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Pipaji 琵琶記 "The Romance of the Lute"
by Gao Ming 高明

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by Gao Ming 高明 (Gao Zaocheng 高則誠; mid 13th cent.) is a long, but simple kind of love story basing on several anecdotes and stories about the Han Dynasty scholar Cai Yong 蔡邕 . In the play, he is called Cai Boxie 蔡伯諧 . Just married, he is told by his father to pass the state examinations in the capital. Esteemed by the chancellor, he rises to high positions and is forced to marry a new wife. Meanwhile, in his home town famine reigns, and his first wife Zhao Wuniang 趙五娘 suffers badly. Cao Boxie's mother dies of hunger and disappointment. Zhao Wuniang takes her lute and wanders to the capital, searching for her man. In the end, they reunite, mourning together at the grave of their starved parents.



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第二十八齣:幽媾

【夜行船】〔生上〕瞥下天仙何處也?影空濛似月籠沙。有恨徘徊,無言窨約。早是夕陽西下。『一片紅雲下太清,如花巧笑玉娉婷。憑誰畫出生香面?對俺偏含不語情。』小生自遇春容,日夜想念。這更闌時節,破些工夫,吟其珠玉,玩其精神。儻然夢裏相親,也當春風一度。〔展畫玩介〕呀,你看美人呵,神含欲語,眼注微波。真乃『落霞與孤鶩齊飛,秋水共長天一色』。
【香偏满】晚風吹下,武陵溪邊一縷霞,出落箇人兒風韵殺。淨無瑕,明窗新絳紗。丹青小畫,又把一幅肝腸掛。小姐小姐,則被你想殺俺也。
【懒畫眉】輕輕怯怯一箇女嬌娃,楚楚臻臻像个宰相衙。想他春心無那對菱花,含情自把春容畫,可想到有箇拾翠人兒也逗著他?
【二犯梧桐樹】他飛來似月華,俺拾的愁天大。常時夜夜對月而眠,這幾夜啊,幽佳,嬋娟隱映的光輝殺。教俺迷留没亂的心嘈雜,無夜無明怏著他。若不為擎奇怕涴的丹青亞,待抱著你影兒横榻。想來小生定是有緣也。再將他詩句朗誦一番。〔念詩介〕
【浣紗溪】拈詩話,對會家。柳和梅有分兒些。他春心迸出湖山罅,飛上煙綃萼綠華。則是禮拜他便了。〔拈香拜介〕傒倖殺,對他臉忋暈眉痕心上掐,有情人不在天涯。小生客居,怎勾姐姐風月中片時相會也。
【劉潑帽】恨單條不惹的雙魂化,做个畫屏中倚玉蒹葭。小姐啊,你耳朵兒雲鬢月侵芽,可知他一些些都聽的俺傷情話?
【秋夜月】堪笑咱,說的來如希耍。他海天秋月雲端掛,煙空翠影遥山抹。只許他伴人清暇,怎教人佻達。
【東甌令】俺如念咒,似說法。石也要點頭,天雨花。怎虔誠不降的仙娥下?是不肯輕行踏。〔内作風起,生按住畫介〕待留仙怕殺風兒刮,粘嵌著錦邊牙。怕刮損他,再尋箇高手臨他一幅兒。
【金蓮子】閒啧牙,怎能够他威光水月生臨榻?怕有處相逢他自家,則問他許多情,與春风畫意再無差。再把燈剔起細看他一畫。〔照介〕。
