漢英雙講：中國元曲50篇

本書從流傳至今的幾千首元曲作品中精心遴選出50首（套）具有代表性的優秀作品，用英漢雙語進行了詳細的注釋和賞析。本書按作者生卒年順序編排元曲，每首（套）元曲的介紹包括以下部分：作者生平（中、英文）、元曲（中、英文）、字句注釋、全曲賞析（中、英文）。

基本介紹

• 書名：漢英雙講:中國元曲50篇
• 作者：高民 王亦高
• 出版日期：2014年6月1日
• 開本：16
• 品牌：大連出版社
• 外文名：50 Classical Chinese Yuan Qu with Chinese-english Interpretations
• 出版社：大連出版社
• 頁數：270頁
• ISBN：9787550506015

基本介紹

內容簡介

《漢英雙講:中國元曲50篇(漢英對照)》由大連出版社出版。

作者簡介

許淵沖，詩譯英、法語唯一人，北京大學教授，翻譯家。在國內外出版中、英、法文著譯六十本，包括《詩經》、《楚辭》、《李白詩選》、《西廂記》、《紅與黑》、《包法利夫人》、《追憶似水年華》等中外名著，是有史以來將中國歷代詩詞譯成英、法韻文的唯一專家。1999年被提名為諾貝爾文學獎候選人。2010年被評為全國翻譯行業最高榮譽獎“中國翻譯文化終身成就獎”。

高民，北京交通大學教授，碩士研究生導師。中華詩詞學會會員。重要研究領域之一是中國古代文學史，特別是古典詩歌的研究與鑑賞。主要作品有《中國古代詩歌概論與名篇欣賞》、《千古桃源夢：陶淵明的故事》等多部專著和教材。

