eDen  伊顿书屋

2020.09.16：

《石头记》，又名《红楼梦》，是公认的中国古典长篇小说四大名著之一。与其它三部（《三国演义》、《水浒传》和《西游记》）相比，描写清初一个贵族之家由鼎盛而衰落之故事的《红楼梦》在它诞生的两个半世纪中吸引了更多的读者和研究学者，形成了所谓的“红学”。这在中国文学史上可以说是绝无仅有的现象了，在当世与甲骨文研究和敦煌莫高窟研究并称为中国历史文化三大显学。之所以会如此，不仅仅是因为小说的文学价值，更是因为它百科全书式呈现的古典文化现象和几近登峰造极的社会文化内涵。当然也有它如断臂维纳斯般残缺不全的美；谜一样的作者、评论者身世以及创作过程等等的原因。

笔者自幼熟读《红楼梦》，虽然那时能够读懂的不过是宝黛爱情悲剧、林妹妹的悲惨死亡等等。然而曹雪芹所塑造的大观园中纯净、快乐、典雅的女儿世界吸引着笔者一次次重读这本书。从某种意义上说，这部小说是笔者在中国古典文化方面的启蒙者，至今受益匪浅。再读红楼将呈现笔者读此书的点滴所得。

2020.10.02：

在所有《石头记》、《红楼梦》的序跋、出版说明、导读、评论、阐释等文中，戚序本所附的清代乾隆朝官员戚蓼生所作的序言可谓不可不读的一种。

《石头记序》
（清）戚蓼生①

吾闻绛树两歌，一声在喉，一声在鼻；黄华二牍，左腕能楷，右腕能草②。神乎技矣!吾未之见也。今则两歌而不分乎喉鼻，二牍而无区乎左右。一声也，而两歌；一手也，而二牍。此万万所不能有之事，不可得之奇，而竟得之《石头记》一书。嘻!异矣。

夫敷华掞藻，立意遣词，无一落前人窠臼。此固有目共赏，姑不具论。第观其蕴于心而抒于手也：注彼而写此，目送而手挥③；似谲而正，似则而淫；如《春秋》之有微词，史家之多曲笔④。

试一一读而绎之：写闺房则极其雍肃也，而艳冶已满纸矣；状阀阅则极其丰整也，而式微已盈睫矣；写宝玉之淫而痴也，而多情善悟不减历下琅琊⑤；写黛玉之妒而尖也，而笃爱深怜不啻桑娥石女⑥；他如摹绘玉钗金屋，刻画芗泽罗襦，靡靡焉几令读者心荡神怡矣，而欲求其一字一句之粗鄙猥亵不可得也。盖声止一声，手止一手，而淫佚贞静，悲戚欢愉，不啻双管之齐下也。噫!异矣。其殆稗官野史中之盲左、腐迁乎⑦？

然吾谓作者有两意，读者当具一心。譬之绘事，石有三面，佳处不过一峰；路看两蹊，幽处不踰一树⑧。必得是意，以读是书，乃能得作者微旨。如捉水月，祗挹清辉；如雨天花，但闻香气。庶得此书弦外音乎?  

乃或者以未窥全豹为恨，不知盛衰本是回环，万缘无非幻泡。作者慧眼婆心，正不必再作转语，而万千领悟，便具无数慈航矣。彼沾沾焉刻楮叶以求之者⑨，其与开卷而寤者几希。

                        德清戚蓼生晓堂氏 ⑩

注释:

1. 戚蓼(lu4)生: 字念功，号晓堂(塘)，浙江湖州府德清县人。乾隆三十四年（1769）己丑进士,官至户部郎中、福建按察使。乾隆五十七年（1792年）冬因勞累而逝於任上。周绍濂《德清县续志·人物志》载，戚蓼生“為人倜傥，不修威仪，使酒好狎侮人”。著有《竺湖春墅詩钞》五卷，已失传。曾整理带有脂批的八十回本《石头记》并亲自作序，即今之“戚序本”。