【隔尾】敢人世上似這天真多則假。〔内作風吹燈介〕〔生〕好一陣冷風襲人也。險些兒誤丹青風影落燈花。罷了,則索睡掩紗窗去夢他。〔打睡介〕〔魂旦上〕『泉下長眠夢不成。一生餘得許多情。魂随月下丹青引,人在風前嘆息聲。』妾身杜麗娘鬼魂是也。為花園一夢,想念而終。當時自畫春容,埋于太湖石下。题有『他年得傍蟾宫客,不在梅邊在柳邊。』誰想魂游觀中幾晚,聽見東房之内,一箇書生高聲低叫:『俺的姐姐,俺的美人。』那聲音哀楚,動俺心魂。悄然驀入他房中,則見高掛起一軸小畫。細玩之,便是奴家遺下春容。後面和詩一首,觀其名字,則岭南柳夢梅也。梅邊柳邊,豈非前定乎!因而告過了冥府判君,趁此良宵,完其前夢。想起來好苦也。
【朝天懶】怕的是粉冷香銷泣絳紗,又到的高唐館玩月華。猛回頭羞颯髻兒[髟/查],自擎拏。呀,前面是他房頭了。怕桃源路徑行來詫,再得俄旋識認他。〔生睡中念詩介〕『他年若傍蟾宫客,不在梅邊在柳邊。』我的姐姐啊。〔旦〕〔聽打悲介〕
【前腔】是他叫唤的傷情咱淚雨麻,把我殘詩句没爭差。難道還未睡啊?〔瞧介〕〔生又叫介〕〔旦〕他原來睡屏中作念猛嗟牙。省喧譁,我待敲彈翠竹窗櫳下。〔生作驚醒,叫『姐姐』介〕〔旦悲介〕待展香魂去近也。〔生〕呀,户外敲竹之聲,是風是人?〔旦〕有人。〔生〕這咱時節有人,敢是老姑姑送茶來?免勞了。〔旦〕不是。〔生〕敢是游方的小姑姑麼?〔旦〕不是。〔生〕好怪,好怪,又不是小姑姑。再有誰?待我启門而看。〔生開門看介〕
【玩仙燈】呀,何處一嬌娃,艷非常使人驚詫。〔旦作笑閃入〕〔生急掩門〕〔旦斂袵整容見介〕秀才萬福。〔生〕小娘子到來,敢問尊前何處,因何夤夜至此?〔旦〕秀才,你猜來。
【紅衲襖】〔生〕莫不是莽張騫犯了你星漢槎,莫不是小梁清夜走天曹罰?〔旦〕這都是天上仙人,怎得到此。〔生〕是人家彩鳳暗随鴉?〔旦摇頭介〕〔生〕敢甚處裏綠楊曾擊馬?〔旦〕不曾一面。〔生〕若不是認陶潜眼挫的花,敢則是走臨邛道數兒差?〔旦〕非差。〔生〕想是求燈的?可是你夜行無燭也,因此上待要紅袖分燈向碧紗?
【前腔】〔旦〕俺不為度仙香空散花,也不為讀書燈閒濡蠟。俺不似趙飛卿舊有瑕,也不似卓文君新守寡。秀才啊,你也曾随蝶夢迷花下。〔生想介〕是當初曾夢來。〔旦〕俺因此上弄鶯簧赴柳衙。若问俺妝臺何處也,不遠哩,剛則在宋玉東鄰第幾家。〔生作想介〕是了。曾後花園轉西,夕陽時節,見小娘子走動哩。〔旦〕便是了。〔生〕家下有誰?
【宜春令】〔旦〕斜陽外,芳草涯,再無人有伶仃的爹媽。奴年二八,没包彈風藏葉裏花。為春歸惹動嗟呀,瞥見你風神俊雅。無他,待和你翦燭臨風,西窗閒話。〔生背介〕奇哉,奇哉,人間有此艷色!夜半無故而遇明月之珠,怎生發付!
【前腔】他驚人艷,絕世佳。閃一笑風流銀蠟。月明如乍,問今夕何年星漢槎?金釵客寒夜來家,玉天仙人間下榻。〔背介〕知他,知他是甚宅眷的孩兒,這迎門調法?待小生再問他。〔回介〕小娘子夤夜下顧小生,敢是夢也?〔旦笑介〕不是夢,當真哩。還怕秀才未肯容納。〔生〕則怕未真。果然美人見愛,小生喜出望外。何敢卻乎?〔旦〕這等真个盼著你了。
【耍鮑老】幽谷寒涯,你為俺催花連夜發。俺全然未嫁,你箇中知察,拘惜的好人家。牡丹亭,嬌恰恰;湖山畔,羞答答;讀書窗,淅喇喇。良夜省陪茶,清風明月知無價。
【滴滴金】〔生〕俺驚魂化,睡醒時涼月些些。陡地榮華,敢則是夢中巫峽?虧殺你走花陰不害些兒怕,點蒼苔不溜些兒滑,背萱親不受些兒嚇,認書生不著些兒差。你看斗兒斜,花兒亞,如此夜深花睡罷。笑咖咖,吟哈哈,風月無加。把他艷輭香嬌做意兒耍,下的虧他?便虧他則半霎。〔旦〕妾有一言相懇,望郎恕罪。〔生笑介〕賢卿有話,但說無妨。〔旦〕妾千金之軀,一旦付與郎矣,勿負奴心。每夜得共枕席,平生之願足矣。〔生笑介〕賢卿有心戀於小生,小生豈敢忘於賢卿乎?〔旦〕還有一言。未至鷄鸣,放奴回去。秀才休送,以避曉風。〔生〕這都領命。只問姐姐貴姓芳名?
【意不盡】〔旦嘆介〕少不得花有根元玉有芽,待說時惹的風聲大。〔生〕以後准望賢卿逐夜而來。〔旦〕秀才,且和俺點勘春風這第一花。
〔生〕浩態狂香昔未逢,(韩愈) 〔旦〕月斜樓上五更鍾。(李商隐)
〔旦〕朝雲夜入無行處,(李白) 〔生〕神女知來第幾峰?(張子容)



