by Tang Xianzu
(To the tune of Yicuozhao)
The Tubo ancestors Tang and Kun
Built the ancient tribe called the Powerful Hu.
There are prime minister and vice prime minister,
Plus grand prime minister.
Wearing gold and gems,
The high officials smear silver over their arms.
The high and mighty are painted with tiger designs,
While the cowards have fox-tails attached at their back.
Military viceroys are needed for the camps
And governors are needed for the forts of importance
So that the Tang’s territory
Can be seized with ease.
SHANG ZIPI:
It’s not easy at all! If we forge a marriage alliance with Tang, we can suppress other nations. I may as well get on my way now since I’ve agreed to follow the King.
SHANG QIXIN:
The King has left carriage and horses here.
SHANG ZIPI:
I have nothing but several Taoist books and a zither in my thatched cottage. Just put them in my luggage, attendant boy. It’s a pity that I can no longer look back to the Kunlun Mountains with its five cities and twelve bowers. I will bring with me the gilded earthen statuette of Queen Mother of the West. The Kunlun Mountains can only be visited in my dreams, but the Zhongnan Mountains is likely to be reached in person.
SHANG QIXIN:
You are mistaken, my uncle! You can still come to the Kunlun Mountains after you make achievements and retreat in seclusion. But how can you reach the Zhongnan Mountains in the capital city of Tang?
SHANG ZIPI:
My nephew, it’s likely that I will have a chance to go to the Central Plains if a marriage tie is formed with Tang. Once a man enters the official career, he will be like a leaf blown about by the wind independent of his own will. Therefore, is there any certainty for me to become a recluse? After I leave the Kunlun Mountains, I’ll live in woe and sorrow. When things are packed, I’ll get on the horse and start on my way.
(Rides)
(To the tune of Xiangliuniang)
I am fully aware,
I am fully aware
That engagement in military affairs for the king’s prosperity
Is not the intention of my inner mind.
SHANG QIXIN:
Who is there in the west,
Who is there in the west
That keeps to the Kunlun Mountains
And looks at the Menlu River.
SHANG ZIPI, SHANG QIXIN:
The affair is handled with expedience,
The affair is handled with expedience.
The involvement in the worldly affairs
Will finally be discarded.
The swords were shelved to get rusty,
As the Hans sought peace with the Huns for a truce.
Since he enjoys living in the mountains,
Why should one try to persuade the recluse?
Scene Thirty-Four
Reunion on the Double-Seventh Day
(Enter Huo Xiaoyu)
HUO XIAOYU (To the tune of Queqiaoxian):
With Han tunes resounding amid the heavenly elms
And moon laurels beside the Milky Way,
The Gedao Star is amazed at the flute music.
With her earrings swaying, the Weaver Girl drops spinning,
Unable to sleep all the night.
(In the pattern of Wuyangufeng)
“The man failed to return to Heyang in autumn
And brought no news to Hanyin.
In the moonlight silk cloth is woven
On which there is the ripple pattern.
When the fairy carriage is gone,
The eyebrows of the wife contract in lovesickness.
The clear dew falls on the silk garment
And the autumn wind blows at the zither strings.
As the better part of the night has passed,
On whom will the remaining light shine?”
It has been several years since I bid farewell to Li Yi when he left for Shuofang as the military consultant. I used to long for him on the Double-Seventh Festival every year, and it is the festival again today. Several days ago Prime Minister Du returned to the court and sent a message that Li Yi will soon be home. How anxious I am when I wait for him!
(To the tune of Putianle)
I expect the day of reunion in the crescent moonlight,
Shaded by the flimsy clouds in the autumn.
The lovesickness grows every day,
Tears are shed in lovesickness.
And tonight,
With tears soaking my dress,
I fail to sleep in the autumn wind and dew.
After years of separation,
The short reunion on the Double-Seventh
Will be over when the day breaks in deep remorse.
I’ll send him words to hurry him back
And do not want the magpies to fly away
Which build the bridge with mud carried in mouths.
My man, if you don’t come back tomorrow,
Tears will again soak the silk handkerchief,
While I sit by the empty weaving loom.
(Enter Zheng Liuniang)
ZHENG LIUNIANG:
“By the clear Milky Way
Laments the Weaver Girl Star to herself.
Without the painstaking Jingwei bird,
How could the Silver River be filled?”
Since my daughter Xiaoyu parted with Li Yi, she always feels sad on festivals. The Cowboy Star will reunite with the Weaver Girl Star tonight. She will surely stop weaving and sit silently in lovesickness. I have asked Yingtao and Wu’er to invite Bao Siniang and Du Qiuniang to the Red Mansion to thread the needles so as to while away the time with my daughter. I suppose they have arrived.
(Greets Huo Xiaoyu)
Xiaoyu, today is the Double-Seventh Festival. Prime Minister Du informed us that Li Yi will soon be home. I have invited Bao Siniang and Du Qiuniang to keep you company.
