by Tang Xianzu
ZHENG LIUNIANG:
She has been acting like this in these two days.
BAO SINIANG:
You know,
Stains of her menses in her crotch show her adolescence.
Liuniang, I’m afraid that the princess has learned to dream.
She may laugh out in her fond dreams.
Liuniang, you know, the youngest daughter of King Fuchai of Wu by the name of Ziyu in ancient times hated her mother for spoiling her fond wishes. Liuniang, consider her health,
I am afraid that her unnamed desire
Would cost her life just as Ziyu died for her lover Han Zhong.
ZHENG LIUNIANG:
You are right in saying so. But where can we find the man to whom we can entrust Xiaoyu?
BAO SINIANG:
You are predestined to have an excellent son-in-law. I don’t know whether you will agree to accept him.
ZHENG LIUNIANG:
How is he compared with Xiaoyu in terms of talent and appearance?
BAO SINIANG:
They are a natural couple like a pair of screens! Now listen to me!
(To the previous tune)
His writings
Are like the shining ink on the white silk;
His books
Are as numerous as pollens for the bees.
ZHENG LIUNIANG:
I’m afraid he is such a bookworm that he lacks romantic traits.
BAO SINIANG:
He is gifted
In revealing his affections through music tunes.
ZHENG LIUNIANG:
How about his family?
BAO SINIANG:
He comes from a family
Of good education and high official status.
ZHENG LIUNIANG:
How many betrothal gifts can he offer?
BAO SINIANG:
If you’d like to accept him,
You will get wagons of Tartar jars and embroidered satin.
ZHENG LIUNIANG (Laughs):
I just asked casually. If he is really so excellent, we need no money except two white jade pendants.
BAO SINIANG:
A pair of jade pendants will soon bring a son.
ZHENG LIUNIANG:
What is his name?
BAO SINIANG:
He is Li Yi, the gentleman who wrote a poem on climbing the mountains on the Man’s Day.
ZHENG LIUNIANG:
Oh, it’s him! He is really the best choice as Prince Huo loves his poems very much. There is just one thing to consider now. My daughter was bestowed his father’s surname Huo, but actually the true surname of the Huos is Li, which is the same as that of the young man. It’s not good that a couple share the same surname.
BAO SINIANG:
Huo is to be used since it is bestowed by Prince Huo. In the past, a couple in the court bearing the same surname brought good prosperity to the posterity.
ZHENG LIUNIANG:
Let me apply to divination first!
BAO SINIANG:
The result is sure to be “marrying your daughter to this man”.
The affable mother’s divination
Predicts a pair of noble phoenixes after marriage.
ZHENG LIUNIANG:
As marriage is a lifelong matter, I must ponder it over.
BAO SINIANG:
As he is a young talent of noble birth, he will find other choices if you don’t agree. You’d better make up your mind in a day or two.
ZHENG LIUNIANG:
When a girl is in her childhood, her mother will make the nuptial decision for her. As she has grown up by now, I must discuss it with her. When we have made the decision, I’ll tell Yingtao to give you a reply.
BAO SINIANG:
The princess will surely agree if you ask her, because she knows Li Yi’s poems and appreciates them very much. When you meet her, just tell her that I’ve brought more of Li Yi’s new poems to her. As she is still asleep, I must be going now.
ZHENG LIUNIANG (Smiles):
As you please!
BAO SINIANG:
I’m leaving now and I’ll be waiting for your reply. You know, the matchmaker has recommended the most graceful man.
(Exit)
ZHENG LIUNIANG:
Yingtao, go and tell the young princess to come here!
(Enter Huo Xiaoyu)
HUO XIAOYU (To the tune of Santailing):
Raindrops fall onto the flowers from the eaves
When evening glows are reflected on the red wall.
After a sweet dream,
I’m awakened by the wind when the setting sun shines on the windows.
Blessings on you, mother! Why do you call me here?
ZHENG LIUNIANG:
Bao Siniang came here just now.
HUO XIAOYU:
Did she come for a casual visit?
ZHENG LIUNIANG:
She came here to set a poem to music.
HUO XIAOYU:
Now that my father is away for immortal seclusion, how can you be in a mood to listen to her?
ZHENG LIUNIANG:
She said that she had Li Yi’s new poems.
HUO XIAOYU:
It’s Li Shilang instead of Li Yi.
ZHENG LIUNIANG:
It’s the same person. How do you get to know him?
HUO XIAOYU:
Bao Siniang came with his poems the other day, and mentioned that he was a remarkable talent. Father is not at home; otherwise I’ll ask him to come. I suppose that he has the bright talent of the ancient scholar Sima Xiangru and a better appearance than the ancient poet Wang Can.
ZHENG LIUNIANG:
You want to see him and he also wants to see you.
HUO XIAOYU:
How can he want to see me?
ZHENG LIUNIANG:
As he wants to marry you, he asks Bao Siniang to be the matchmaker.
HUO XIAOYU:
Don’t let Bao Siniang hoax you! She knows that I like Mr Li’s poems, so she takes the chance to tease you. Besides, as Father has become an immortal, I should become a fairy maid. In ancient times, there were filial maids who refused to marry after their fathers died, so that they could look after their mothers. This is also my set wish!