Scene 28 Secret Rendevouz (Union in the shades Yougou)

Enter Liu Mengmei
[Sailing through night]
LIU sings:
Where lives this beauty if she lives at all?
She is a shadow in a mist,
Moonlight over a sandy bank.
My minds keeps surging up and down,
Wordless thoughts dashes to and fro.
The sun has long settled behind the western hills.

'A rosy cloud alighted the sky;
She poses like flower in smiling bloom'
Who has pictured this face with fragrant paint,
With smling eyes, but with muted lips?'

Day after day, ever since I first saw this painted beauty, my thoughts have been nailed to it. Tonight, at this motionless hour, let me muse over the poem and try to fathom its buried meaning. If I cannot embrace her in person, prhaps I would be able to meet her in my dream. (Unrolls the scroll.) Oh, look! She seems alive and has something on the tip of her tongue. Her glances are meaningful too! Indeed,
'A rosy cloud sails with a solitary swan;
The Yangtse River pours into the autumn sky.'

[A Balm Prevails]
The evening breeze has carried down
A rosy cloud the realm of love.
Her comeliness stands above compare,
Stainless and fresh
As the crimson gause on the window frame.
The peg that holds the dainty figure,
Also hooks fast my yearning heart.

Young mistress, I'm dying to see you.
[The Lazy Thrush]
Noble and delicate as she looks,
She must be the daughter of a prince.
I can imagine,
Besieged by the enlivened spring
How she sat before the looking glass
And traced her radiant visage down in art.
Did she forsee it'd make the finder fall in love?
[The Parasol Tree, Combined]
She descended like the light of the moon;
Yet, the windfall brought me a weight heart.
I used to watch the moon in bed,
But these nights her radiance is all too bright
And it has bewildere my gazing eyes,
Not to mention my vigilance day and night.
But for the fear of crumbling the paint,
I would have held her tightly in my bed.

I believe I am somewhat tied to her by fate. Let me read the poem once more. (He reads the poem.) […]
[Quasi-coda]
If such beauties should emerge in our world,
I'm afraid most are sham.
(Sound of wind within, almost blowing out the oil-lamp.)
What a cold blast!
The scroll almost caught on fire.
Well, better
Shut the window and try to meet her in a dream. (Sleeps.)

