m called Mummy Wang.
POSTING-STATION SHERIFF: Good, good! That makes it exactly right: Four women, Chou, Wu, Cheng and Wang. You four will be the forewomen, each of you in charge of ninety-nine female artisans. You’ll live in the posting-station, and train for your duties, while waiting for the emperor to arrive.
ALL: Yes sir!
(They meet each other, and joke)
POSTING-STATION SHERIFF: Each of you take your spade and your mattock, while I in person give you a drilling.
(All respond with assent, each taking a spade and mattock, and Posting-station sheriff adopts the postures of teaching and rehearsing them. They all imitate him)
POSTING-STATION SHERIFF: (Sings)
Take spade and mattock in your hands,
And you must dig according to prescribed method.
Don’t let them trespass upon the jade-fair body,
With minute care shift the ochre sand.
TOGETHER: (Sing)
We all must train till we’re expert and smooth,
And here serving our honoured emperor’s commands.
Absolutely mustn’t have any disputes or rifts.
FOUR WOMEN: Venerable dad, we,
(Sing)
From our farm cottages,
we pursue the vocation of “mulberry and hemp”, crop-cultivation,
And to see dealing with mud and sand are wont;
With care we’ll together apply our efforts,
And would never think of exhaustion to make complaint.
TOGETHER: (Sing)
We all must practice till we’re expert and smooth,
And here serving our honoured emperor’s commands.
Absolutely mustn’t have any disputes or rifts.
POSTING-STATION SHERIFF: Let all of you go inside, and practice through the night.
(All respond with assent)
ALL: (Recite)
Her jade-fair countenance is hopelessly covered with Ma Wei’s Slope’s dust,915 Although their “cloud and rain” love-making’s over, the “moon and sun” empress and emperor will be renewed once more:916 At dawn on the Central Plain we’ll present the sacrificial rites,917 And together gaze ahead for the emperor’s gold-bells carriage to come again on his inspection tour.918
Act Forty-three: Reburial
(Enter Sublime August-emperor, leading two eunuch attendants)
SUBLIME AUGUST-EMPEROR: (Sings)
As I grieve,
Heaven whirls, sun revolves,919
and my dragon carriage back I turn.
My dragon carriage back I turn,
Reaching this place, I hesitate,
Unable home to return.
(Says)
Since I turned back my gold-bells carriage from Shu, I’ve been grieving that my Most-prized-empress Yang in the sudden panic of it all gave up her life, and I’ve never succeeded in burying her with the proper rites. To that end, I’ve sent out the command for a new pearl chemise and jade casket to be made ready, and for a new tomb to be constructed, to await my personal arrival, when she will be transferred to it. That’s why I’m halting, and stationing myself in Ma Wei’s Slope posting-station.
(Sheds tears)
Facing this pear-tree of the Buddha-hall, it makes one so forlorn and miserable!
(Sings)
My regrets roll on endlessly, but the rivers and mountains are as of old,
Pained raw-rawly,
her wandering spirit is smirched with blood.
Cold bleak bleak is the Buddha-hall’s half a room,
Dark-green so shady is the pear-blossom tree.
I futilely sigh to myself,
Fearing the person on Night Terrace is suffering than me even more.
There’s certainly no “jade waist-ornaments and jade rings in the bright moonlight returning home to her vermilion doors”,
And don’t imagine any “in the spring breeze her countenance the painted picture recognises.”!920
(Enter Eunuch-chamberlain Kao unobtrusively)
(They meet)
EUNUCH-CHAMBERLAIN KAO: I respectfully received your command, and the building of Her Majesty Empress Yang’s new tomb is now complete. I humbly request, Ten-thousand-years-grandfather-my-emperor, that you in person supervise the opening up of her grave.
SHINING AUGUST-EMPEROR: Convey my command for the commencement of my journey there.
EUNUCH-CHAMBERLAIN KAO: As you command!
(He conveys the command)
Soldiers, form a procession for the imperial carriage!
(Enter soldiers, leading cortege)
SOLDIERS: (Recite)
In the mud and soil at Ma Wei’s Slope foot, There’s no sight of where the Jade-fair Looks died for naught.
(They arrive)
EUNUCH-CHAMBERLAIN KAO: I submit to you, Ten-thousand-years-grandfather-my-emperor: The foot of this white-poplar tree is the place where Empress Yang was buried.
SUBLIME AUGUST-EMPEROR: Look, the rampant vegetation in the depths of spring, the keening wind and the thin sunshine. My Most-prized-empress, my Most-prized-empress Yang, oh it grieves me so terribly.
(He weeps)
(Sings)
I wail and cry,
“Are you there, spirit?” again and again calling,
Sobbing, crying,
Weeping, so lamenting,
my tears steadily dry running.
(Enter the four female artisans Mummy Wang, Cheng Fat-aunty, Nanny Wu and Chou Second-mum carrying their mattocks)
MUMMY WANG: Our venerable Ten-thousand-years-grandfather-the-emperor’s come. Let’s get a move on, and go over to him, and wait for the opening of the grave.
EUNUCH-CHAMBERLAIN KAO: You’re all the women artisans, are you?
(All women respond with assent)
EUNUCH-CHAMBERLAIN KAO: (Informing the emperor) The female artisans have all arrived, and are assembled.
SUBLIME AUGUST-EMPEROR: Convey my command that the soldiers are to withdraw. Eunuch-chamberlain Kao, you go and supervise the female workers, and have them dig open the grave with care.
(Eunuch-chamberlain Kao responds with assent, and conveys the command)
(Exeunt soldiers)
(All women dig)
ALL WOMEN: (Sing)
On the high ridge, of one accord we dig down with spade and mattock,
Recognising it from the past
By one white-poplar tree.
We fear that “her perfume flesh has melted away and her emerald youth is cold”, as she keeps the ants921 company,
Her powdered flesh is withered,
And to gaze upon her jade-fair facial looks will be an impossibility.
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