(To the tune of Xiudai’er)
I sat on the bed, trying to conceal my affection
And feeling shy to be called a wife.
ZHENG LIUNIANG:
My daughter, only fairies are absent from desires for love. Once they come to the human world, they also seek love.
HUO XIAOYU:
I am not the fairy Du Lanxiang who visited the man Zhang Shuo,
And I sneer at the fisherman who seeks the peach blossom.
I am not boasting
That I am determined to retain my chastity.
Why should I dismiss my wish to stay single?
(Sobs)
As mother and daughter keep to each other,
How can I leave you alone?
ZHENG LIUNIANG (To the previous tune):
With the passage of time,
Why should a widow, like the frosty cloud and the solitary moon,
Keep her pretty daughter at her side?
Xiaoyu, even the immortal fairy Magu has human affections.
Luofu, Queen Mother’s young daughter, was married to Xuandu
While the magnolia was reluctant to bear lotus flowers.
As to the immortal fairies,
The Weaver Girl in the sky would arrange her own marriage,
And meet her lover across the Milky Way on the magpie bridge.
So today,
Your braceleted arm should be twined with red gauze
When you are married to a talent of noble origin.
HUO XIAOYU:
How am I to look after you once I get married? I am determined not to be married!
YINGTAO (To the previous tune):
Don’t be in the wrong!
The most adorable miss
Would be eager to be married to an
ideal man.
Madam, as the old saying goes, “How can you have a grandson if you do not get your daughter married?”
HUO XIAOYU (Displeased):
You naughty maid! I won’t get married because I love my mother. It’s none of your business!
YINGTAO:
Young princess, are you caring for your mother?
If you hesitate between the two,
Neither of them will be happy in the end.
HUO XIAOYU:
Nonsense! What on earth do you know?
YINGTAO (Aside):
I won’t be hoaxed!
She has reached the age of sixteen,
An age to break away from her cloistered life.
As she has come of age,
She is firm in speech but vexed at heart.
(Turns round and kneels)
Madam, the young princess is not willing to be married as she cannot tear herself away from you. But it is possible that Li Yi, who is a kind young man, will agree to live with you and look after you together with the princess. Why don’t we ask Bao Siniang to inquire about this?
ZHENG LIUNIANG:
My daughter, what she says sounds reasonable. Yingtao, go and invite Siniang here!
HUO XIAOYU:
Mother, Bao Siniang is sure to speak for Li because they are old acquaintances. I think it impossible for such a talent to remain single till now. So this time he must be looking for a concubine to be taken back to Longxi. As Longxi is ten thousand miles away from here, how can I go to that place? I have an idea. Let’s have Yingtao disguised as an adopted daughter of Bao Siniang and go to Li’s hostel to discuss the marriage! He will surely let out the truth. What do you think of it?
ZHENG LIUNIANG (Smiles):
You are really sophisticated, Xiaoyu! Yingtao, do as the princess tells you and don’t let the cat out of the bag! It is true indeed,
“We shall depend on the Blue Bird messenger
Who is like the nimble-tongued go-between.”
(Exit)
YINGTAO:
Young princess, tell me what I am to do for you, for I am at your service!
HUO XIAOYU:
I’m wondering about two things. Listen to me!
(To the previous tune)
I am afraid
That I shall be a concubine to be despised
And that the man will not stay in the capital.
There is no doubt that he is a young talent, but
Why should the talented scholar
Do without a perfect mate?
Try to make it clear
That he marries for the first time
And will settle down in the capital!
In that case, I will give my consent
To form the wedlock with him as soon as possible.
YINGTAO:
Princess, you said that you wanted to remain single like an immortal fairy, but now you’ll seek a pleasant life!
HUO XIAOYU:
You fool! If I become an immortal, I’ll keep you as my disciple; if I live a pleasant life, I’ll bring you pleasures as well.
(To the tune of Coda)
Try to be flexible when you speak!
Yingtao, you are cleverer than Huansha. I will be expecting you in the bower.
I will be waiting until all the ravens return to their nests.
When you make clear of everything, tell him that I’ll entrust myself to him after he offers the betrothal gifts!
YINGTAO:
Princess, just now you said that you would bring me pleasures as well. May I ask what rewards you would grant me after the matter is settled?
HUO XIAOYU (Laughs):
I would ask Shilang for a cute boy to be your match.
YINGTAO:
Thank you, princess!
People cherish reunion everywhere under the full moon.
In beautiful garment without restraint,
Princess Fufei met her lover in her prime.
Who knows that Nongyu fell in love with Xiao Shi
And played incessant flute tunes at nighttime?
Scene Eleven
Presentation of the Betrothal Gifts
(Enter Li Yi)
LI YI (To the tune of Qingjiangyin):
On the bed-curtain are embroidered red plum-blossoms,
With delicate leaves clustering around a golden halcyon.
In distress and puzzlement I travel alone,
With dreams of spring in the far distance.
After the intoxicating wine,
The ideal princess
Is weighing on my mind.