(Enter Bao Siniang and Du Qiuniang)
BAO SINIANG, DU QIUNIANG (To the tune of Raochiyou):
In early autumn,
The beloved is expected to come back.
Why are you lamenting all the year round?
(Greet Zheng Liuniang and Huo Xiaoyu)
“The Weaver Girl flies across the tent carrying a round fan,
To reach the star bridge formed by the magpies.
How can we turn endless departure in the human world
Into a heavenly reunion once a year?”
It has been a long time since we last visited you, and it is the Double-Seventh Festival again today.
ZHENG LIUNIANG:
Indeed. We invite you here to wait for the stars to meet.
BAO SINIANG:
When the Weaver Girl Star crosses the magpie bridge over the Milky Way, we can make wishes, but we can make no more than one wish, which should be kept in heart and not be spoken out within three years. Let’s lay the incense table here in the courtyard! Liuniang shall be the first to make the wish.
ZHENG LIUNIANG (To the tune of Zhuyunfei):
The Weaver Girl in the remote Milky Way
Weaves the bright white silk away from the Central Plains.
She stops in anticipation for a letter
And puts away her make-up locket.
Well,
She caresses the golden hairpin in joy
And does the evening make-up in elegant manners.
With dimples on her rosy cheeks,
She is all charming smiles,
Unable to fall asleep tonight.
BAO SINIANG (To the previous tune):
When the fairy magpies began to sing,
The goddess Chang’e presented evening beauty.
When drum beat and wagon rumble came in the distance,
The Weaver Girl unfastened her belt and softened her heart.
Well,
Before she met the Cowboy in a languid manne
r,
She wore the pendant on her skirt with fragrance.
After their transient reunion,
They parted at the flowing Silver River
And had to wait another year before they meet again.
HUO XIAOYU (Aside):
The Cowboy Star and the Weaver Girl Star are just like Li Yi and me!
(To the previous tune)
Since the marriage and reunion were so happy,
Why did they stay awake over the night?
Her eyes looked back in tears,
When the Cowboy returned in a carriage.
Well,
With lingering thought in her mind,
The Weaver Girl Star falls low.
As she goes down the magpie bridge
And I am filled with increasing bitterness,
Where shall I rest my tender emotion?
DU QIUNIANG:
I remember that when I entered the palace at a young age, there was a Needle Threading Tower where I made my wish and was praised by my companions. Now that the prince has gone for seclusion, I am left behind in the Nunnery of the Queen Mother of the West.
(To the previous tune)
The Blue Bird messenger did not bring any message,
But we enjoyed a luxurious night.
We did not wash our faces
Or do any make-up.
Well,
When the emperor went into seclusion,
The court ladies out of favor bore grudges.
By the palace pond,
When we recalled the Palace of Eternal Youth by the lake,
We seemed to see fairy boys and girls singing at the banquet.
Now that we have made our wishes, let’s go upstairs to thread the needle!
(Goes upstairs)
“With wishes to walk on the moon,
We can hardly refrain from our emotion.
Each draws a thread from the hank
And put it through the needle.”
BAO SINIANG:
Liuniang, the young princess should be blessed with all the good luck, so she should be the first to thread the needle and Liuniang is the next.
HUO XIAOYU:
Thank you!
(Threads the needle)
(To the tune of Chanqiao’er)
There is needle-threading in every household tonight,
With hearts tied to the beloved ones away from home.
The round fans are sewn for conjugal happiness,
With the tassels hanging like our longing thoughts.
ALL:
In the flowery courtyard,
The wish will come true
And good luck is acquired
Because parted couples are reunited!
ZHENG LIUNIANG:
Thank you for letting me thread the needle after Xiaoyu!
(Threads the needle)
(To the previous tune)
When the Cowboy Star chases after the swallows flying west,
The needle is hard to thread for the blowing wind and dim light.
My daughter, you do it for me.
HUO XIAOYU (Threads the needle for Zheng Liuniang):
With shyness I reach out my fingers,
Which are slim and lovely.
ALL:
In the flowery courtyard,
The wish will come true
And good luck is acquired
Because parted couples are reunited!
DU QIUNIANG:
Now it’s Bao Siniang’s turn.
BAO SINIANG:
Thank you!
(To the previous tune)
In pale yellow silk in the autumn,
I go up the stairs in tenderness.
Young princess, please do it for me!
(Huo Xiaoyu threads the needle for Bao Siniang)
BAO SINIANG:
How nimble your fingers are!
You can compare with the ancient Dowager Empress Hu,
Who shot at the needle-eye with an arrow,
In terms of your nimble fingers.
ALL:
In the flowery courtyard,
The wish will come true
And good luck is acquired
Because parted couples are reunited!
BAO SINIANG:
Now it’s Du Qiuniang’s turn.
DU QIUNIANG:
From a palace maid then to a Taoist nun now, what good luck do I have to wish?