鐘良明，北京交通大學外語系主任，教授、碩士生導師。著名英語專家、教育家。

圖書目錄

元好問 Yuan Haowen
人月圓·卜 居外家東園 （重岡已隔紅塵斷）
TUNE： MAN AND MOON
Moving to My Mother’s East Garden
“ Hill on hill keeps apart the vanity fair”
小聖樂·驟雨打新荷 （綠葉陰濃）
TUNE： MINOR SACRED MUSIC
Sudden Shower Beating on New Lotus Leaves
“ Green leaves casting deep shade”
楊果 Yang Guo
小桃紅·採蓮女 （滿城煙水月微茫）
TUNE： RED PEACH BLOSSOMS
The Lotus Gatherer
“ The dimming moon o’er mist—veiled town and water looms”
杜仁傑 Du Renjie ·
耍孩兒·莊家不識構闌 （風調雨順民安樂）
TUNE： PLAYING THE CHILD
A Peasant Knows Not the Theatre
“ People live happy when in time blows wind and falls rain”
商挺 Shang Ting
潘妃曲 （帶月披星擔驚怕）
TUNE： SONG OF PRINCESS PAN
“ Shivering with fright”
劉秉忠 Liu Bingzhong
乾荷葉 （乾荷葉）
TUNE： DRIED LOTUS LEAVES
“ Lotus leaves dried” 33
陳草庵 Chen Cao’an
山坡羊·嘆世 （晨雞初叫）
TUNE： SHEEP ON THE SLOPE
O World！
“ At dawn cock crows”
關漢卿 Guan Hanqing
沉醉東風·別情 （咫尺的天南地北）
TUNE： INTOXICATED IN EAST WIND
Farewell Song
“ We stand so near yet we’ll be poles apart soon”
四塊玉·閒適 （南畝耕）
TUNE： FOUR PIECES OF JADE
Life of Easy Leisure
“ Having tilled the southern field”
雜劇《竇娥冤》第三折選段 （沒來由犯王法）
Dou E as Victim of Injustice （The following is from Act III）
“ Of law breaking I never dreamt”
白樸 Bai Pu
天淨沙
TUNE： SUNNY SAND
沉醉東風·漁夫 （黃蘆岸白渡口）
Fisherman
“ The river shore overgrown with yellow reed”
姚燧 Yao Sui
憑闌人·寄征衣 （欲寄征衣君不還）
TUNE： LEANING ON BALUSTRADE
The Winter Garment
“ If I send winter garment to thee”
王和卿 Wang Heqing
醉中天·詠大蝴蝶 （掙破莊周夢）
TUNE： A DRINKER’S SKY
Song of a Huge Butterfly
“ Breaking a philosopher’s dream”
盧摯 Lu Zhi
沉醉東風·秋景 （掛絕壁枯松倒倚）
TUNE： INTOXICATED IN EAST WIND
Autumn
“ The frowning cliff thrusts out a bending ancient pine”
馬致遠 Ma Zhiyuan
天淨沙·秋思 （枯藤老樹昏鴉）
TUNE： SUNNY SAND
Autumn Thoughts
“ Over old trees wreathed with rotten vines fly crows”
四塊玉·嘆世 （兩鬢皤）
TUNE： FOUR PIECES OF JADE
O World！
“ Grey turns my hair”
夜行船·秋思 （蛩吟罷一覺才寧貼）
TUNE： NIGHT—SAILING BOAT
Autumn Thoughts
“ When crickets sing， I can sleep well”
王實甫 Wang Shifu
《西廂記》第四本第三折《哭宴》選段（不憂文齊福不齊）
Weeping at the Farewell Feast （From Act Ⅲof Scene Ⅳ， Western Wingroom）
“I care not if your talent won’t build a career”
十二月過堯民歌·別情 （自別後遙山隱隱）
FROM A YEAR’S END TO FOLKLORE
Parting Grief
“ Since we parted， far—flung hills disappear with you”
薛昂夫 Xue Angfu
塞鴻秋 （功名萬里忙如燕）
TUNE： AUTUMN SWAN ON FRONTIER
“ Busy for far—flung fame as swallows in flight”
張養浩 Zhang Yanghao
山坡羊·潼關懷古 （峰巒如聚） 116
TUNE： SHEEP ON THE SLOPE
Thinking of the Past on My Way to Tong Pass
“ Peaks like brows knit”
真氏 Zhen
解三酲 （奴本是明珠擎掌）
TUNE： THRICE DRUNK AND SOBERED
“ I was a bright pearl in my parents’ palm”
張可久 Zhang Kejiu
折桂令·西陵送別 （畫船兒載不起離愁）
TUNE： PLUCKING LAUREL BRANCH
Farewell at the West Ferry
“ Our parting grief outweighs your painted boat”
