And, that you were embroiled by injustice and misery
Was all my crime and fault.
Nowadays, my heart’s full of shame,
And the entirety of my myriad love-yearnings for you
I can’t confide or fully enunciate.
EMPRESS YANG’S SPIRIT: Your Majesty, what are you saying!
(Sings)
It was that my sin was profound, and my fate lame,
And I met with Mara-barrier,1105
Enmeshing you so that you were almost not spared.
The white jade of the pear-blossoms plummeted,
And my severed spirit went with the cuckoo, sadly departed.
Just because our previous love-pledge wasn’t completed,
I fiercely recalled our destroyed love-destiny,
And just, infatuated, firmly hugged-to our old pledges.
I’m grateful that you my monarch didn’t abandon me,
But recalled me ardently and yearned for me alone,
And sought me everywhere in the Yellow Springs and the azure heavens.
SUBLIME AUGUST-EMPEROR: I turned back my imperial carriage to Ma Wei’s Slope, to rebury you, my Most-prized-empress Yang. But to my surprise there was no sign whatsoever of your white-jade-fair bones, only your one perfume-sachet remaining there. After that, I yearned for you, day and night, and made a point of ordering the Taoist priest to search everywhere for your fragrant spirit.
(Sings)
No sooner had he reached your immortals’ mountain and found and met you,
Then he conveyed my innermost feelings to you, my dear lady.
(He brings out the hairpins and casket)
(Sings)
You divided off one of the hairpins and one leaf of the casket,
And further mentioned the words of our Love-luck-begging pledges.
(Empress Yang’s spirit brings out hairpins and casket)
EMPRESS YANG’S SPIRIT: I’ve also brought my hairpins and casket with me here.
TOGETHER: (Sing)
We now join up again the gold-strip-flower casket,
And once more pair the flying-as-a-couple end-of-hairpins swallows.
We unrestrainedly reflect, overwhelmed by private thoughts,
As we look at each other once more, we can’t stem our rippling tears.
EMPRESS YANG’S SPIRIT: I’m grateful that Heaven’s Granddaughter Weaving-damsel considered and sympathised with me, promising to cause our “broken string” to be re-joined. That we meet again this night, is truly not by chance.
(Sings)
Our immortals’ affection,
Of Paired-wing Birds and Mingled-branches Love-trees,
That we be united as before conduces.
Heaven remedies our separation’s rue,
The ocean’s filled with our repining sorrows.
TOGETHER: (Sing)
We thank blue-blue Heaven for it’s taking pity on us,
And renewing and re-establishing our strewn love gut-feelings.
A mandarin-duck-and-drake document is filled-in, recording it,
And by the Scarlet Empyrean,1106
Our wondrous love-destiny is confirmed for a thousand autumns ten thousand ages.
LADY IMMORTAL. The Moon Goddess is approaching.
(Enter Moon Goddess Constant-charmeuse)
MOON-GODDESS CONSTANT-CHARMEUSE: (Recites)
Sharply arrayed in the moon are the forms of white elms, The scent of cinnabar cassia-trees floats and drifts beyond the clouds.
(Emperor meets her)
SUBLIME AUGUST-EMPEROR: I bow to you, Elder-sister Moon.
MOON-GODDESS CONSTANT-CHARMEUSE: I kow-tow to you, Sublime August-emperor.
(Empress Yang’s spirit meets her)
EMPRESS YANG’S SPIRIT: I kow-tow to you, Moon Goddess.
MOON-GODDESS CONSTANT-CHARMEUSE: Don’t stand on ceremony, Jade Most-prized-empress. Please be seated.
(Each of them sits)
MOON-GODDESS CONSTANT-CHARMEUSE: Sublime August-emperor and Jade Most-prized-empress, congratulations that your immortal karma has again been fulfilled,1107 and your love-destinies affirmed forever. Don’t mention things past.