2. 绛树两歌、黄华二牍：据《稗史汇编》卷五十八，元人伊世珍所辑《嫏嬛记》卷上，引《志奇》一书说：“绛树一声能两曲，二人细听，各闻一曲，一字不乱；人疑其一声在鼻，竟不测其何术。当时有黄华者，双手能写二牍，或楷或草，挥毫不辍，各自有意。余谓‘绛树两歌，黄华二牍’是确对也。” 在唐人冯贽的《记事珠》中有文字几乎相同的引用。

3. 注彼而写此，目送而手挥：晋·杜预《春秋左氏传集解序》：“为例之情有五。一曰微而显，文见于此，而起义在彼。”孔颖达疏：“‘文见于此’，谓彼注云‘辞微而义显’也。”金圣叹在《读第六才子书西厢记法》中说：“文章最妙，是目注彼处，手写此处。若有时必欲目注此处，則必手写彼处。一部《左传》，便十六都用此法。若不解其意，而目亦注此处，手亦写此处，便一览已尽。《西廂记》最是解此意。” 嵇康《送秀才入军》之四：“目送归鸿，手挥五弦。俯仰自得，游心泰玄。”

4.《春秋》之有微词，史家之多曲笔：微词，即微辞。微辞与曲笔皆为史家在写作史书时为避免政治迫害而采用的避讳、委婉曲折的写法。《春秋》为中国第一部编年体史书，儒家六经之一，也是周朝时期鲁国的国史。现存版本据传由孔子修订而成。微辞以貌似简短、平淡的言辞隐含对当世或近世权贵者的批评之意。通常以运用“注彼而写此”、典故等手法来实现。曲笔是不直书其事而以看似离题的委婉曲折的叙述加以表达的一种笔法。

5. 历下、琅琊：历下和琅琊为山东古地名，历史上都曾出过许多世家和名士，如琅琊王氏、历下的李攀龙、李清照、辛弃疾等，因此以地名指代多情才子。历下在今山东济南市西，琅琊在临沂。

6. 桑娥、石女：桑娥和石女都是以美丽、忠于爱情的事迹而闻名的女子。桑娥指汉乐府《陌上桑》所写采桑女子秦罗敷。石女，指石氏女，亦有人解为传说中化为望夫石的女子。

7. 盲左、腐迁：指中国史学经典《春秋左传》的作者左丘明（公元前556年—公元前451年，春秋末鲁国人）和《史记》的作者司马迁（公元前145年—公元前90年，西汉夏阳龙门人）。传说左丘明双目失明，故称“盲左”；司马迁受过腐刑，故称“腐迁”。这里指代正史作者。

8. 石有三面、路看两蹊：语出唐末至五代荆浩(约855-915)的《画山水赋》：“石分三面，路看两蹊，树观顶𩕳(ning3），水看岸基，此其法也。”

9. 刻楮叶：典出《韩非子·喻老》：“宋人有为其君以象为楮叶者，三年而成；丰杀茎柯，毫芒繁泽，乱之楮叶之中而不可别也。此人遂以功食禄于宋邦。列子闻之，曰：‘使天地三年而成一叶，则物之有叶者寡矣。’ 故不乘天地之资而载一人之身, 不随道理之数而学一人之智, 此皆一叶之行也。故冬耕之稼, 后稷不能羡也；丰年大禾, 臧获不能恶也。以一人力, 则后稷不足；随自然, 则臧获有余。故曰：'恃万物之自然而不敢为也。' ”《列子·说符》亦载此事，只“象”作“玉”。刻楮叶有技艺工巧之至、刻苦努力成果却价值不大之意，亦含有赖人工之力远逊顺自然之力的哲理。与此典故相关的成语还有：

刻楮： 宋·陆游《题庵壁》：“薄技徒劳真刻楮，浮生随处是飞蓬。”

楮叶工夫:  宋·王安石 《莫疑》：“莲花世界何关汝，楮叶工夫浪费年。”

