Qiu Yuan

Qiu Yuan (Chinese: 丘园; 1617–1689) was an opera writer of the early Qing dynasty.

Quotes

• 漫搵英雄淚，相離處士家。謝慈悲剃度在蓮台下。
  沒緣法轉眼分離乍。赤條條來去無牽挂。
  那里討煙蓑雨笠卷單行？一任俺芒鞋破缽隨緣化！
  • Dried are the hero's tears.
    My patron's house left behind;
    By grace divine
    Tonsured below the Lotus Throne.
    Not destined to stay,
    I leave the monastery in a flash,
    Naked I go without impediment;
    My sole wish now
    To roam alone in coir cape and bamboo hat,
    And in straw sandals with a broken alms bow!
    To wander where I will.
    • "The Drunken Monk" (Lu Zhishen), as quoted by Xue Baochai in Cao Xueqin's Dream of the Red Chamber (c. 1760), Ch. 22; A Dream of Red Mansions, trans. Yang Xianyi and Gladys Yang, Vol. 2 (1978), p. 599.
  • Variant translation:
    • I dash aside the manly tear
      And take leave of my monkish home.
      A word of thanks to you, my Master dear,
      Who tonsured me before the Lotus Throne:
      'Twas not my luck to stay with you,
      And in a short while I must say adieu,
      Naked and friendless through the world to roam.
      I ask no goods, no gear to take away,
      Only straw sandals and a broken bowl,
      To beg from place to place as best I may.
      • The Story of the Stone, trans. David Hawkes, Vol. 1 (1973), p. 435

About

• 'Whether their ladyships and the young ladies are enjoying themselves or not,' said Bao-yu, 'what concern is it of mine?'
  Aroma laughed. 'Seeing that they're all doing their best to be agreeable, couldn't you try to do likewise? Surely it's much better all round if everyone will give and take a bit?'
  'What do you mean, "give and take a bit"? ... They can give and take a bit if they like. My destiny is a different one: naked and friendless through the world to roam.' A tear stole down his cheek as he recalled the line from the aria. He continued to ponder its words and to savour their meaning, and ended up by bursting into tears and crying outright.
  • Cao Xueqin, The Story of the Stone, Vol. 1: 'The Golden Days', trans. David Hawkes (Penguin Books, 1973), p. 439

External links

• Encyclopedic article on zh:丘園 (清朝) on Wikipedia
• Drunken Monk at Nine Dragon Spot (10 June 2012)