喜春來·永康驛中 （荷盤敲雨珠千顆）
TUNE： WELCOME TO SPRING
At an Inn in Yongkang
“ Rain beats on lotus leaves drop on drop”
徐再思 Xu Zaisi
朝天子·西湖 （里湖，外湖）
TUNE： SKYWARD SONG
West Lake
“ In inner lake and outer lake”
周德清 Zhou Deqing
折桂令 （倚蓬窗無語嗟呀）
TUNE： PLUCKING LAUREL BRANCH
“ Leaning on windowsill， speechless I sigh”
滿庭芳·看岳王傳 （披文握武）
TUNE： COURTYARD FULL OF FRAGRANCE
Reading the Biography of General Yue
“ By word and sword”
鐘嗣成 Zhong Sicheng
醉太平·落魄 （之一）（繞前街后街）
TUNE： INTOXICATED IN TIME OF PEACE
A Beggar—scholar （Ⅰ）
“I go along the street ”
醉太平·落魄 （之二）（風流貧最好）
TUNE： INTOXICATED IN TIME OF PEACE
A Beggar—scholar （Ⅱ）
“ The poor may be happy in love”
趙善慶 Zhao Shanqing
折桂令·湖山堂 （八窗開水月交光）
TUNE： PLUCKING LAUREL BRANCH
Hall of Lake and Hill
“ Outside eight windows water dissolves in moonlight”
張鳴善 Zhang Mingshan
普天樂·嘲西席 （講詩書，習功課）
TUNE： UNIVERSAL JOY
To a Funny Tutor
“ You teach pupils to read and write”
睢景臣 Sui Jingchen
哨遍·高祖還鄉 （社長排門告示）
TUNE： WHISTLING AROUND
Emperor’s Home—coming
“ The village chief announces from door to door”
喬吉 Qiao Ji
山坡羊·冬日寫懷 （朝三暮四）
TUNE： SHEEP ON THE SLOPE
Thoughts in Winter
“ You change along”
小桃紅·效聯珠格 （落花飛絮隔朱簾） 191
TUNE： RED PEACH BLOSSOMS
Tip—to—toe Style
“ Petals fall with willow down outside the screen”
貫雲石 Guan Yunshi
塞鴻秋·代人作 （戰西風幾點賓鴻至）
TUNE： AUTUMN SWAN ON FRONTIER
Written for a Friend
“ In the west breeze shiver a few dots of wild geese”
紅繡鞋 （挨著靠著雲窗同坐）
TUNE： EMBROIDERED RED SHOES
“ To you I cling， on you I lean”
查德卿 Zha Deqing
柳營曲·金陵故址 （臨故國）
TUNE： SONG OF WILLOW CAMP
The Ancient Capital at Jinling
“ Coming to ancient capital”
唐毅夫 Tang Yifu
一枝花·怨雪 （不呈六出祥）
TUNE： A SPRIG OF FLOWERS
Complaint Against Snow
“ Is snow of any good·”
班惟志 Ban Weizhi
一枝花·秋夜聞箏 （透疏簾風搖楊柳陰）
TUNE： A SPRIG OF FLOWERS
The Zither Heard on an Autumn Night
“ On window screen the breeze sways shadows of willow trees”
宋方壺 Song Fanghu
山坡羊·道情 （青山相待）
TUNE： SHEEP ON THE SLOPE
A Carefree Dream
“ Blue hills greet and love me”
鬥鵪鶉·送別 （落日遙岑）
TUNE： FIGHT OF QUAILS
Parting
“ At sunset stretch out distant hills”
蘭楚芳 Lan Chufang
四塊玉·風情
TUNE： FOUR PIECES OF JADE
A Maid in Love
無名氏一 Anon 1
朝天子·志感 （不讀書有權） ·
TUNE： SKYWARD SONG
Reflections
“ Those who can’t read are powerful”
無名氏二 Anon 2 ·
紅繡鞋 （一兩句別人閒話）
TUNE： EMBROIDERED RED SHOES
“ You have heard one gossip or two”
無名氏三 Anon 3
慶宣和 （寄語寒窗老秀才）
TUNE： CELEBRATION OF IMPERIAL REIGN
“ I tell the old unsuccessful candidate”
無名氏四 Anon 4
折桂令 （嘆世間多少痴人）
TUNE： PLUCKING LAUREL BRANCH
“ How many in the world are people unwise·”
無名氏五 Anon 5
叨叨令 （黃塵萬古長安路）
TUNE： CHATTERING SONG
“ Yellow dust raised on royal road since olden days”
無名氏六 Anon 6
寄生草 （有幾句知心話，本待要訴與他）
TUNE： PARASITE GRASS
“ I would impart to you what’s in my heart”
無名氏七 Anon 7
梧葉兒
TUNE： PLANE LEAVES