刻楮三年:  宋·陆游《别曾学士》：“画石或十日，刻楮有三年。”

三年刻楮： 宋·陈与义《再用景纯韵咏怀》之二：“六日取蟾乖世用，三年刻楮费天机。”

三年一楮叶:   宋·王安石《前日石上松》：“三年一楮叶，世事真期费。”

一叶之行:   唐·李商隐《一片琼英》：“一片琼英价动天，连城十二昔虚传。良工巧费真为累，楮叶成来不直钱。”

10. 该《戚蓼生石头记序》原文系依据人民文学出版社1975年6月第一版第一次印刷的铅印《戚蓼生序本石头记》全八册第一册的“石头记序”，以简体字整理、断句而成。据同书的人民文学出版社1973年9月撰“出版说明”称，该书系由有正书局“大字本”《国初钞本原本红楼梦》影印出版。

参考文献:

1. 曹雪芹，《戚蓼生序本石头记》。铅印平装本，北京：人民文学出版社，1975年6月第一版第一次印刷。

2. 荆浩，晚唐，《画山水赋》，维基文库。

3. 王人恩，《红楼梦考论》（2014），北京：中国社会科学出版社。

4. 颜建华，“戚蓼生家世、仕宦和创作新考——兼与邓庆佑先生商榷”，《红楼梦学刊》，2008年第6期，北京：中国艺术研究院。

5. 至真斋主，“戚蓼生《石头记序》新译-兼论戚序对解读《红楼梦》的意义”（2017-08-09网文），《至真斋主的博客》 http://blog.sina.com.cn/zhizhenzhaizhu 。

6. 周汝昌，“附录三：戚蓼生与戚本”,《红楼梦新证1976增订版》，北京：人民文学出版社。 

                                            文字整理编辑 陈群

2020.10.06:

       《中秋夜大观园即景联句三十五韵》1,2

三五中秋夕，清游拟上元 3。
撒天箕斗灿，匝地管弦繁。几处狂飞盏? 谁家不启轩?
轻寒风剪剪，良夜景暄暄。争饼嘲黄发，分瓜笑绿媛 4。
香新荣玉桂，色健茂金萱 5。蜡烛辉琼宴，觥筹乱绮园。
分曹尊一令，射覆听三宣 6。骰彩红成点，传花鼓滥喧。

晴光摇院宇，素彩接乾坤。
赏罚无宾主，吟诗序仲昆。构思时倚槛，拟景或依门 7。
酒尽情犹在，更残乐已谖。渐闻语笑寂，空剩雪霜痕。
阶露团朝菌，庭烟敛夕棔。秋湍泻石髓 8，风叶聚云根。
宝婺情孤洁，银蟾气吐吞。药经灵兔捣 9，人向广寒奔。
犯斗邀牛女，乘槎待帝孙。虚盈轮莫定 10，晦朔魄空存。
壶漏声将涸，窗灯焰已昏。寒塘渡鹤影，冷月葬花魂 11。

香篆销金鼎，脂冰腻玉盆。
箫增嫠妇泣，衾倩侍儿温。空帐悬文凤，闲屏掩彩鸳。
露浓苔更滑，霜重竹难扪。犹步萦纡沼，还登寂历原。
石奇神鬼搏，木怪虎狼蹲。赑屭朝光透，罘罳晓露屯。
振林千树鸟，啼谷一声猿。歧熟焉忘径? 泉知不问源。
钟鸣栊翠寺，鸡唱稻香村。有兴悲何继? 无愁意岂烦?
芳情只自遣，雅趣向谁言! 彻旦休云倦，烹茶更细论。

这首七十句，三十五联的五言排律是《石头记》（《红楼梦》）中黛玉、湘云、妙玉三位大观园女诗人于中秋之夜园中赏月时合作完成的一首长诗。其中，蓝色字体标出的十一韵为作者曹雪芹派给史湘云的诗句，两边黑色的十一韵为派给林黛玉的诗句。双色体之下的十三韵为妙玉随后独立续作完成的诗句。

