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牡丹亭 The Peony Pavilion

牡丹亭

《牡丹亭》又称《还魂记》，是一部文学史上及剧坛上极有名的巨著。作者汤显祖，明朝江西临川人，才华绝代，学识渊博，借古代的传说为故事梗概，发展成五十五出曲折动人的戏剧。剧中的女主角宋朝南安府太守杜宝的女儿丽娘，游园伤春，因梦生情，寻梦不得，为情而死，死后三年，又因情复活，虽然离奇荒诞，却足以说明「情」的感人力量。

汤显祖着有玉茗堂四梦（牡丹亭、紫钗记、南柯记、邯郸梦），都以「情」为主题。其中《牡丹亭》、《紫钗记》写情之「痴」，是入于情之作；《南柯记》、《邯郸梦》写情之「空」，是出乎情之作。

《牡丹亭》的文辞美，意境深，加上情感化的唱腔、文词化的身段，配合了含蓄传神的词句，优雅动人的音乐，把杜丽娘的形象塑造得无比的感人，比「无声不歌、无动不舞」的境界更进了一层，是戏曲的经典之作。

 
 
肃苑 － 『无福之人服侍人』

「肃苑」为《牡丹亭》第九出，写春香奉杜丽娘之命，吩咐花郎扫除花径，要到后花园走走。
 
 
 
游园 － 『我常一生儿爱好是天然』

「游园」为《牡丹亭》第十出前半，写杜丽娘与春香一起到府后的大花园游玩，春光虽美，然而满眼□紫嫣红，少人游赏，只有断井颓垣相伴。丽娘乘兴游园，却勾出了年华似水的怅惘。
 
 
 
惊梦 － 『早难道好处相逢无一言』

「惊梦」为《牡丹亭》第十出后半，写丽娘游春回来，一腔情怀不知向谁诉说，闷怀恹恹，一时困倦，就在绣房里睡着了。梦中彷佛又来到园中，遇到一个俊美的秀才，拿着柳枝请她题咏，成就了梦里姻缘。两情正浓时，却被唤醒，回到空虚的现实，面对无情的岁月。
 
 
 
寻梦 － 『守的个梅根相见』

「寻梦」为《牡丹亭》第十二出，写丽娘醒后回想梦境，萦思不已。第二天，独自一人再到花园中，寻找梦中的情景。看见景色依然，而梦中的秀才遍寻不着。她越是追忆，越觉伤感，回来后竟一病不起。
 
 
 
离魂 － 『但愿得月落重生灯再红』

「离魂」为《牡丹亭》第二十出，写丽娘寻梦不成，为情得病。病到中秋，服药无效、问卜不灵。临死嘱咐春香将自画春容以匣儿盛好，藏在太湖石底下，又要求母亲将她葬于后花园梅树之下。丽娘死后，灵魂仍然在追寻那梦中之情。
 
 
 
拾画 － 『飞来石三生因果』

「拾画」为《牡丹亭》第二十四出，写杜丽娘死后葬于后花园梅树下，改为梅花观。隔了三年，梦中的秀才柳梦梅上京求取功名，路经南安，得了一场大病，在梅花观中静养。一日柳生信步走到后花园，在太湖石边拾到了一幅画，以为是观音佛像，带回书馆焚香顶礼。「拾画、叫画」一般都是相连演出，由小生一人担纲，是小生「八独戏」中的两出。唱腔细腻、身段潇洒，着重昆味及书卷气，为昆曲巾生代表作之一。
 
 
 
叫画 － 『为甚独立亭亭在柳梅左』

「叫画」为《牡丹亭》第二十六出，写柳梦梅回书馆后，发现所拾的是一幅人间女子行乐图，由图上的诗句，想起三年前梦境中的美人，便日夜欣赏把玩，并和诗在上。
 
 
 
幽会 － 『待展香魂去近他』

「幽会」为《牡丹亭》第二十八出，写丽娘女魂得冥府判君哀怜，魂游至梅花观，听得梦梅叫唤，又见得画上和诗，知是前定，乃与梦梅相见。梦梅见梦境成真，喜出望外，遂与丽娘欢会。
 
 
 
冥誓 － 『一点心怜念妾』

「冥誓」为《牡丹亭》第三十二出，写梦梅欲娶丽娘为妻，丽娘乃将因情而死之因果及虽登鬼录未损阳身之事告知。嘱梦梅开棺，以便复生。
 
 
 
还魂 － 『劣梦魂猛然惊遽』

「还魂」为《牡丹亭》第三十五出，写梦梅依言而行，掘坟开棺，丽娘果然复生。
 
 

The Peony Pavilion

"The Peony Pavilion" is a masterpiece by Tang Xianzu, the greatest poet playwright of the Ming dynasty (1368-1644). In an utterly refined and languidly poetic style, the play reveals romantic yearnings and afflictions of love endured by the young in the feudalistic society of China. Its central theme proclaims the significance of an ultimate triumph of 'love' over 'reason'. This daring and avant-garde subject, which is an outcry against the suppressive tradition, together with the moving poetics of the language, makes the poet's endorsement of freedom of love between the two young protagonists a lasting force in the history of Chinese literature and theater.