序言

2003年，本書作者團隊在大連出版社的鼎力支持下，出版了《漢英雙講中國古詩100首》。這本書用中文和英文雙語對100首中國古詩進行了較為詳細的解讀和賞析。該書出版後，受到讀者的普遍好評，更受到學習漢語和到中國旅遊的外國友人的青睞。在中國越來越開放並大步走向世界的今天，在多元文化交流與合作日益頻繁的國際大背景下，用各種形式將中國文化推向世界，讓世界人民更多地了解中國，無疑對推動中國進步和促進世界和諧發展有著不容忽視的積極意義。眾所周知，中國古代詩歌形式最常見的有詩、詞、曲三種。為了更加全面地介紹中國古代詩歌的面貌，本書作者團隊再接再厲，繼《漢英雙講中國古詩100首》出版之後，又編選翻譯了《漢英雙講中國元曲50篇》。
中國的元代從公元1206年開始到1368年結束，時間跨度雖然只有一百多年，但卻是中國文化的重要轉折時期。從消極方面講，元代是中國少數民族之一的蒙古族入主中原建立的政權，而蒙古族部落在入主中原之前尚處於奴隸制社會形態，他們對中原地區的統治帶有明顯的掠奪性質，使悠久的漢民族傳統文化遭到一定程度的破壞。但從積極方面講，元朝的統治又結束了中國土地上300多年來政權並立、疆土分裂的局面，使中國整體的疆域更加廣大，國家趨於統一。地域的廣大、國家的統一、多民族的雜居都促進了各民族人民之間的融合與交流，各民族文化也相互取長補短，彼此增進。
在元代，統治者把人分為四個等級：蒙古人、色目人、漢人和南人。空前嚴重的民族矛盾和階級矛盾使得漢族文人知識分子，即所謂儒生，幾乎遭受滅頂之災。當時有“九儒十丐”的說法，儒生不僅失去了通過科舉進身仕途的機會，而且被壓在社會的最底層，其地位僅僅高於乞丐。政治和文化壓迫迫使元代文人走向了人民大眾。他們或隱逸山林，著書立說；或混跡江湖，與盜賊為伴；或進入市井勾欄，與戲子、歌女為伍。地位的低下使他們深切了解人民的苦難，自己的不幸又激發出他們的創作熱情。他們不再為仕途的進退而苦惱，也就徹底拋卻了束縛思想行為的枷鎖，獲得了相對獨立的人格。比之前代文人，元代文人更敢於仗義執言，更敢於毫無顧忌地批評當權者。天翻地覆的社會變化，傳統文化與人民大眾的緊密結合，使元代文學的價值取向、審美情趣和藝術風格都迥異於前代，這就是元曲產生的時代背景。元曲在元代異軍突起，取代了詩、詞的地位而成為元代的代表性文學形式。
元曲的勃興還與異族音樂輸入中原有密切關係。金代、元代少數民族入主中原後，他們粗獷響亮、高昂激越的音樂旋律與原來伴隨唐詩、宋詞而流行的柔靡樂曲大異其趣。在元代初期社會動盪的艱難歲月中，人民的心中萬分痛苦，他們需要吶喊，因而中原傳統音樂的舒緩委婉與詩詞格調的含蓄典雅已經無法滿足人民精神的需求；而西域胡樂快速強烈的節奏，以及伴隨胡樂的急切而直白的歌詞才更符合人民的心理需求。由此，一種全新的流行樂曲和填詞方式順勢而起，取代了原有的詩、詞模式而成為元代文化的主流，這就是元曲。
元曲按地區分為南曲和北曲：南曲興於南宋，流行於江浙一帶；北曲興於金元，隨著元代蒙古族征服全國，逐漸由北而南風靡各地。元曲按種類分為散曲和劇曲（雜劇）：散曲曲詞是獨立成章的，而劇曲則是戲劇中的唱段；散曲屬於詩歌的範疇，而劇曲屬於戲劇的範疇。散曲又分為小令、套曲和帶過曲：小令是一段單一的曲詞；套曲是由多個曲牌連綴成套的曲詞；帶過曲是在幾段曲詞之間起連線作用的曲詞。
元曲的作家和作品數量都不能與中國詩歌高峰時期的唐詩和宋詞相提並論。根據文獻資料的統計，流傳下來的元曲，有姓名可考的作者有200餘人，作品有小令3800多首、套曲400多套、雜劇160多種。這個數量相對於幾萬首的唐詩宋詞顯得微不足道，但對於只有百餘年歷史的元代來說已經是相當可觀了。
元曲與詞有許多相同之處，同是發源於民間的文學，同是和樂填詞、亦詩亦歌的形式。但是，元曲又與傳統詩詞大異其趣，其主要不同之處在於，元曲來自民間最底層，更貼近人民生活，因而語言犀利、明快、戲謔、生動，多用白話俗語，一反傳統文人辭章的儒雅風格，更加自由開放，充滿市井氣息，是當時都市底層人民喜聞樂見的文學形式。
由於元曲都是隨樂而歌的，所以每一首元曲通常都要標明它的樂調名稱和曲牌。中國古代以宮、商、角（jue）、變徵（一說清角）、徵、羽、變宮為七聲。樂調中以任何一個音聲為主，即可構成一種調式。以宮聲為主的調式稱為“宮”，以其他六個音聲中任何一聲為主的調式都統稱為“調”，合稱為“宮調”。不同的宮調錶達著不同的情感，或激昂雄壯，或纏綿憂傷，各有特色。但是我們現代人學習元曲已經不可能重現當時的曲調了，所以本書中不再標明每一首元曲作品的調式。
元曲也有曲牌，這和詞有詞牌一樣。曲牌規定了每首曲的長短和句式。但是，曲和詞不同的是，詞常常有上下片，甚至多到三片或四片，就像我們現在一首歌曲常常有兩段甚至三段或四段歌詞一樣，唱起來有迴環往復的感覺。而曲卻不分片，只有一段，稱為單調。這是因為曲常常以敘事文學的形式出現，所以不方便重複歌唱。而且，詞的用韻比較稀疏，可以隔行押韻，而曲的用韻密集，幾乎句句用韻；詞牌對詞的句式、字數都有嚴格規定，不能隨意更改，而曲牌則比較隨意，允許作者根據需要適當改變句式，增加 襯字。
以上這些特點使得曲相對於詞來說更加靈活，方便創作，易於理解，深得百姓的歡迎。
總之，中國詩歌發展到元代，詩、詞、曲三種形式已經齊備。
後人常說“詩莊、詞媚、曲俗”，意思是，詩比較典雅、嚴肅、莊重，多用來言志抒懷；詞比較通俗、輕鬆、細膩，多用來表達情感；曲則更加詼諧戲謔、激昂慷慨，多用來鞭撻諷刺社會和世人心態。在元曲出現以後，中國古代詩歌的形式就沒有更多新的變化了，只是在詩、詞、曲三種形式中轉換搖擺，所以有人說元曲是中國古代詩歌形式中最後的輝煌。
曲在元代出現，並隨即達到高峰。但在當時的文人眼中，曲始終被認為是俗曲小調，難登大雅之堂，有地位的文人是不肯作曲而只願意作詩填詞的。隨著元代社會漸漸趨於穩定，元曲的創作日漸減少，其鋒芒也日漸消退，這也是元曲數量遠遜於歷代詩、詞創作數量的原因之一。也正因為如此，元曲有著更加鮮明的時代特徵，是元代文學的最高成就。清代末年的著名學者王國維先生因此總結說：“唐之詩，宋之詞，元之曲，皆所謂一代之文學，而後世莫能繼焉者也。”（見《宋元戲曲考·序》）鑒於元曲的重要價值和特殊形式，本書從流傳至今的幾千首元曲作品中精心遴選出50篇（套）作品，進行分析講解，以滿足中外讀者學習中國古代詩歌的需求。本書中對每篇（套）元曲作品都進行了詳細的文字注釋（中文）、元曲英譯（英文）和曲文賞析（中、英文），同時，對每位作者也有簡略介紹（中、英文）。
北京大學資深教授、著名翻譯家許淵沖先生一如既往地負責將本書所選50篇（套）元曲譯成英文。同時，我們還聘請了北京交通大學教授鐘良明先生擔任本書的英文譯著。兩位先生都是德高望重、功底深厚、學有專長的英語教授，他們的辛勤工作為本書增光添色。
總之，本書全體編譯者的最大心愿是，藉助本書的出版，為推進中外文化交流，為向世界介紹中國文化和思想，為幫助中外朋友學習漢語和中國古代文學，為增進中國與世界各國人民之間的友誼、理解和合作，略儘自己的綿薄之力。