诗的文本是依据以脂砚斋评本为底本整理出版的百二十回本《红楼梦》中第七十六回的文字整理而成。据笔者目前可见的各版本《石头记》和《红楼梦》，关于这首诗及其创作过程的文字于基本相同之中却也有一些差异。特别需要指出的是穿插其间的三位女诗人对彼此诗句的批评。凡是特意评点的诗句处，都有特别的人事涵义指向。古诗一向以炼字为要，一字之差往往诗意迥异。笔者便在注释中将诗评、文本差异一一列出。

注释：

1. 这首诗以及围绕它的创作而展开的情节叙述一向被认为在全书中具有非常重要的意义。从小说章回结构来说，第七十六回正是描述贾家繁荣兴盛的前八十回将近尾声，即将转入描述其衰落的后四十回的时候。从情节发展上来说，江南甄家刚被抄家来京，贾母因此有所警惕、伤感；大观园中也刚刚经历了一场自家抄家的闹剧，薛家因此避嫌暂离大观园，许多园内人因此倒霉，许多矛盾也集中爆发；中秋家宴上，家庭主要成员内部的矛盾亦有所暴露：贾赦在家宴上说笑话，无意间透露其对贾母偏心的不满；一直对宝玉心怀愤恨的弟弟贾三爷贾环在宴席上作诗，得到贾赦的夸赞，并有将来承袭爵位之语。从诗本身的字面之意来说，描述的是中秋之夜通宵达旦赏月、行乐、吟诗之事。与全书故事的盛衰之变相应合，诗歌也描述了由热闹而寂灭，再由暗夜而黎明的变化。从人物塑造来说，普遍认为，“寒塘渡鹤影，冷月葬花魂”两句是史湘云和林黛玉命运的喻示和预示；而妙玉的续诗也充分展示了这位与四大家族均无亲、姻关系、在大观园栊翠庵带发修行的女子为什么会在十二钗中名列第六。

 2. 标题以三十五韵为数是沿袭了歌行体长诗以韵脚数，亦即对句数，计算的传统；也是对于十五月圆以三五为称的重复。网文作者“浪话红楼”有一篇文章专门解读这首诗中曹雪芹对于韵脚和数字运用的奥妙。此诗所用“十三元”韵是古韵书平水韵中极复杂难记的韵部。许多久已不同韵的字，如门、坤等属于此韵部，而今天读音相同的字反不属于此韵部。大观园诗社作海棠诗时也用了十三元的韵。这里黛玉和湘云是数水边的柱子得了十三元韵。有意思的是在David Hawkes的英译本中，译者特特将黛玉和湘云数的柱子数从十三根降为八根。大概与英语文化中忌讳十三这个数字有关，又合八月十五之数。

 3.中秋节为农历八月十五。上元：即正月十五元宵节。中国古代民俗有三元之说：上元正月十五元宵节祭天官、中元七月十五鬼节祭地官、下元十月十五祭水官。

4.与“几处狂飞盏，谁家不起轩”一样，小说中对于“争饼”和“分瓜”的用典也有特别的评论，提示这几处都有特别的涵义。David Hawkes 的译文特意在分瓜处加了“eight and eight”的数字，既作韵脚，又再次强调了八这个数字。“黄发”和“绿媛”在 David Hawkes 和杨氏夫妇的译文中都为 grey 和 green。