In the early years of the Southern Sung dynasty (1127-1279), a beautiful young lady named Du Liniang, daughter of the Governor of Nanan, was strictly educated and could not step out of her chambers without her parents' permission. One day without her parents' knowledge Du went into the garden with her maid. Watching the splendor of the spring at its peak, she was overcome with deep feelings. In a drowsy trance, she dreamt that she had a secret rendezvous with a young scholar under a plum tree by the side of the Peony Pavilion. Ever since returning from the garden, she was haunted by memories of her dream lover and, after seeking the dream in vain, fell ill and soon died of a broken heart. After her death, Du's spirit kept searching for the young scholar. Her persistence won over the Judge of the Netherworld and she was allowed to be reincarnated.

Three years later, a young scholar named Liu Mengmei stayed at the temple where Du was buried. He wandered in the garden and came across Du's portrait. The young lady in the portrait looked familiar and he could not help calling her. In response to his calling, the young lady came out of the picture. He fell in love with her even though he learnt that she was a ghost. On the following day, Liu dug up Du's grave and opened the coffin. Du came back to life and married Liu. The couple lived happily thereafter.

 
 
Su Yuan (Sweeping the Garden)

Du Liniang tells her maidservant to call in the gardener sweeping the petals off the garden paths. So she can take a walk in there.
 
 
 
You Yuan (A Stroll in the Garden)

Du Liniang, accompanied by her maidservant, enters the garden for the first time in her life. The spring flowers are in full bloom. The young lady is struck by the beauty of nature and suddenly feels the joys, as well as the pains, of life.
 
 
 
Jing Meng (An Interrupted Dream)

Tired from the stroll in the garden, Liniang falls asleep in her chambers and dreams that she returns to the garden, encounters a young man under a plum tree and has an intimate moment with him. Awakened from the dream by her mother, Liniang feels that her real life is aimless and confined.
 
 
 
Xun Meng (Dreamland Revisited)

Liniang revisits the garden where she dreamed of passions. Haunted by the sweet memories of the dream, she longs to meet in real life the charming young man. Realizing, however, the impossibility of another encounter with him, she sinks into despair. When leaving the garden, Liniang foresees her own tragic ending: to die soon of this affliction of love.
 
 
 
Li Hun (Keening)

Seeking her dream in vain, Liniang falls ill and dies in autumn. Before her death, Liniang asks her maid to place her self-portrait in a box and hide it underneath a rock. She also asks her mother to bury her under the plum tree in the garden. After death, Liniang's ghost keeps on her pursuit of love.
 
 
 
Shi Hua (Finding a Portrait)

One spring, Liu Mengmei, a sensitive and lovelorn young scholar on his way to the capital for an imperial examination, falls ill and finds his pied-a-terre at Mei Hua Guan (Apricot Blossom Taoist Temple). After a few days of recumbency and medication he feels better, but much weakened physically and listless spiritually. In his attempt to buoy up his spirit, he decides to take a stroll in a locally garden. The garden, it turns out, once part of a grand estate, is nothing now but a waste land of weeds and wild bushes. The ruined garden has increased his nameless melancholy. While staggering along and lamenting the desolate sight, he comes across a portrait half hidden under a rock. Upon further examining he becomes certain that it is a portrait of Guan Yin, the Goddess of Mercy; for the beauty of the lady in the portrait is such that he has not seen or imagined possible before. In his current state of mind, Liu thinks it wise to take home with him the portrait, in hope that the lady in the portrait -- should she indeed be the Goddess of Mercy -- would bestow upon him some spiritual solace and mental peace. He somberly promises the lady in the portrait love and respect before he takes leave of the garden carrying the portrait.
 
 
 
Jiao Hua (Calling to the Portrait)

Mengmei figures out that the portrait is a lady's travel log. The poem on the portrait reminds him that in last spring he had a dream. Dreamt that he was in a very large garden and there was a beautiful girl standing under the plum tree. It is the lady in the portrait. After composing a poem to her, Mengmei hangs the portrait on the wall and calls to her.
 
 
 
You Hui (A Romantic Encounter)

Liu hangs Du's portrait on the wall and calls to her. Du's ghost, wandering in the garden, hears him. She comes to his room, sees the portrait, and decides to meet him. Not knowing that she is a ghost, Liu is surprised by such a visit from a beauty and falls in love with her. The two have a very passionate night.
 
 
 
Ming Shi (Pledging Love)

Du comes to meet Liu every night. Liu does not realize that he is in love with a ghost until the moment he proposes marriage. It is at that time that Du tells the truth. She also tells Liu that they can no longer see each other unless Liu takes some actions to bring her back to life.
 
 
 
Huan Hun (Returning to Life)

Following Du's instructions, Liu digs up Du's grave in the garden. Du comes back to life when Liu opens her coffin.