(Enter Liniang, as ghost.)
LINIANG:
'Peace would not befall my eternal sleep,
for too much affection was left unspent.
Moonlight paves the way for my searching ghost;
A man's deep sighs are heard along the wind.'

I am the ghost of Du Liniang. A dream in the garden dissolved my life. In my last years I drew a portrait of myself and had it hidden under the Taihu rocks. On it I wrote:
'If she is to meet with a lunar guest,
be it by a willow or by a plum.'
These nights as my spirit hovered over the nunnery, I heard a scholar's voice issuing the eastwing chambers. 'My beauty, my sister,' he cried. It was so painful to hear him that it even moved my spirit. Thus, I slipped into his room and saw a scroll-painting hanging high on the wall. A careful look ensured me that it was the portrait I left behind, but there was another poem added onto it. The signature says he is a Liu Mengmei the south of the Five Ridges. 'By the willow, by the plum' isn't everything predestined? So I asked the nether judge for leave to come and fulfil my dream in this happy night. What a long, long story it had been!
[The Lazy Peony]
LINIANG:
Now that my fragrance is gone and I am cold,
This meeting could turn out to be another empty dream.
Embarrasment suddenly turned my head,
And shook loose a bashful curl.
I must do it up.
Ah, here is his room.
But wait! Better make sure,
In case I make a rash mistake.

LIU (talking in sleep.): 'If she is to meet with a lunar guest, be it by a willow or by a plum.' Oh, my dear sister!

[Ditto]
LINIANG (Listens, deeply moved.):
His trueful calls have released my welling tears.
How he is impressed by my final lines!
Is he still awake? (She peers into the room. Liu talks again in sleep.)
So he is soliloquizing in his dream.
Quietly,
On the window lattice I'll softly tap.
(Liu suddenly awakened, calls out for 'sister'.)
LINIANG (sadly):
May my presence bring him some relief?

LIU: Ah, I seem to hear a knocking on the lattice. Is it the wind, or is someone there?
LINIANG: It's me.
LIU: Who can it be at this hour of night? Is it Old Mother bringing me tea? Thank you for your kindness, but I don't want tea now.
LINIANG: I'm not the old mother.
LIU: Then, you must be the young mother who roams place to place.
LINIANG: No, neither.
LIU: That's queer. It's not the young mother either. Who else can it be? Let me open the door and have a look. (He opens the door and looks.)
[Celestial Lamp Dancers]
LIU:
Ah, whence comes this pretty lass,
Whose unusual beauty gives me such a start?
(Liniang smiles and slips into the room. Liu hurriedly shuts the door.)
LINIANG: (Trims her clothes and greets Liu.) Boundless happiness to you, Mr. Scholar.
LIU: May I ask where your ladyship is ? And what bring you here late at night?
LINIANG: Mr. Schlar, you can make a guess.