(In the pattern of Chouyilan)
“With the petals dropping
And the scent permeating in the rain,
Spring appears all the more lovely.
The wincing willows dangle in the wind,
In their full verdancy.
When the moon goes dim at dawn,
Where is the one in my heart?
I tell the oriole not to call out at dawn,
For fear of adding sorrow to my depression.”
Yesterday I went to visit Bao Siniang, who promised to make a proposal for me to Huo Xiaoyu, the daughter of Prince Huo. When I returned, I tossed and turned on the pillows for the spring night. As I did not sleep well or wake up in the right mood, I’ll read Zhaoming’s Literary Selection for a lift up.
(Turns a page)
Alas! How auspicious it is that I happen to come across the character of love in Volume Nineteen, followed by verse-essays of “A Verse-Essay on Gaotang”, “A Verse-Essay on the Goddess”, “A Verse-Essay on Dengtuzi’s Lubricity” and “A Verse-Essay on the Goddess of the Luo River”. Oh! It turns out that talents through the generations are all full of affections!
(To the tune of Zhaoluopao)
In “A Verse-Essay on Gaotang”,
Recalling the bed pleasure in Gaotang with the goddess,
The king had the banners prepared on a propitious day
To pay tribute to all the gods.
The Gaotang area was pathetic and quiet as if the ghosts and the spirits were about to come.
The plaintive music of nature increased the woe
When the rustling of the pine needles faded in the deep valley.
King Huai of the Chu State was looking around when suddenly he saw a goddess on the cloud wait on him in his day nap. It was a pity that this episode was over in the twinkle of an eye. If they could stay together longer, the king would certainly obtain longevity.
Followed by colorful banners and green shades,
The king ascended the mountain at that time;
In the morning rain and in the evening dew,
He met a pretty goddess.
Perusal of the verse-essay soothes my body and soul.
In “A Verse-Essay on the Goddess”,
(To the previous tune)
The poet Song Yu dreamed of a remarkable lady
Like the morning sun above the rafts
That shone over the room.
With the swift passage of time in the human world,
His mind and thought went with the goddess.
Oh, King Xiang of Chu! It was fortunate enough to dream of such a goddess! Why should you call her to your mind after you woke up?
She was still gazing at him,
But her fragrance had vanished;
He still kept in his mind
The sweet words she had mouthed.
A reading of the verse-essay brings tears to my eyes.
In “A Verse-Essay on Dengtuzi’s Lubricity”,
(To the previous tune)
The girl next door
Smiled with a charm
That distracted any man’s mind around Xiacai.
Why should Song Yu speak ill of her?
She was a true beauty at any rate.
Oh Song Yu! With such a pretty neighbor, you were sure to produce writings much more eloquently than anyone else! What’s the use of talking about the beauties in the states of Zheng and Wei
on your way to Handan!
For three years she remained single
And peered at Song Yu over the east wall.
The pretty flower is inclined on him,
But when will the spring breeze brush on her?
A reading of the verse-essay arouses my willow-breaking desire.
In “A Verse-Essay on the Goddess of the Luo River”,
On his sailing along the Luo River,
Cao Zijian presented the goddess with the jade,
While she raised herself and passed on the message.
Her garments looked like the drifting snow in the winds;
Her hair looked like the light clouds sheltering the moon.
Oh, Cao Zijian! What could you do with this affectionate goddess whom you had not proposed earlier but felt the regret at a later date!
As he had not proposed at an earlier date,
He was too late to present the precious pearl;
Now that man and goddess went different ways,
How could he tear himself from the goddess?
A reading of the verse-essay fills me with tears.
In the four verse-essays, the appearance of the goddess on the Luo River has left a thousand years of remorse while the affection on the Yangtze River has passed down for ten thousand years. Although I am not an amorous man, I have some fancies for the goddesses on the river. I may as well quit reading and go to bed as Song Yu did at Gaotang during the daytime and imagine the coming of clouds at the Wu Gorge. Oh, Sister Xiaoyu, are you the goddess at the Jade Terrace in heaven, or the neighbor girl of Song Yu, or the mulberry-picking beauty near the Zhanghua Terrace, or the goddess on the Luo River? Why hasn’t Bao Siniang brought any message and given me the reply?
(Falls asleep)
(Enter Yingtao)
YIGNTAO (To the tune of Tianxiale):
My embroidered shoes step in the fragrant breeze,
While the garnet skirt offsets my slim waist.
Under disguise I’ll make inquiry about the marriage proposal,
To see how deep his love is.
I am Yingtao from the residence of Prince Huo, serving the young Princess Xiaoyu. At Madam’s behest, I come under the disguise of Bao Siniang’s daughter to visit Li Yi. I am supposed to inquire whether he has married before and whether he is willing to stay in the capital. I will also try to find out his intelligence and appearance. Here I am at his hostel. Let me make a cough!
LI YI (Wakes up with a startle):
Alas! The moment I fell asleep, I saw a beauty with remarkable looks. She smiled and knitted her brows, appearing and disappearing before me. I looked up and down at her and approached her to make inquiries. We were about to exchange words when wind and rain woke me up from my fond dream as experienced by the King of the Chu State. Indeed,