5.萱草是母亲的指称。熟悉曹家与康熙渊源的读者都知道曹家几代人在康熙朝能长任江宁织造一职最早是得益于曹寅之父曹玺的妻子曾为康熙的保姆。与曹寅同在江南任苏州织造、并成为曹寅姻兄的李煦之母亦是康熙的保姆。满洲人尊重奶母和保姆，一般将其子女视为自己的兄弟姊妹。清王室规定奶母、奶公家的女儿不参加清宫选秀。康熙在一次下江南驻跸江宁织造局再次见到曹寅之母时曾说：“此吾家老人也。”并为曹家题写了“萱瑞堂”的匾额。此事在随行官员的诗文中多有记载，广为所知。因此，许多研究者认为“萱”用在此处与此事有关，尤其是这里的评论特指“金萱”是“替他们颂圣”。第十七至十八回宝玉在为潇湘馆题名“有凤来仪”时曾说，“这是第一处行幸之处，必须颂圣方可。”可见颂圣特指对皇家的赞美。

6.射覆在第六十二回提到过，是酒令中的祖宗辈游戏。原来的玩法是将东西覆盖在盆下令人猜测。后来变为以语言歇后隐前的办法来猜物的文绉绉的游戏。“喧、暄、萱”是十三元韵部的字，但“三宣”的“宣”字是“一先”韵部的字。曹雪芹在此让林黛玉也犯了个十三元的错误。史湘云或是大意，或是性格宽厚，或是不在意，并未指出其叶韵的问题，反称赞黛玉的对句“有趣，竟化俗成雅了”。

7.此句中“拟景”在程高本中为“拟句”。粗看“拟句”似乎更为合理，但细想“拟景”的意义更为宽阔。

8.“庭烟敛夕棔。秋湍泻石髓，”是被林黛玉极力称赞的句子。黛玉所赞一为“棔”字韵用于此时之恰，二为“秋湍”句的构思。首先，此处用“棔”字，不仅对仗、韵脚工整，而且字意恰适。从论述可见，棔是一种树，因为朝开夜合而有指代人们生活起居规律、夫妇合欢的象征意义。这里应该与儿女婚事联姻的含义有关。其次，林黛玉称只“秋湍泻石髓”一句，其他的句子全要抹倒，自己再写也不能似这一句了，等等。该句写的是玲珑太湖石假山上有许多洞穴，秋天的流水从石洞中流出，倾泻而下，在月光的照耀之下水和石都晶莹闪亮，石如宝石石髓，水如石之骨髓。确实是写月夜景色的佳句，但黛玉所赞也包涵了其写人事的佳处，故曰难对。黛玉对的是“风叶聚云根”，湘云评对得也还好。

9.此句在程高本为“药催灵兔捣”。宝婺、银蟾、灵兔、人，四句一气呵成。

10.此处，程高本“待”为“访”，“虚盈”为“盈虚”。前者的意义差别无需多论，后者则将虚和盈的顺序颠倒了一下，正是一月之中月相变化的上半程与下半程的差别。正是在黛玉对湘云的对句和出句“乘槎待帝孙。虚盈轮莫定，”的评价处程高本与脂本有一处重要的文字差异。在脂评系列各本中基本都是：“黛玉笑道：‘又用比兴了。’ 因联道：”。但在程高本系列中，基本都采用：“黛玉道：‘对句不好，合掌。下句推开一步，倒还是【急脉缓炙法】。’ 因又联道：”

比兴：比兴是传统诗歌创作中的主要表现手法。宋代朱熹在《诗集传》中说：“比者，以彼物比此物也”；“兴者，先言他物以引起所咏之辞也。”通俗地讲，“比”就是譬喻，是对人或物加以形象的比喻，使其特征更加鲜明突出。有的诗个别地方比，有的则整首诗歌皆为比，例如，咏物诗。“兴”就是起兴，是借助其他事物作为发端，引起所要歌咏的内容。有的“兴”兼有发端与比喻的双重作用。“比兴”二字常联用，专用以指诗有寄托之意。这里应该是指“虚盈”句，以月喻事。

合掌：合掌是明清时盛行的一种诗歌批评之语，指的是对仗中的出句与对句两句意义相同或基本相同，如两手掌相合，故曰“合掌”。这里是指湘云对句“乘槎待/访帝孙”与黛玉出句“犯斗邀牛女”用了同一个典故。严格说，虽然两句用了同一个典故，但是对典故强调的侧面不同，所塑造的意象更是决然不同，在典故引申义上应该也有不同，评为“合掌”亦难定论。故笔者怀疑此处的文字变动，加上“合掌”和“急脉缓炙法”，都另有人事涵义上的所指。