[Red Padded Coat]
LIU: Is it because Zhang Qian [a Han Dynasty diplomat who is said to have sailed up the Milky Way on a raft to the star of Vega, which constellation is personified as a celestial girl in legends] disturbed your quiet celestial home?
Or, are you a Liang Qing [a maid-in-waiting of Vega] eloping with some god?
LINIANG: Those are celestial beings. How can they be here?
LIU: Is it because a phoneix took some interest in an inky crow? (Liniang shakes her head.)
Or, is it because your horse was once attached to my tree?
LINIANG: We’re not in any way related.
LIU: If it is not that you identified me by mistake,
It must be that your, in your hurry, overshot your path.
LINIANG: No, I made no mistake.
LIU: Then, you must be here to borrow a light.
As ladies shouldn't walk out in the dark,
You have come to my place to share the light.
[ditto]
LINIANG:
I didn't come to fetch you up to the world of gods,
Nor did I come to borrow a candle to read the books.
I'm not Empress Feiyan who had a secret swain,
Neither am I the newly widowed Lady Zhuo [widowed daughter of a wealthy Han period merchant, who eloped with the writer Sima Xiangru].
Oh, Mr. Scholar,
Didn't your have a dream beneath the flowers?
LIU (thinking.): Yes, indeed.
LINIANG: That's why I came to your willow hall on oriole wings.
You asked me where I loved. It's not so far,
Just a few doors east of the Poet Song Yu [of the Warring States period who used the metaphor 'rain and clouds' (love or sexuality) in one of his poems].
LIU (thinking hard): Yes, I now recall that one day at sunset I turned west in the back garden and saw you strolling there.
LINIANG: That's right.
LIU: Who is there in your family?
[Spring time Minitune]
LINIANG: West of the falling sun,
At a place remote,
With my aged parents I reside.
Sixteen am I,
A virgin bud sheltered by the leaves.
The ebbing spring had evokes a woe -
That's when I caught sight of your handsome face.
For no other purpose did I come
But to keep you company during the long cold nights.
LIU (aside): Incredible. Incredible! That this world could offer such a lustrous girl! All of a sudden, she shone forth the drak like a flourescent pearl. But what shall I do?
[ditto]
LIU: Her beauty excels
All the worldly belles.
Her smiles are charms
That would pale the candle's silverly light.
The moon beams as if freshly washed;
What day is today
That has steered such a fair guest to my place?
A celestial maiden visits a human roost.
(aside) Yet,
how can I tell if she is not a neighbor's naughty girl
that knocked at my door to play me a trick?

Let me question her further (Turns round to face Liniang.)
Isn't our metting at this obscured hour a dream?
LINIANG (smiles): No, this is no dream. It's as real as anything, and I hope Mr. Scholar will accept me.
LIU: If you were not joking and were sincere in your words, my happiness would go beyond description. How can I render a rebuff!
LINIANG: Then, I am rewarded at last.

[Tickling Old Bao]
LINIANG:At that trysting ground in the vale of love,
You first animated my dormant heart.
Since then I have never thought of another man.
I'm sure you know the reason and the cause,
For in a good family I was raised.
Tenderly
By the Peony Pavilion,
Bashfully
By the Taihu rocks,
And now quietly
By the window of your room,
Are chances when we meet.
The brilliant moon and tonic breeze are priceless gifts.
[Every drop gold]
LIU: My soul is startled wide awake to find
The cool moon shedding her glory upon my face.
But is this sudden bliss
Not one more empty dream of love?
For how did you dare to traverse the shadowed flowers?
How did you manage to elude your parents' watch?
And, how did you locate me without mistake?
Look, the Big Dipper is aslant
And flowers have lowered their heads.
The night is deep and flowers asleep.
What a joy,
What a song,
The moon and breeze are at their best!
For all your prettiness, your tenderness,
Your sweetness and your coyness,
I must not let you down.
Every minute counts.
LINIANG: I hope you won't mind my making one request.
LIU (smiling): Not at all. What do you have to say?
LINIANG: Once I give my heart and soul to your, do not abuse my love. To be together every night is all that I wish for.
LIU (smiling): Since your ladyship trust me so will, how can I make light of it?
LINIANG: There is one more thing: let me leave before cockcrow, and don't see me off, for the morning breeze can be chilly.
LIU: Agreed. But may I sak you of your name!
[Coda]
LINIANG (sighs): Flowers have roots and everything has its source;
But if I unclose my name,
Gossipping winds may rise and spread.
LIU. now on, I'll be expecting you every night.
LINIANG: Mr. Scholar, let us burst open the first vernal bud.

LIU. 'Such ravishing beauty was never seen.
LINIANG: The slanting moon pulsates the fifth of drums. Evening clouds roam along untraveled roads;
LIU. Who know which heaven this fairy came?'

Translated by Zhang Guangqian

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