Romance of the Western Chamber · chapter 16 of 21
The Long Pavilion
长亭
At the Long Pavilion, under a cold west wind, Yingying must say goodbye. What does she fear most, and what will Zhang Sheng promise her?
Read what you hear
- Narrator 第二天，长亭外，天很蓝，地上开满了黄花。琴童拉着马，在等张生。
Dì èr tiān, Chángtíng wài, tiān hěn lán, dì shang kāi mǎn le huánghuā. Qíntóng lāzhe mǎ, zài děng Zhāng Shēng.
The next day, outside the Long Pavilion, the sky was blue and the ground was covered in yellow flowers. Qintong held the horse, waiting for Zhang Sheng.
- Cui Yingying 西风这么冷，天上的鸟，都往南边飞了。
Xīfēng zhème lěng, tiān shang de niǎo, dōu wǎng nánbian fēi le.
The west wind is so cold. The birds in the sky are all flying south.
- Cui Yingying 树都红了。是谁的眼泪，让它们变红的？
Shù dōu hóng le. Shì shéi de yǎnlèi, ràng tāmen biàn hóng de?
The trees have all turned red. Whose tears turned them red?
Chapter 16 is part of SayMei Stories Unlimited ($2.99 a month) and SayMei Premium. Part 1 of Romance of the Western Chamber (chapters 1–5) is free, and The Second Cup of Tea, The Great Race: The Twelve Animals, The Kitchen God, Little Red Riding Hood, Beauty and the Beast, Chang'e and the Moon, Alice in Wonderland and Judge Dee's Cases are free from start to finish.
- Hongniang 小姐，你今天怎么不打扮？
Xiǎojiě, nǐ jīntiān zěnme bù dǎban?
Miss, why haven't you dressed up today?
- Cui Yingying 他要走了，打扮给谁看呢？
Tā yào zǒu le, dǎban gěi shéi kàn ne?
He's leaving. Who would I dress up for?
- Madam Cui 莺莺，坐下，吃一点儿东西。你从早上到现在，什么都没吃。
Yīngyīng, zuòxià, chī yìdiǎnr dōngxi. Nǐ cóng zǎoshang dào xiànzài, shénme dōu méi chī.
Yingying, sit down and eat a little something. You haven't eaten a thing since morning.
- Cui Yingying 娘，我吃不下。
Niáng, wǒ chī bu xià.
Mother, I can't eat.
- Madam Cui 张生，到了京城，你要考个状元，做个官回来！
Zhāng Shēng, dào le jīngchéng, nǐ yào kǎo gè zhuàngyuan, zuò gè guān huílai!
Zhang Sheng, when you reach the capital, come first in the exams and come back an official!
- Abbot Faben 张先生，考完以后，我去买名单，先找你的名字！
Zhāng xiānsheng, kǎo wán yǐhòu, wǒ qù mǎi míngdān, xiān zhǎo nǐ de míngzi!
Mr. Zhang, after the exams I'll buy the list of names and look for yours first!
- Zhang Sheng 老夫人，长老，请放心。考不上状元，我就不回来！
Lǎo fūrén, zhǎnglǎo, qǐng fàngxīn. Kǎo bu shàng zhuàngyuan, wǒ jiù bù huílai!
Madam, Abbot, don't worry. If I don't come first, I won't come back!
- Qintong 公子，马吃饱了，书和被子我也都放好了。就是您，还没吃一口饭！
Gōngzǐ, mǎ chī bǎo le, shū hé bèizi wǒ yě dōu fàng hǎo le. Jiù shì nín, hái méi chī yì kǒu fàn!
Young master, the horse has eaten its fill, and your books and bedding are packed. Only you haven't eaten a bite!
- Madam Cui 好了。长老，我们先回去。莺莺，你早一点儿回来。
Hǎo le. Zhǎnglǎo, wǒmen xiān huíqu. Yīngyīng, nǐ zǎo yìdiǎnr huílai.
That's enough. Abbot, we'll go back first. Yingying, don't be long.
- Abbot Faben 张先生，路上小心！我天天给你烧香。
Zhāng xiānsheng, lù shang xiǎoxīn! Wǒ tiāntiān gěi nǐ shāoxiāng.
Mr. Zhang, take care on the road! I'll burn incense for you every day.
