by Tang Xianzu
Scene Three
Appreciating the New Hairpins
Scene Four
Paying a Visit for the Fair Lady
Scene Five
Enjoying the Palace Lanterns
Scene Six
A Hairpin Dropped on the Festival Eve
Scene Seven
Marriage Proposal Broached
Scene Eight
Marriage Proposal Granted
Scene Nine
Receiving Good News
Scene Ten
Asking for Servants and Horses
Scene Eleven
Advice for the Wedding Night
Scene Twelve
Servant and Horse at the Door
Scene Thirteen
The Wedding in Spring
Scene Fourteen
The Chivalrous Friends’ Congratulations
Scene Fifteen
Boasting Power and Selecting Talents
Scene Sixteen
The Vow of Love in the Garden
Scene Seventeen
Going to Luoyang for the Spring Exam
Scene Eighteen
A Parting Dinner at the Prefecture Hall
Scene Nineteen
The Frontier Governor Ascends the Altar
Scene Twenty
Expecting Success in Spring Melancholy
Scene Twenty-One
Celebrating Success at the Apricot Garden
Scene Twenty-Two
General Lu’s Rage and His Scheme
Scene Twenty-Three
Joy over His Glorious Return
Scene Twenty-Four
A Farewell Chat
Scene Twenty-Five
Breaking Willow Twigs upon Departure
Scene Twenty-Six
Composing Poems on Mount Longshan
Scene Twenty-Seven
The Chivalrous Mistress Offers Rewards
Scene Twenty-Eight
The Tubo General Seeks Hegemony
Scene Twenty-Nine
Writing a War Proclamation
Scene Thirty
Subjection of Dahexi and Xiaohexi
Scene Thirty-One
Escaping the Summer Heat on the Tower
Scene Thirty-Two
Scheming to Take in the Talent
Scene Thirty-Three
Woes on an Autumn Night
Scene Thirty-Four
Distress in the Frontier
Scene Thirty-Five
The Frontier Governor Returns
Scene Thirty-Six
Reading the Paper Screen in Tears
Scene Thirty-Seven
Transference to Another Garrison
Scene Thirty-Eight
Taking a False Message
Scene Thirty-Nine
Writing a Poem in Tears by Candlelight
Scene Forty
Crying over Wife’s Letter
Scene Forty-One
Arranging a Marriage
Scene Forty-Two
Refusing a Forced Marriage
Scene Forty-Three
Jewels to Be Bought for the Wedding
Scene Forty-Four
Selling the Hairpins
Scene Forty -Five
Jade-smith’s Sentiments
Scene Forty-Six
Weeping Over the Jade Hairpins
Scene Forty-Seven
Scattering Money in Sorrow
Scene Forty-Eight
The Gallant Knight’s Drunken Comments
Scene Forty-Nine
Interpreting a Dream
Scene Fifty
Sighs of Doubt at the Hairpins
Scene Fifty-One
Meeting the Gallant Knight
Scene Fifty-Two
Family Reunion
Scene Fifty-Three
His Majesty’s Decree Is Declared
Scene One
Prelude
(Enter Narrator)
NARRATOR (To the tune of Xijiangyue):
Swallows fly to and fro in the hall
While belles pencil their eyebrows by the sill.
With wonderful songs and dances that enchant us all,
I adapt a courtesan’s tale for a moving opera.
I revise my old work at Hongquan
And add new lyrics at Yuming.
Where on earth can I express my feelings for love?
Only people like us are devoted to passions as such.
(To the tune of Qinyuanchun)
A scholar named Li Yi
And a lady named Huo Xiaoyu
Make a perfect match by talent and charm.
They chance to meet on Lantern Festival Eve
When she drops a hairpin and he keeps it as a token.
With Bao Siniang as the matchmaker in between,
They make an oath for their love.
The scholar wins the laurel in the imperial exam
But never succumbs to the power,
And is thus dispatched far away,
Leaving the bride alone with woe.
General Lu schemes to beckon for a son-in-law,
And has Li Yi dispatched to Mengmen in the west.
Back in the capital but confined in General Lu’s estate,
Li Yi is tormented by the letters’ delay.
With anxieties in her heart,
Xiaoyu looks for her man at all cost
And sells her hairpins to General Lu for her man,
Thus rousing suspicion on her man’s mind.
Old friends Cui Yunming and Wei Xiaqing invite Li Yi to a flower show,
Intending to satirize him for his betrayal,
Only to find all but a rumour and a mistake.
The Gallant Knight revitalizes their love
And makes the hairpins shine again.
When the Gallant Knight helps by doing what he can,
Huo Xiaoyu sells her swallow hairpins for her man.
General Lu beckons for a son-in-law in vain,
And Officer Li Yi meets his wife once again.
Scene Two
A Scholar’s Ambition in Spring
(Enter Li Yi)
LI YI (To the tune of Zhenzhulian):
I’ve been studying hard for a good career,
With an ambition as vast as the ocean waves,
Yet now I’m still stuck in poverty and solitude.
I write rhyme prose, discuss essays,
And present my views on state affairs.
