by Tang Xianzu
WAITER:
Fermented soybeans.
GALLANT KNIGHT:
What about that dish?
WAITER:
Assorted bean-curds.
GALLANT KNIGHT (Laughs):
How wily it is of you to serve the poor scholars with such things! How many bottles of wine did they drink?
WAITER:
Each of them drank a bottle.
GALLANT KNIGHT (Looks at the pot):
Oh! It’s a poor-quality wine. Others won’t drink more than five cups of such wine. What’s so important to discuss that they stay here for long?
WAITER:
Li Yi has deserted his wife and married General Lu’s daughter. Now his former wife is very sick. The two scholars have decided to ask us to prepare a banquet. And they ask me to invite Mr. Li to the Chongjing Temple to enjoy peony flowers, which is a chance for them to persuade Mr. Li to change his mind. But they are afraid of the influential General Lu, so they dare not talk about the details. It’s really sorrowful to mention Li’s former wife.
(Weeps)
GALLANT KNIGHT:
What a miserable story it is! Waiter, serve the wine.
(Wine is served)
GALLANT KNIGHT:
Is there any talented female entertainer around here?
WAITER:
There’s a Wang Dajie opposite this inn. And there’s a Liu Ba’er next door. Both are good.
GALLANT KNIGHT:
How can I enjoy such cheap and inferior prostitutes?
(To the previous tune)
Rolling up my sleeves
And stroking my whiskers,
I see sightseers flocking the road.
It’s nothing but the plum and peach flowers
That bring the beautiful ladies so much pleasure.
Enjoying the mellow wine
Amidst beautiful flowers,
I’m a gallant man
Whistling with grace.
WAITER:
May I ask what a gallant man is?
GALLANT KNIGHT:
You are not in a position to speak of gallantry.
WAITER:
I know a gallant woman around here.
GALLANT KNIGHT:
What do you mean by gallant woman?
WAITER:
There’s a Bao Siniang around here, who spares no money making friends and entertaining guests. She has all the desirable qualities a woman can have, and she is very careful with her reputation. Ordinary men, even those of wealth, cannot win her favour. Only refined and romantic men can win a look from her beautiful eyes. Isn’t she a gallant woman?
GALLANT KNIGHT:
I’ve heard of her for years. Will you go and invite her here?
WAITER:
Isn’t that Bao Siniang coming?
(Enter Bao Siniang)
BAO SINIANG (To the previous tune):
Wearing a red coat
And emerald headwear,
I stand by the window enjoying cuckoo songs.
I’ve seen the pretty yet sick young lady,
Who weeps for being deserted by her promising husband.
WAITER (Goes out and greets Bao Siniang):
Bao Siniang, a guest here wants to see you.
BAO SINIANG (Peeps):
The man is graceful
In tasteful clothes.
He must be full of affection and tenderness
Rather than do evil deeds.
WAITER:
You’ve made a correct judgment.
GALLANT KNIGHT (Greets Bao Siniang):
So this is Siniang. Really striking, as people say.
(To the previous tune)
She is the most gallant
Among all the women
And still looks young at her age.
A glance from her beautiful eyes
Fills me with jubilance.
A woman looking so nice
Must have refined taste.
(Turns around)
Look at the bottles of wine;
Let’s get drunk together today.
(Bows to Bao Siniang)
I’ve heard of your gallantry for a long time, so I’m eager to see you.
(In the pattern of Pusaman)
“The red-banister bridge reaches the downtown street;
Willows sway in the wind by the peony flowers.
BAO SINIANG:
My gorgeous clothes are worn out
And my youth is spent when I meet you.
GALLANT KNIGHT:
Wearing a yellow robe and riding a noble horse,
I seek pleasure every day in hilarious places.
BAO SINIANG:
Let your pellets spare the orioles,
For they sing beautiful songs.”
GALLANT KNIGHT (Laughs):
My shots are not accurate. Right on with your songs, bird!
BAO SINIANG (Fills the wine cup):
(To the tune of Xiudai’er)
With a small golden cup,
You drink away your leisure time,
For affection is better than humdrum.
With subtle fragrance from the distance,
Music of song wafts from the brothel
By a versatile courtesan.
Her tunes reveal her smile
And delicate figure,
Echoing in the sky
For a long time.
GALLANT KNIGHT (To the tune of Bailianxu):
It is so pleasant
To see the beauty.
Well-known flowers are particularly pretty,
Whose sight I’d like to see every day.
Wandering everywhere with graying hair,
I enjoy the subtlest fragrance this year.
I have no mind
To play with women
Or get married.
BAO SINIANG (To the tune of Zuitaiping):
Don’t pretend;
You are so refined and graceful.
For mellow wine,
You can give up anything valuable.
You drink and talk
About your grand ambition.
Looking far into the distance,
I see luxuriant willows, beautiful pheasants
And roads with hunting-fire traces.