(Sings)
I just fear lest you prove of unloving kind,
What sorrow will you have if your love-destinies are severed!
(Says)
You two people,
(Sings)
Together you were “ground and refined” in your separation, the one in life and the other in death,
Smashed the barrier to love, opening the face of truth,
Former Cause and later karmic-result emerging with your love-destinies to appear.
I feel meetings in love are usually shallow,
But the great exception’s your coming together,
In this lover-reunion palace here!
LADY IMMORTAL: An edict has been sent down from Jade God.
(Enter Weaving-damsel, holding the edict on her hands)
WEAVING-DAMSEL: (Recites)
Up in Heaven I weave Love-luck’s thousand-silk-strand, Binding hundred-ages love-destinies in the mortal world.
(Emperor and empress kneel)
WEAVING-DAMSEL: (Reads out)
Jade God commands and instructs the T’ang dynasty Sublime August-emperor Li Lung-chi and Most-prized-empress Yang Jade-bangle: This document informs you both: You were originally Transcendental K’ung Sheng and Lady-immortal of Erigeron-chenopodium. You chanced, because of some minor offence, to dwell temporarily in the mortal world. Your period of banishment is now complete, and I approve Heaven’s Grand-daughter’s memorial to me, judging your love to be deep, and commanding you to dwell in Trayastrimsas-Heaven Palace, to be forever man and wife. Respectfully act in accordance with this command.
(Emperor and Empress Yang’s spirit make obeisance)
SSUBLIME AUGUST-EMPEROR and EMPRESS YANG’S SPIRIT: We pray that you God on High may have boundless long life!
(They stand up)
(Weaving-damsel meets them. They sit down)
WEAVING-DAMSEL: Sublime August-emperor and Grand-truth, the two of you have been firm in your feelings, and have confirmed your paired love-destinies. You’ve now become husband and wife up in Heaven, which isn’t like down in the world of man.
(Sings)
From Tryastrimsas Heaven,
One sees the Red Dust and Azure Sea in a trice in mighty transformation.
You become a pair, form a couple, forever,
And will never have any tangles or restriction.
You’ll in splendour wander,
“Brush the moon and part the breeze”,1108 divert yourselves in romance at will,
Without any hankering after infatuated “cloud” and “rain” sating.
Gather in your old love and love-affinity of hairpins and casket,
And life after life, age after age, have done with your previous praying.
MOON-GODDESS CONSTANT-CHARMEUSE: Since you transcendentals are all assembled here, we should hold a cassia-tree banquet, and here and now I proffer you a cup of wine, to congratulate you. Sublime August-emperor and Jade Most-prized-empress. See to the bringing of wine over here!
(Enter lady immortals bearing wine)
LADY IMMORTAL: The wine’s here.
(Mood Goddess presents emperor and empress with wine)
MOON-GODDESS CONSTANT-CHARMEUSE: (Sings)
In Pure-void Palace-hall,
All the transcendentals are assembled,
And a damask-splendid banquet’s spread.
Amid the cassia blossoms, a pair of divine immortals,
Amid the cassia blossoms, a pair of divine immortals,
Supreme in dashing romance for a thousand autumns, years ten thousand.
TOGETHER: (Sing)
Just now it’s a fine night,
And the persons are both “rounded” perfectly in love united;
Lighting up the fine night,
The moon too is “united”, round.
WEAVING-DAMSEL: (Sings)
I admire you being so very firm in embracing love unto death, dedicated.
(Turns to face emperor)
(Sings)
I laugh at your ̶ amid several changes of fortune keeping your pledge, while you were in the living land.
Always futilely, having khapuspa1109 and mava1110 shadows,
“empty flowers and illusory shadows”,
to your fore,
Always futilely, having khapuspa and mava shadows,“empty flowers and illusory shadows”,
to your fore,
But, sweeping away mortal Dust,
together simultaneously to Heaven you soar.
