Romance of the Western Chamber · chapter 9 of 21
The Phoenix Seeks His Mate
凤求凰
The moon is up and the garden is still. Hongniang takes Yingying out to burn incense, and she has a reason of her own for going.
Read what you hear
- Narrator 那天晚上，月亮又圆又亮。书房里，张生拿出了他的琴。
Nà tiān wǎnshang, yuèliang yòu yuán yòu liàng. Shūfáng li, Zhāng Shēng ná chū le tā de qín.
That night the moon was round and bright. In the study, Zhang Sheng took out his qin.
- Zhang Sheng 琴啊，今天晚上，请你把我的心，说给小姐听。
Qín a, jīntiān wǎnshang, qǐng nǐ bǎ wǒ de xīn, shuō gěi xiǎojiě tīng.
Qin, tonight please tell the young lady what is in my heart.
- Hongniang 小姐，今天的月亮真圆！快到花园来烧香吧。
Xiǎojiě, jīntiān de yuèliang zhēn yuán! Kuài dào huāyuán lái shāoxiāng ba.
Miss, the moon is so round tonight! Come out to the garden and burn your incense.
Chapter 9 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.
- Cui Yingying 月亮啊，你一个月能圆一次。我们……为什么不能？
Yuèliang a, nǐ yí gè yuè néng yuán yí cì. Wǒmen… wèishénme bù néng?
Moon, once a month you get to be whole. Why... can't we?
- Hongniang 小姐，你在跟月亮说话吗？
Xiǎojiě, nǐ zài gēn yuèliang shuōhuà ma?
Miss, are you talking to the moon?
- Cui Yingying 谁说话了？我在烧香。
Shéi shuōhuà le? Wǒ zài shāoxiāng.
Who said anything? I'm burning incense.
- Hongniang 小姐又在想张生了。好，现在就咳嗽！
Xiǎojiě yòu zài xiǎng Zhāng Shēng le. Hǎo, xiànzài jiù késou!
Miss is thinking about Zhang Sheng again. Right, time to cough!
- Cui Yingying 红娘，你怎么了？
Hóngniáng, nǐ zěnme le?
Hongniang, what's wrong?
- Hongniang 没什么，小姐，我有一点儿咳嗽。
Méi shénme, xiǎojiě, wǒ yǒu yìdiǎnr késou.
It's nothing, Miss. I just have a little cough.
- Zhang Sheng 是红娘的咳嗽！好，现在弹琴！
Shì Hóngniáng de késou! Hǎo, xiànzài tán qín!
That's Hongniang's cough! Right, now for the qin!
- Cui Yingying 你听！那是什么声音？是风吗？是寺里的钟吗？
Nǐ tīng! Nà shì shénme shēngyīn? Shì fēng ma? Shì sì li de zhōng ma?
Listen! What's that sound? Is it the wind? Is it the temple bell?
- Hongniang 不是风，也不是钟。小姐，你再听听。
Bú shì fēng, yě bú shì zhōng. Xiǎojiě, nǐ zài tīngting.
It isn't the wind, and it isn't the bell. Listen again, Miss.
- Cui Yingying 是琴……是张生在弹琴。我去他的窗户下听听。
Shì qín… shì Zhāng Shēng zài tán qín. Wǒ qù tā de chuānghu xià tīngting.
It's a qin... it's Zhang Sheng playing. I'll go and listen under his window.
- Narrator 莺莺轻轻走到书房的窗户下。
Yīngyīng qīngqīng zǒu dào shūfáng de chuānghu xià.
Yingying crept softly to the study window.
- Zhang Sheng 窗户下好像有人……是小姐吗？那这一首，就是给你的。
Chuānghu xià hǎoxiàng yǒu rén… shì xiǎojiě ma? Nà zhè yì shǒu, jiù shì gěi nǐ de.
There seems to be someone under the window... is that you, Miss? Then this one is for you.