編 譯 者The third of a series intended to introduce classical Chinese poetry, 50 Classical Chinese Yuan Qu with Chinese-English Interpretations follows 100 Classical Chinese Poems with Chinese-English Interpretationsand 50 Classical Chinese Ci with Chinese-English Interpretations, which, for their detailed annotations and insightful interpretations, have been accepted as success stories by their readers, especially by foreign tourists or Chinese language learners, thus helping China and its culture become better understood by the world, a task compatible with China’s furthered opening policy and the world’s being increasingly dependent on exchange and cooperation between cultures and nations. This book will be about Chinese classical Yuanqu, to fully meet our ambition to cover all the three Chinese poetry forms: shi, ci, and qu. As a consequence of an invasion into Central China and based on slaughter and plunder, the Yuan Dynasty represented the submission and rule of the major nationalities by a minor one, the Mongolian tribes, which had previously been practicing slavery, a rule that had to result in a cultural downturn and be a cultural transition in itself, with a history of only about a century (1206-1368). A good word for that dynasty is, however, it ended the 300-year chaos where China was broken into petty rivalry states, and started a new China with broadened territories, regained unification, and a larger number of nationalities. Naturally, these were conditions favorable for the various cultures to be exchanged, to remedy and to be remedied by one another, an essential part of that greater process in which the multitudinous tribes, races and nationalities fused into the one Chinese nation. Yuan saw the division of four classes: Mongolian, Semuren, Han, and Nan, a hierarchy that had to engender unprecedented class and national conflicts, of which intellectuals were the most miserable victims. Their misfortune originated in the abolishment of the Imperial Examination, which had formerly provided them access to official posts. Socially placed next to beggars and resenting political and cultural discrimination, they switched over to the common people, withdrawing into mountains to produce their scholarly works, or wandering over rivers and lakes enjoying their company with thieves and bandits, or plunging into the innermost lanes to befriend women singers and performers, a change that would soon be felt in their literary creation. No longer heartbroken by their blocked social ascent, they broke spiritual fetters, cast new thinking patterns, and developed new personalities. Compared with their predecessors, men of letters in Yuan displayed greater bravery in defending justice and were more outspoken in their criticism of people in power. Stunning social changes, inherent cultural tradition, and the easily available popular influence—it is these that explain the vast difference in value, aesthetic standpoint, and artistic style in the Yuan literature, where the popular quoccurs so prevailingly that it must have obscured the other two forms of poetry to become the one dominant literary genre for the time. To accompany their triumphant raids, the conquerors brought along their music, which, for its vigorous melody indicative of the hardihood of nomads, was in sharp contrast with its Central China counterpart, which, spiritually temperate and feeble, suited the previously dominating Tangshiand Songci. Such music, although