TOGETHER: (Sing)
Just now it’s a fine night,
And the persons are both “round” ̶ perfectly in love united;
Lighting up the fine night,
The moon too is “united” round.
SUBLIME AUGUST-EMPEROR and EMPRESS YANG’S SPIRIT: (Sing)
We reverently thank you, Constant-charmeuse, for taking pity on our innermost love feeling,
We reverently thank you, Heaven’s Grand-daughter, for remedying our bitter regrets.
We traversed Sorrow City,1111 and Duhkha Sea, the edgeless Suffering-ocean.1112
We traversed Sorrow City, and Duhkha Sea, the edgeless Suffering-ocean,
And abruptly turning our heads and looking back,
our infatuated love1113 we abandon.
TOGETHER: (Sing)
Just now it’s a fine night,
And the persons are both “round” perfectly in love united;
Lighting up the fine night,
The moon too is “unified” ̶ round.
In life and death, we’ve passed through being both immortals and ghosts,
Right until, in Heaven’s palace, we’ve become Twin-headed Lotus-flowers,
At last confirming the promises of our Lasting-life Palace-hall pledges.
WEAVING-DAMSEL: His evening’s party was originally for Jade Most-prized-empress’s newly composed Rainbow-skirt. Where are you, Heaven maidens?
(Enter all Heaven maidens, each grasping a musical instrument)
HEAVEN MAIDENS: (Recite)
Night moon as song dies out, as we’re the Singing-phoenix melody1114 singing, Heaven’s breeze blows down Stepping-the-void Music’s1115 sounds ringing.
(Say)
We Heaven maidens kow-tow to you.
WEAVING-DAMSEL: Dance and sing Rainbow-skirt and feather jacket once through.
(All Heaven maidens dance)
HEAVEN MAIDENS: (Sing)
The Cassia Wheel1116 moon’s fragrant,
New music’s performed,
Divided in rows, we move into the dance.
Immortals’ jade waist-ornaments rush to and fro,
Along with Heaven’s breezes,
And all one hears is tinkle-tinkle sent from far distance.
We’re as sinuous as dragons rising to roam in ten thousand shapes,
Fluttering in dance like rocs, whirling their five roundels of colour.
Roseate-cloud, our skirts ripple,
Facing the “chalcedon” silk-strand strings our sleeves stretch out,
Strewing the emerald clouds of love-united roundness,
Building up one streak of love-reunited moon’s autumn light.
Willowy so supple, our crane-feather jackets from K’ou Range1117 next to the mouth-harmoniums waft,
Gorgeous crystal-sparkling, rainbow banners are assembled at the banquet on Jasper Mere’s banks.
Perfumed so fragrant, we crowd of beautiful women of Bud-pearl Palace scatter our jade fragrances.
Displaying our individual stances,
Our swan steps high we raise;
Subtly we cross, sweeping low,
Concealing our phoenix forms.
We precisely and in seemly fashion gather-in our robes and adjust our fans,
For every note giving one whirling glide.
We accompany Favourite-queen of the River Lo,
In her ripple-tripping mode;
We move like Witch-charmeuse,
Minding of travelling cloud.
Our music and postures,
Are undulating and sinuous winding.
With tinkle-tinkling steps, we sing, the lofty roseate clouds treading,
And purl-purling our rhythms to the musical notes responding.
Scarlet buds we shine,
Taking in our mouths the breeze, bursting blooming.
Chasing along the Silver River,
Our flowing clouds rippling.
Not like enjoyments in the mortal world,
Having to spread out the lotus-flowers, slowly them treading,1118
Lighter and swifter than side-by-side swallows soaring.
Up on Jasper Terrace, stepping the Void, stepping the Void,1119
Flying-chalcedony1120 induces our wild verve, stepping the Void, stepping the Void.
Up on Ch’in Terrace, Fondlejade, Fondlejade,
Playing the flute’s also busy of her own accord.