A lonely traveller, often cold and tired,
I hear the spring bird whisper in my ear:
“How much talent have you gained?”
It echoes so deep in my heart
That this spring seems my lucky time.
(In the pattern of Qingyu’an)
“A scholar in prosperous times travels and reads widely;
He enjoys peach blossoms with contentment in leisure.
His dreams may come true through his magic words.
When spring days become longer and longer,
He expects a call from the imperial court,
But who’s to invite him to the court?
He waits and waits in his robe tidy and clean.
Oh, how many youthful years have passed away!”
I am Li Yi, styled Junyu, from Longxi. My father was a former minister and my mother was conferred the title of Grand County Lady. Wealth and fame are elusive, but talent has its roots. I make myself known in the literary circle, and comment on the celebrities at will. Calligrapher Wang Zijing held bestowed books of rarity; Emperor Liang collected famous paintings of great value. They appreciated paintings all the year round, and enjoyed songs and dances in all the seasons. My youthful talent shines like the rising sun, and radiates like the precious jade. Like the dragon swords flying to the azure sky, I wish to break free and soar with the wind. Yet one thing upsets me: Well over 20 years old, I’m still single. Without a belle as my mate, how can I call myself a talented scholar? I’ve come to Chang’an recently, and am now staying at Xinchang Lane. Today is the first day of sprin
g, the 14th year of the Yuanhe Reign. This morning I paid a visit to Mr. Liu Gongji, my old friend who is the Governor of Guanxi. On my way home, I came across my cousin Cui Yunming and my bosom friend Wei Xiaqing. So we are going to have a feast at this hour. Qiuhong, fetch the wine.
(Enter Qiuhong)
QIUHONG:
“Let’s drink the wine on this early spring day
And enjoy the plum blossoms fresh and fair.”
Now the wine is ready.
(Enter Wei Xiaqing and Cui Yunming)
WEI XIAQING, CUI YUNMING (To the tune of Heshengchao):
Spring has turned around in a heavenly cycle,
Yet the lonely dweller stays cold in the setting sun.
Decorations have been made to celebrate the spring,
But homesickness grows in the season of blossoms.
(Greet one another)
WEI XIAQING:
“Happiness has traveled a thousand miles;
CUI YUNMING:
Spring has brought us under the same roof.
LI YI:
Only the wine from Yichun
Can prolong the prime of our youth.”
(Raises the wine cup)
(To the tune of Yufurong)
Pepper flowers charm the early spring;
Cypress leaves enhance the fragrant wine.
May the flower goddess help
The flowers bloom early in spring.
When the pond thaws, fish come up in shoals;
When the imperial garden warms up, wild swans move north in flocks.
LI YI, WEI XIAQING, CUI YUNMING:
The arrival of spring
Is marked by the gentle caress of the east wind,
And house decorations attract swallows at every door,
With each spring fairer than before.
WEI XIAQING, CUI YUNMING (To the previous tune):
As the yellow cloud brings luck to the new year,
The scholars stay in Chang’an on a sunny day.
We climb up to the Chaoyuan Temple on Mount Lishan
To celebrate the coming of the new year.
Spring wine cannot drive away the cold,
Though the warmth of spring is coming near.
LI YI, WEI XIAQING, CUI YUNMING:
Gently fondling the temples,
The spring breeze greens the willows
Before it does the woods.
Young men drink the Tusu wine to their hearts’ content.
LI YI:
When I hear you talk about young men, I seem to be getting old.
(To the tune of Cuyulin)
My friends in need
Are only the two of you,
But spring melancholy depresses me all alone.
Grass and trees turn green in the garden,
And the east wind is tearing my patterned gown.
LI YI, WEI XIAQING, CUI YUNMING:
Thanks to the spring god,
Every branch and leaf
Heralds early spring in the imperial garden.
WEI XIAQING:
By saying that “the east wind is tearing my patterned gown”, you mean that you haven’t established yourself in career and fame, so you want to change for a purple gown with the gold badge of a high rank. That’s nothing too difficult. I hear that your old friend Mr. Liu Gongji is the Governor of Guanxi. As His Majesty is going on an inspection tour to the east this year, the imperial civil examination dates have not been decided yet. You may follow Mr. Liu to the west.
That’ll offer an opportunity for your career and fame.
LI YI:
A true scholar must depend on himself to pass the imperial examination for a career.
CUI YUNMING (Laughs):
Xiaqing, you’ve made a terrible mistake. “The east wind is tearing my patterned gown” means that he has nobody to mend his torn gown. For this, there is someone who can offer a hand.
LI YI:
Who is it?
CUI YUNMING:
Bao Siniang in the deep alley. She’s an old hand at matchmaking. Why not ask her for help?
LI YI:
To tell you the truth, I’ve visited Bao Siniang. But I haven’t revealed much of my intention.
WEI XIAQING, CUI YUNMING:
A talented scholar matches a fair lady. That’s the most natural thing in the world.
WEI XIAQING (To the previous tune):
You’ve been much travel-stained
On your way to the imperial exam,
When spring comes and water rises.
LI YI:
Well, it depends on one’s luck!
CUI YUNMING:
Your appearance is attractive enough for a lady’s favour.