(To the previous tune)
I have sewn numerous dancing dresses with gold thread,
But I have no good luck to enjoy constant love.
Young princess, please do it for me!
(Huo Xiaoyu threads the needle for Du Qiuniang)
DU QIUNIANG:
How nimble your fingers are!
Like Xue Yingyun who could sew in the darkness,
Your nimbleness is a blessing to your husband.
ALL:
In the flowery courtyard,
The wish will come true
And good luck is acquired
Because parted couples are reunited!
(Enter a messenger)
MESSENGER:
“Today is the Double-Seventh Day,
When man and wife shall be reunited.
I am glad to be like the Blue Bird messenger
That brings the news to the lady.”
Old madam, Master Li has arrived!
ZHENG LIUNIANG:
What a coincidence!
DU QIUNIANG:
I’m so glad to see today’s reunion!
(Enter Li Yi)
LI YI (To the tune of Lingboxianzi):
When the Cowboy Star sheds its first light on Chang’an,
The starlight shines amid the splendid lanterns.
I am like the imperial envoy Zhang Qian
Returning after his term of service.
(They exchange greetings)
ZHENG LIUNIANG:
“The Departure Song is sung along the way,
LI YI:
The autumn moon shines over the bed curtain.
ZHENG LIUNIANG:
The sadness and bitterness of a traveler can be imagined,
LI YI:
Fortunately the appearance has not changed.
HUO XIAOYU:
With tears shed for the separation worlds apart,
LI YI:
The beauty in the boudoir is longed for in the frontier.
HUO XIAOYU:
The conjugal stars are reunited in the sky tonight,
LI YI:
Lest they face the Milky Way in unkempt appearance.”
ZHENG LIUNIANG:
Du Qiuniang has never met Li Yi, and Bao Siniang is also here to greet you.
BAO SINIANG:
“The respectable court official returns to the capital.
DU QIUNIANG:
I have long heard of your reputation.
LI YI:
With songs and laughter Heaven and Earth hail,
BAO SINIANG, DU QIUNIANG, LI YI:
For the encounter of a fairy maid and a worldly man.”
HUO XIAOYU:
Shilang, since you left, I’ve been suffering from lovesickness which grows all the more bitter on the festivals. I put your clothes and books in the sun on the Double-Seventh Day each year, and our reunion happens to fall on this very date this year. I remember that we made an oath toward the Cowboy and Weaver Girl stars by the Kunming Pond. Is it with the stars’ help that we get together tonight?
(To the tune of Zhuanlinying)
When the trees brush the sky and stir the autumn breath,
My lovesickness is infinite when I look at the sky.
I weep by the gauzed window in the mist,
Tears moistening my dress when I sort out your robes.
I keep in mind our oath by the Kunming Pond
And look at the Weaver Girl Star against the railings.
In the glaring golden plate,
The spider weaves a web as an auspicious sign
Of the ret
urn of the long separated one.
LI YI:
My wife, I was in the north while you were in the south. Although we could not meet every day, we often saw each other in our dreams.
(To the previous tune)
I watch the Cowboy and Weaver Girl stars
And come back to you on their immortal canoe,
Lamenting over the sudden separation years ago
And seeing that everything goes unchanged.
In the bright candlelight,
The house is full of weeping beauties.
On this happy date,
Holding the needle and thread,
The long-separated people reunite like new friends.
ZHENG LIUNIANG (To the tune of Changpai):
By the silver screen,
By the silver screen,
In the magnificent courtyard and at the precious table,
We see the wagon dust and smell the fragrance in the distance.
You look like the fairy Cowboy in the west of the Milky Way!
The fairy man gets happily reunited,
With music resounding amid the bamboos.
BAO SINIANG, DU QIUNIANG:
From where has the sun returned,
Shining over the exquisite carved railings,
While the clouds are brightly colored?
Numerous wisps of silk are prepared
To embroider the mandarin ducks.
The round flower patterns are now woven at last,
Much better than when hastily done.
ALL: (To the tune of Duanpai):
With their hearts fastened in a loop,
With their hearts fastened in a loop,
They are linked together as sealed swallow-tails,
Though the happy night is but transient.
She is nimble in her fingers,
But not nimble enough to tie her man’s heart.
What is the intimate love between man and wife?
They get undressed against the silver lamp in smile,
Pushing aside the embroidered pillows
And lowering the silk bed-curtain.
(To the tune of Coda)
Holding the incense and the truelove knot,
They make love oath toward the sky.
From now on they will tie the five-colored threads
So as to be blessed every year.
For Double-Seventh every year they wait,
But they’ll no longer be kept worlds apart.
Don’t envy fairy lovers for their fate,
As there is more bliss for the human heart.
The Purple Hairpins
Translated by Wang Rongpei, Zhu Yuan & Zhang Ling
Table of Contents
Scene One
Prelude
Scene Two
A Scholar’s Ambition in Spring