With green grass like my skirt waist
And red flowers like my sleeves,
The late spring is nice and pleasant.
GALLANT KNIGHT (To the tune of Bailianxu):
For vanity
In my youth,
I spent many a wonderful night with women.
It’s like a dream
That never recurs.
After my hangover wears off, I’ll take care
Not to be too melancholy,
But just neglect
The comment
People make about the spring sorrow.
Where have you been just now, Siniang?
BAO SINIANG:
I’m from a visit to the sick young lady Miss Huo.
GALLANT KNIGHT:
How did she fall ill?
BAO SINIANG:
She fell in love with Li Yi and married him. But Li is a heartless man and remarries the daughter of General Lu. So Huo Xiaoyu is now lying sick in bed.
GALLANT KNIGHT:
Is she remarried too?
BAO SINIANG:
She’ll stick to the vow of love with Li till her dying day.
GALLANT KNIGHT:
How unfair it is! What about her family condition now?
BAO SINIANG (To the tune of Zuitaiping):
She is pretty
And lovesick.
To inquire about her missing man,
She has spent all the money.
Her jade hairpins are sold
To pay for any information of her man.
She lies sick in bed
In a gloomy mood,
Wetting her pillows with tears.
GALLANT KNIGHT:
Is she well now?
BAO SINIANG:
; She cannot get up or walk about.
GALLANT KNIGHT:
Has her man returned?
BAO SINIANG:
Don’t mention the cruel-hearted man
To bring me further distress.
GALLANT KNIGHT (Annoyed):
(To the tune of Xianghuanglong)
I can hardly keep at ease
To hear of her miserable story.
Leaning against the banister,
I’m irritated by the blowing wind.
Siniang, what about drinking a large cup of wine?
Refill my cup,
Refill my cup
And wipe my tears
With your sleeves.
(Gets drunk, and is supported by Bao Siniang)
GALLANT KNIGHT:
Please take the trouble
To support me.
There’re few women as amorous as you.
Boy, give Siniang ten bolts of red silk as reward for her company.
Where will my heart linger under the dusk clouds?
I’m just intoxicated in beautiful songs.
(To the tune of Coda)
You don’t have the mood for enjoying the cup,
And I have no way to rescue the broken marriage.
(Raises his hand)
Siniang,
We understand each other at the first smile.
(Exit Bao Siniang)
GALLANT KNIGHT (Left on the stage alone):
“It’s inhumane to look on with pocketed hands;
I’m warm-hearted and cry out against injustice.
I see beauties smile amidst flowers
And my anger appeases when I get drunk.”
I think that Li Yi is detained by General Lu in his residence, thus reducing his former wife Huo Xiaoyu into such poverty. This is the worst injustice in the world! If I don’t do something to help, how can I be called a gallant man? Boy, send five thousand ounces of silver to Huo’s residence and tell them to hold a lush banquet the day after tomorrow. If they ask why, you just say that they’ll see the point by then.
SERVANT:
But my lord, why on earth are we to do that?
GALLANT KNIGHT:
Don’t ask. Tell all my men to get the horses ready the day after tomorrow. We’ll admire flowers in the Chongjing Temple. It’s true indeed,
“I’ll offer immediate help as a gallant man,
And bring relief to the young lady at the banquet.”
(Exeunt the Gallant Knight and his servant)
Scene Forty-Nine
Interpreting a Dream
(Enter Huo Xiaoyu in sickness, supported by Huansha)
HUO XIAOYU (To the tune of Yijiangfeng):
I sleep all day,
Dreaming many dreams,
With killing lovesickness.
For love I’m frantic and absent-minded,
Too weak to withstand a gust of wind.
VOICE OF PARROT WITHIN:
How pitiable you are!
HUANSHA:
What a clever parrot! It says you are pitiful.
HUO XIAOYU:
The parrot knows how to show mercy,
The parrot knows how to show mercy,
But the man has no sympathy.
Sad and distressed, I am forgetting about the past.
(In the pattern of Collected Poems)
“The flowers and willows are jealous of my beauty,
But I’m now like the withering peonies.
I cannot sleep well in such loneliness,
But other people won’t understand my feelings.”
Huansha, I’ve been living in sorrow and resentment for over a year since I heard of Li’s remarriage with Miss Lu. Lying in bed sick and lonely, what am I to do?
HUANSHA:
You weep all day without eating and sleeping well. Now that your hope to see him again is shattered, your accumulated grievance has led to illness. But I don’t think Master Li is really so heartless, judging from his sincere vow to you. You just set your mind at ease and wait for the reunion with him.
HUO XIAOYU (To the tune of Jixianbin):
With your words of ambition still in my ears,
I’ll be satisfied if that’s realized.
As the absence of letters from you after parting makes me suspicious,
I’ve become sick
And penniless,
With nothing left but people’s sympathy.
Thin and pallid,
I lament over the past.