LI YI:
Well, it depends on one’s money!
CUI YUNMING:
Your inner talent is worth a fortune.
LI YI, WEI XIAQING, CUI YUNMING:
Thanks to the spring god,
Every branch and leaf
Heralds early spring in the imperial garden.
WEI XIAQING, CUI YUNMING:
(To the tune of Coda)
Good luck falls upon your brow;
Why not cater to a lady pretty and fair?
Oh, my friend,
How can we see you cold and dreary all alone!
As spring comes to the capital town,
So grace and wealth are born with you.
Without a matchmaker, your hair will turn grey;
With a matchmaker, your bride is on the way.
Scene Three
Appreciating the New Hairpins
(Enter Lady Zheng)
LADY ZHENG (To the tune of Mangonghua):
Spring is showing its fullest charm,
Yet sadly I seem to be getting old
And losing interest in making up my face.
The east wind pulls the green gauzes in the mist,
And coldness lingers on in the early morn.
(In the pattern of Dielianhua)
“Who’ll cut paper flowers and wear them in the hair
To display her youthful life
And welcome the caress of spring breeze?
It’s sad for me to recall the past,
For flowers bring regrets in spring.
I long for spring before it comes,
And hate to see the delay of the blooming,
With plum blossoms left in solitude.
Spring is drawing near this year,
But it’s uncertain when it will arrive in the end.”
I’m Lady Zheng from the House of Prince Huo. In an ordinary family I would be praised for my stellar beauty, and in a noble house I would be recommended for my services on gilded cushions. Afraid of the jealousy from my woman peers, I had never been indiscreet enough to have an affair. Talented friends gathered at the House of the Prince and I was often called upon to entertain them in the west garden. However, in my old age I start to worship Buddha and is renamed Jingchi. I have a daughter named Xiaoyu. She’s sixteen with a most good-looking face. She used to study poems and essays by my side, and now she is learning how to play musical instruments and sing songs from Bao Siniang. The black dye from the south beautifies her eyebrows as fine as a couple of willow leaves. The red rouge from the north colours her cheeks as pretty as the lotus flowers. She’s most attractively dressed with fanciful embroidery, but she has neither been engaged nor found her beloved man. She loves to wear swallow hairpins of purple jade. I have commissioned Jade-smith Hou Jingxian to carve and trim a pair of hairpins for her. We have to wait till they are sent here. Now that it’s early spring, I’ll call her out to enjoy the spring scene near the Wei Bridge. Huansha, where is your young mistress?
(Enter Huo Xiaoyu with Huansha)
HUO XIAOYU (To the tune of Mangonghuahou):
Staying alone in my chamber all day long,
I pencil eyebrows as pretty as the natural beauty of spring.
HUANSHA:
Preparing embroidered shoes for an outing in spring,
We expect the flowers to bloom soon.
HUO XIAOYU:
May bliss be forever yours, Mom!
LADY ZHENG:
Don’t stand on ceremony, my dear daughter.
HUO XIAOYU:
Why are you calling me, Mom?
LADY ZHENG:
As the sunlight is so bright in early spring, let’s take an outing near the Wei Bridge.
(Starts to move)
“The ice is thawing and the pond is turning green;
The cloud is dispersing and the sky is clearing up.
I should not be so excited,
But I must go for my daughter’s sake.”
Old as I am, I’ll take an outing in the fresh spring.
(To the tune of Miandaxu)
A lady’s chamber is quiet and solitary;
Her pretty forehead mirrors her light fur-coat.
The painted silvery screens
Faces the duck incense burner in solitude.
For my dear daughter,
I’ll go on a spring outing
Despite my old age
And lonely dreams!
Time has passed and will never return;
I fear to hear the oriole’s song soaring to the sky.
HUO XIAOYU (To the previous tune):
Smiling to the dressing mirror,
I see a blush upon my face.
The east wind last night
Blew at the spring decorations in my chamber.
Greeting the spring morning,
I amble with my slender waist.
Now the rain and cloud
Begin to disperse and disappear.
In the shade of the window gauze
I stitch more threads
To while away my days doing embroidery.
HUANSHA (To the previous tune):
Young as she is,
She must have youthful vigor in spring.
Spring has come all of a sudden,
But she shows no joy behind closed doors.
All along the streams and bridges,
Beautiful ladies greet one another.
They are ready for poems and songs
To express their passions on the spring day.
Oh, my young mistress,
Let’s saunter along and enjoy the fresh spring day,
Instead of penciling your dainty brows all by yourself.
(Enter Hou Jingxian)
HOU JINGXIAN:
“The new swallow hairpins are imbedded with gold;
They have been carved with the old toad knife for jade.”
Your Ladyship, I, Hou Jingxian, the jade-smith, have completed the jade hairpins. Please allow me to present them to you.
LADY ZHENG (Tells Huansha to accept them and takes a look):
What deft hands! I’ll award you with ten thousand coins.
HOU JINGXIAN (Expresses gratitude):
“How can I express my gratitude for the award of ten thousand coins,
As I’ve finished the carving of the swallow jade hairpins?”