alien at the time, found it fit to the sentiments of the native Chinese who had had so much of the physical hardship and political turmoil as to want to speak up in loud shouts and resent their euphemistic traditional music and decorous shi and ci, which were now far from sufficing expression of their mind. They soon found a new means in the alien music from Hu (i.e. Far Northwest), a music featuring strong beats and straightforward expression. And they formulated, shortly afterwards, new schemes for incorporating verse to the music to make up YuanSongs. In the passage of centuries, while the music part of these songs got lost in historical void, the verse part was left behind, known as Yuanqu, the predominating form of verse in the Yuan Dynasty. Regionally there are two types of qu, South and North, the former originating in the Southern Song Dynasty to become prevalent in Jiangsu and Zhejiang, the latter in the Jin and Yuan dynasties to grow increasingly popular from North to South alongside the Mongolian conquest. It again divides itself into sanqu(i.e. verse for songs each of which is independent) and juqu(i.e. verse for songs to comprise an opera). Sanquis a type of poetry but the other an element of the opera. Sanquis subdivided into xiaoling, taoqu, and daiguoqu, meaning, respectively, verse 1) to a single tune, 2) to one of a series of tunes as a tune suite, and 3) to a transitional tune within a number of tunes. With regard to the number of writers and quantity of works, Yuanqucan never be a match of Tang shiand Song ci, the golden peaks of Chinese poetry. Statistics show that there are about 200 authentic qucomposers, accounting for 3,800 pieces of xiaoling, 400 taoqu, and 160 juqu, which look rather bleak as compared to the tens of thousands pieces of Tang shiand Song ci, but are sort of consoling considering that this is a crop reaped within a mere century. Yuan qu and Song cihave a lot in common: they both originate in folk literature, are both the verse component of music, both to be read as poetry and played as song. The difference is that, belonging to the rank-and-file, Yuan quis sharp-, lucid- or cynical-toned, composed in oral speech of the day, full of folk sayings, smells a marketplace odor, and indicates a broadened individualism; it contrasts so sharply to the old-time works that it seems to have soon found it in popular favor.As verse for the song, quwas given two identifying tags: name of the melody to which musical sounds were arranged and name of the tune to which the verse was composed. In ancient China, gong, shang, jue, bianzhi (or qingjue), zhi, yu, and biangongwere names of the seven musical sounds. When gongwas to be the principal sound in the arrangement, the melody fell into the category gong, whereas any of the other six sounds was to be principal, the melody would alike be tagged diao. Since gong-diaothus represented form and capacity of the melody, as it varied, it gave expression to moods running all the way from foaming indignation to militant grandeur, from sentimental affection to dark melancholy.Alas, long lost was such music, so that modern learners will have to abide a book devoid of the faintest clue as