Mortal love and immortals’ desire, both are mused and embraced.
We change the tunes of our Level-Heaven music,
Ingeniously turning it into the whirling in Unfinished Palace of Plentiful-play-child.1121
The Silver Toad moon shines bright,
The jade clepsydra deep-night long drags,
One melody unique in a thousand autumns, we dance Rainbow-skirt.
WEAVING-DAMSEL: This melody’s so exquisite! It’s truly utterly unique in a thousand autumns. So we’ll now borrow this musical performance to see Transcendental K’ung Sheng and Most-prized-empress Jade off to Trayastrimsas Heaven.
MOON-GODDESS CONSTANT-CHARMEUSE: Heaven maidens, play your music and lead the way.
(Heaven maidens play music and lead emperor and Empress Yang’s spirit)
HEAVEN MAIDENS: (Sing)
Immortals are basically a love-full kind,
Mount Erigeron was far,
But, having love, they communed.
The root of love, though experiencing violence, never died,
And lo! see after all they’ve together ended.
Their Dust-world love-destiny coerced them,
And now in some Trayastrimsas Heaven their love’s instead eternal enduring.
It’s not like some mortal-world dream,
Where sadness and joy collude to deceive,
And though there be affection and love it comes to nothing.
They’ve jumped out of the Hole of Infatuated Astray-confusion,1122
And cut and severed the bridle of mutual yearning;
They’ve pulled free of the gold cangue,
Their jade chains loosening.
Laughing they ride paired flying phoenixes,1123
Airily freely to the heavenly palace coming.
The old Rainbow-skirt,
Has been into a new melody turned.
Sing it to a “knower of one’s music”, and their hearts will automatically understand,
And it will cause love to abide for myriad ages without end.
(Recite)
Who causes the drunken dance to brush the guest-banquet?1124 All the immortals of the world-above entertain the banished immortals;1125 One Rainbow-skirt melody is heard endlessly,1126 A perfumed zephyr them to Great-birdnet Heaven guides,1127 See there was built a waterside palace-hall titled Lasting-life,1128 Heaven’s road’s so far and faint, with the Upper Purity makes connection;1129 Henceforth Jade-emperor God must break his own rules, 1130 The divine immortals are fated with this lot, it having nothing to do with ties of affection.1131
END
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
One of the foremost experts on the Chinese language, culture and history, a highly respected and renowned lecturer in Mandarin and father of five, William (Bill) Dolby spent his life surpassing academic excellence. Throughout his active career
and until the last, Bill freely shared his deep love of Chinese drama and Classical Chinese and in so doing created a truly inspirational and sound foundation in those who took the time to listen. As a true master the respect that he gained from his peers and from students, friends and colleagues is indisputably a priceless rarity.
Over his lifetime he had various works published, all of which remain foremost works. These include ‘A History of Chinese Drama’ published by Elek Books in 1976 (ISBN 0 236 30903) and Lao She, Mr Ma and Son, published by Penguin in 2013 (ISBN NO: 978-0-14-320811-2) however, his greatest works are contained within his self-titled ‘The Chinese Culture Series’: 33 individual works; poetry, translation, insight and drama which only today are being made available for others to share.
The ‘Chinese Culture Series’
(1 to 33)
By William Dolby
1
No1: Kuan Han-Ch'ing: China's first Playwright
2
No2: Bring on the Wine and other Poems by Li Pai
3
No3: Chinese Poetry Through The Ages: an Anthology
4
Chinese Short Stories
5
History of early Chinese Ch'ü-aria Poetry
6
Sayings of Confucius and his Students
7
Ma Chih-yüan's Complete San-ch'ü-aria Poems
8
Wang Shi-Fu, Author of China's Most Famous Play
9
West Wing Chantefable by Tung Chieh-yüan
10
Sir Old, the Chinese Classic of Taoism
11
Peking Opera
12
Yüan Dynasty Variety Plays
13
The Play Page 41