(Vomits)
HUANSHA (To the previous tune):
Your vomitting from stomachache,
With blood in your spit,
Reduces your weight.
Although you suffer from straitened circumstances
And grave sorrows,
You keep on waiting for your man.
What’s the point of all these?
Please get well-dressed and forget your sadness.
Please get some relaxation by playing music.
HUO XIAOYU:
Take the musical instrument away!
(To the previous tune)
I’ve no mind to play music
And leave the musical instrument covered with dust.
Why is my man snatched away from me?
Left desperate in loneliness,
Without my man by my side,
I’ll live a meaningless life in my remaining days.
It’s useless to regret
Over our first encounter in the Lantern Festival.
HUANSHA (To the previous tune):
Please take care of your health,
Though it’s hard to live in loneliness.
For the final reunion you should preserve your youthful looks
By having enough food
And taking good sleep
In soft and fragrant quilts.
It is likely
That you’ll dream of your man.
HUO XIAOYU:
Maybe you are right. I’ll sleep for a while.
HUANSHA:
I’ll fetch some food for you.
(Exit)
(Enter Bao Siniang)
BAO SINIANG:
“The talented young man is heartless,
Leaving the pretty lonely wife in sickness.”
I’m Bao Siniang. Busy eking out a living, I’ve not seen Xiaoyu for many days. I wonder how she is now. Well, she’s sleeping in bed. Where is Huansha?
HUO XIAOYU (Wakes in surprise):
How long have you been here, Siniang?
(To the tune of Huangying’er)
I’m startled awake
From the dream I had.
BAO SINIANG:
Did you have a nice dream?
HUO XIAOYU:
There is only grief, with a rain outside the balcony in the dusk.
BAO SINIANG:
Did you see Li Yi in your dream?
HUO XIAOYU:
I long to see him in my dream,
But who would he care about in his mind?
Siniang, in the dream,
I saw a gallant knight,
In a yellow robe
Handing me
A pair of shoes.
BAO SINIANG:
The shoes symbolize harmony. You’ll surely reunite with Li Yi in harmony.
(To the previous tune)
There’ll be no doubt about your dream
That the man in yellow
Will bring you the shoes of harmony.
Much money is spent and lot-sticks drawn,
As you try looking for your man
And praying for your man.
Now you’re requited with a dream of reunion like shoes in pairs.
Congratulations on your man’s return,
To live with you in harmony,
Like mandarin ducks in pairs.
(Enter the Gallant Knight’s servant, holding money in his hands)
SERVANT:
“Our gallant master conceals his name,
But he cares about unjust t
hings.
He spares no money and effort
For benevolence and righteousness.”
My master is a gallant knight who conceals his name. He asks me to offer a hundred thousand ounces of silver to the Huos for a grand banquet. I don’t know why he does so. Here is the Huo residence. Anyone at the door?
(Enter Huansha)
HUANSHA:
Who is it?
SERVANT:
Our master wants to hold a banquet in your house, so he asks me to give you a hundred thousand ounces of silver to cover the expense.
HUO XIAOYU:
You must be mistaken. This is not a public house. Why do you want to hold a banquet here?
SERVANT:
We’d like to hold the banquet in the pavilion by the flowers and bamboos.
HUO XIAOYU:
Bao Siniang, you see, our house is so different from the past.
“Luxuriant bamboos used to grow here;
They are standing lonely in the deserted garden.
The dancing terrace is about to collapse;
The singing stage is covered with moss.
The walls are dust-covered,
For wild birds to build their nests.
All the curtains are gone from the windows,
Leaving a saddening bleak sight.”
This is really not a good place for a banquet.
SERVANT:
“As you’ll know everything by then,
There’s no need for you to refuse now.”
(Exit)
HUANSHA:
What on earth are they up to?
HUO XIAOYU (To the tune of Cuyulin):
We are not relatives.
What is their purpose?
A windfall comes to my hands.
HUANSHA:
The money comes easily like falling petals of a flower;
The man must be someone of great power.
HUO XIAOYU, HUANSHA:
I doubt
For what reason
We are so blessed.
BAO SINIANG (To the previous tune):
I can interpret your dream,
But I can’t understand
What the money is meant for.
HUO XIAOYU:
Is Li’s current wife playing another trick?
Or is a man coming to woo for my love?
HUO XIAOYU, BAO SINIANG:
It’s hard to predict
Whether an unexpected guest
Brings good luck.
BAO SINIANG:
Huansha, help your young mistress to bed for a sleep. I’m leaving now.
HUO XIAOYU (To the tune of Coda):
Siniang,
I can’t see you out as I’m so sick.
As to the heartless man,
He remarries in a place so close to me;
I hate him to the marrow of my bones.
As the right medicine will cure the disease,
So the dreamland shoes will cure lovesickness.
Who’ll hold the strange banquet?
Whether it’s bane or boon is hard to predict.
Scene Fifty
Sighs of Doubt at the Hairpins