to what those dismal or magnificent melodies are like.As is the case of Song ci, the tune dictates number of words in the verse and form of the line. They are different in that ci is often composed of 2, 3 or even 4 stanzas, like the modern song that comprises several stanzas to be sung repeatedly, whereas a piece of quis a single (mono-) verse. This feature of qusuits its narrative form, but is unfit for the words to be voiced repeatedly. Also, while ciis rhymed every two or few lines, quhas to be rhymed at the end of virtually each line. Again, while the citune restricts line form and the number of words, quis flexible as to be allowed to have its line form and number of words somewhat varied, as deemed necessary by the composer. Such liberty benefits qucreation and makes for easier understanding for the audience, to aid qu’s popular influence. Joining shiand ci, qucombines with them to constitute a homogeneous system of Chinese poetry. Critics in the ensuing ages have branded them, in that order, as majestic, courtly, and vulgar, meaning that shi, elegant, solemn, and elevated in style, suits expression of aspirations, ideals, and profound feelings, ci, with its comparatively easy text and a style that is brisk and entertaining, gives expression to sentimental emotions, whereas qu, popularly favored and playfully, ironically, or indignantly worded, is a ready means for social satire and depiction of mentality of the rank-and-file. Upon completion of these three forms, Chinese poetry sort of came to a standstill, to shift aimlessly from one to another, now and again. And this happened, say critics, only after quhad exhibited the afterglow. Even after quhad taken root, literary people were still regarding it with disdain, calling it vulgar melodies, unworthy of a place as art, and the well positioned, while continuing their love for shiand ci, never considered the composition of quworth their while. As Yuan approached its social stability, things were even worse: qurecorded declined production and its influence seemed to be spending itself. However, it is owing to its scanty quantity that it has been evaluated as a historical rarity, the sole means of expression for the time, and its most important literary achievement. “As did shiin Tang and ciin Song, qu in Yuan represents an age, to be succeeded by no counterpart in any other,” comments Wang Guowei, an eminent scholar in the Qing Dynasty, in his Preface to A survey of Opera Verse in Song and Yuan. Thus inspired, we selected 50 pieces from among several thousand, had them annotated, translated, and interpreted, and provided each with a short biographical introduction. Should this book have been given its merits, we largely owe them to Xu Yuanchong, a professor of distinction from Peking University, who allowed us to use his English versions of these verses, and to Zhong Liangming, a veteran professor of Beijing Jiaotong University, who agreed to render into English the rest of the book that required to be translated. May this little book be one more fruitful effort towards increased exchange between cultures and promoted learning of the Chinese language and literary classics. The Authors and Translators