- Cui Yingying 他知道我在这儿？
Tā zhīdào wǒ zài zhèr?
He knows I'm here?
- Zhang Sheng 这一首叫凤求凰。很久以前，一个书生用它，得到了他爱的人。
Zhè yì shǒu jiào Fèng qiú huáng. Hěn jiǔ yǐqián, yí gè shūshēng yòng tā, dédào le tā ài de rén.
This one is called The Phoenix Seeks His Mate. Long ago, a scholar won the woman he loved with it.
- Zhang Sheng 一只鸟飞了三千里，只想找到她。她就在墙那边，为什么见不到？
Yì zhī niǎo fēi le sānqiān lǐ, zhǐ xiǎng zhǎodào tā. Tā jiù zài qiáng nàbiān, wèishénme jiàn bu dào?
“A bird flew three thousand li, wanting only to find her. She is just beyond the wall: why can't he see her?”
- Cui Yingying 他心里一定很难过……我的眼泪，都流出来了。
Tā xīn li yídìng hěn nánguò… wǒ de yǎnlèi, dōu liú chūlai le.
He must be so sad inside... my tears have started to fall.
- Zhang Sheng 老夫人忘了她说的话。小姐啊，你的话，也不是真的……
Lǎo fūrén wàng le tā shuō de huà. Xiǎojiě a, nǐ de huà, yě bú shì zhēn de…
“Madam has forgotten what she said. And Miss, your words weren't true either...”
- Cui Yingying 张生，你说错了……这不是我的错啊。
Zhāng Shēng, nǐ shuō cuò le… zhè bú shì wǒ de cuò a.
Zhang Sheng, you've got it wrong... this isn't my fault.
- Hongniang 小姐，快回去吧！你的眼泪，要是让老夫人看见就不好了！
Xiǎojiě, kuài huíqu ba! Nǐ de yǎnlèi, yàoshi ràng Lǎo fūrén kànjiàn jiù bù hǎo le!
Miss, go back inside, quick! If Madam sees your tears, there'll be trouble!
- Cui Yingying 让我再听一会儿……
Ràng wǒ zài tīng yíhuìr…
Let me listen a little longer...
- Hongniang 还有……今天张生给我跪下了，还说他明天就走。
Hái yǒu… jīntiān Zhāng Shēng gěi wǒ guìxià le, hái shuō tā míngtiān jiù zǒu.
There's more... today Zhang Sheng went down on his knees to me, and he says he's leaving tomorrow.
- Cui Yingying 他要走？那我怎么办？
Tā yào zǒu? Nà wǒ zěnme bàn?
He's leaving? Then what will I do?
- Hongniang 小姐，老夫人给他金子，让他再找一个妻子。他还留在这儿做什么？
Xiǎojiě, Lǎo fūrén gěi tā jīnzi, ràng tā zài zhǎo yí gè qīzi. Tā hái liú zài zhèr zuò shénme?
Miss, Madam offered him gold and told him to find another wife. What would he stay here for?
- Cui Yingying 好红娘，让他别走！你告诉他……我娘说什么，我也不会让他就这样走的！
Hǎo Hóngniáng, ràng tā bié zǒu! Nǐ gàosu tā… wǒ niáng shuō shénme, wǒ yě bú huì ràng tā jiù zhèyàng zǒu de!
Dear Hongniang, make him stay! Tell him... whatever my mother says, I won't let him go like this!
Hear the chapter
What changed in the story?
- What does Yingying ask the moon?
“月亮啊，你一个月能圆一次。我们……为什么不能？”
- What does Yingying first think the sound might be?
“是风吗？是寺里的钟吗？”
- What does Zhang Sheng say this song once did, long ago?
“很久以前，一个书生用它，得到了他爱的人”
- What does Zhang Sheng sing about Madam Cui and Yingying?
“老夫人忘了她说的话。小姐啊，你的话，也不是真的”
- What news does Hongniang give Yingying in the garden?
“还说他明天就走”