- Narrator 老夫人和法本长老走了。长亭里，只有他们几个人了。
Lǎo fūrén hé Fǎběn zhǎnglǎo zǒu le. Chángtíng li, zhǐyǒu tāmen jǐ gè rén le.
Madam Cui and Abbot Faben left. Only the four of them were left in the Long Pavilion.
- Cui Yingying 张生，我给你写了一首诗。
Zhāng Shēng, wǒ gěi nǐ xiě le yì shǒu shī.
Zhang Sheng, I've written you a poem.
- Cui Yingying “你去京城了，我在这儿等。京城美人多，别爱上别人。”
“Nǐ qù jīngchéng le, wǒ zài zhèr děng. Jīngchéng měirén duō, bié àishàng biérén.”
“You're off to the capital; I'll wait here. The capital is full of beauties. Don't fall in love with someone else.”
- Zhang Sheng 小姐，天下这么大，我这一辈子，心里只有你一个人。
Xiǎojiě, tiānxià zhème dà, wǒ zhè yíbèizi, xīn li zhǐyǒu nǐ yí gè rén.
Miss, the world is so big, but as long as I live, there's only you in my heart.
- Cui Yingying 这句话，你别忘了。
Zhè jù huà, nǐ bié wàng le.
Don't you forget those words.
- Hongniang 琴童，路上别让你家公子乱跑。他啊，看见月亮就想跳墙！
Qíntóng, lù shang bié ràng nǐ jiā gōngzǐ luàn pǎo. Tā a, kànjiàn yuèliang jiù xiǎng tiào qiáng!
Qintong, don't let your young master run off on the road. That one sees the moon and wants to jump a wall!
- Qintong 红娘姐姐放心！有我在，公子什么墙也不跳！
Hóngniáng jiějie fàngxīn! Yǒu wǒ zài, gōngzǐ shénme qiáng yě bú tiào!
Don't worry, Hongniang! With me there, my young master won't jump any wall at all!
- Cui Yingying 张生，到了京城，常常给我写信。
Zhāng Shēng, dào le jīngchéng, chángcháng gěi wǒ xiě xìn.
Zhang Sheng, when you get to the capital, write to me often.
- Zhang Sheng 好！我一考上，就给你写信！
Hǎo! Wǒ yì kǎoshàng, jiù gěi nǐ xiě xìn!
I will! The moment I pass, I'll write to you!
- Zhang Sheng 小姐，你也要多吃一点儿饭。
Xiǎojiě, nǐ yě yào duō chī yìdiǎnr fàn.
And you, Miss, must eat a little more.
- Cui Yingying 天快黑了。张生，你走吧，别回头。
Tiān kuài hēi le. Zhāng Shēng, nǐ zǒu ba, bié huítóu.
It's almost dark. Zhang Sheng, go now, and don't look back.
- Zhang Sheng 小姐，等我回来！琴童，走！
Xiǎojiě, děng wǒ huílai! Qíntóng, zǒu!
Miss, wait for me to come back! Qintong, let's go!
- Narrator 太阳下山了。张生骑着马，和琴童走远了。
Tàiyáng xià shān le. Zhāng Shēng qízhe mǎ, hé Qíntóng zǒu yuǎn le.
The sun went down. Zhang Sheng rode off with Qintong into the distance.
- Hongniang 小姐，他走远了，看不见了。我们也上车回去吧。
Xiǎojiě, tā zǒu yuǎn le, kàn bu jiàn le. Wǒmen yě shàng chē huíqu ba.
Miss, he's gone. We can't see him now. Let's get in the carriage and go back too.
- Cui Yingying 天下的眼泪，都在我心里。这么小的车，怎么拉得回去？
Tiānxià de yǎnlèi, dōu zài wǒ xīn li. Zhème xiǎo de chē, zěnme lā de huíqu?
All the tears in the world are in my heart. How can a carriage this small carry them home?
Hear the chapter
What changed in the story?
- Why hasn't Yingying dressed up today?
“他要走了，打扮给谁看呢”
- What will Abbot Faben buy after the exams?
“我去买名单，先找你的名字”
- What does Qintong say Zhang Sheng hasn't done?
“就是您，还没吃一口饭”
- What does Yingying's poem ask Zhang Sheng?
“别爱上别人”
- What does Yingying say the little carriage can't carry?
“天下的眼泪，都在我心里”