11.程高本“花”为“诗”。这一联两句的故事不再赘述。至此二句，黛玉、湘云命运的结局已经揭示。

12.此联开始为妙玉所续诗句。“香篆”可指篆香，一般是用高级的香粉在香器中作出屈曲盘旋如篆字的形状，点燃后可燃烧较长的时间。此外，燃香升起的烟盘旋而上，形状与盘曲的篆字笔画相似，也可称为香篆。“脂冰”指的是洗下的残余胭脂凝结成固体，粘在玉盆上，使玉盆发出油脂的光泽，也暗指玉料质地高级。两句相联，一曰销耗，一曰变冷、失色。此二句都是描写生活器具的高档，但生活磨人。程高本中“脂冰”为“冰脂”，又解释为蜡烛在玉盘托中凝固。

13.嫠妇，寡妇。将“箫增嫠妇泣”一句的叙事与小说行文中贾母闻笛因甄家之事伤感落泪的情节以及此回回目“凸碧堂品笛感凄清”对照来看，“嫠妇泣”说的应是甄家女人的处境。有些版本“增”作“憎”。

14.程高本中“悬”作“悲”，有的程高本“文”作“金”，“掩”作“投”、 “设”。

15.程高本“搏”作“缚”。

16.赑屭为龙生九子中的第六子（亦有第一子之说），特点是力大，能负重，故石碑的底座多雕刻成它的形状。这里代指石碑。罘罳为古代宫门外或城角上多孔的屏障，用以瞭望和防御。这里泛指门外用作屏障的有孔的篱垣。亦有解为檐下窗上防鸟落的网。

17.《列子 说符》有：“大道以多歧亡羊，学者以多方丧生。”后常以“歧路亡羊”比喻事理复杂多变，没有正确的方向。妙玉在此反用其典。

18.程高本“继”作“极”。“有兴”可解为有新鲜事物兴起，有兴致。

与黛玉湘云的对句不同，妙玉续诗的所指极为含糊，大多数的意象并没有在此前或以后的小说情节中出现。因此，显得字面象征含义更为突出，令人费解。续诗中明显可见与情节有关联的只有几处：1.“箫增嫠妇泣”一句。贾母感凄清与寡妇悲凄清还是不同的。此前曾叙甄家有几个女人来王夫人处,“气色不成气色，慌慌张张的”。因此推测，“嫠妇泣”说的应是甄家女人的处境。那么续诗接下来所述也应该与甄家的人事状况有关。妙玉这位被有些评论家称为“出了家的林黛玉”的姑苏女子在此节骨眼上突然出现并头一次在人前作诗，就格外意味深长。2. 石奇、木怪说到了《石头记》的基本故事线索，木石前缘；3.栊翠寺、稻香村分别是大观园中妙玉与李纨的住处。续诗试图以黑夜过去，黎明到来扭转扭转此前的凄楚之句。结尾一句“烹茶更细论”，表明诗人留了一个开放的结尾，有待更详细的讨论。


2020.09.16：

The Story of the Stone, or A Dream of Red Mansions, is widely recognized as one of the four great fictional classics in Chinese literary history. Compared with the other three (The Three Kingdoms, All Men Are Brothers, and Journey to the West) , this novel, about the prosperity and demise of some noble lineages during the 17th-18th century Qing Dynasty when China was ruled by a conquering imperial court of a minority ethnic group Manchu, has attracted more readers and scholars in the two hundred and fifty years since its birth. Studies of this novel is now nicknamed "the Red Study", an unprecedented phenomenon in Chinese literary history. Nowadays, this branch of literary study has come to be, together with the study of the Oracles and of the Mogao Grottoes, one of the three "Eminant Domains" of China Study. Its extreme popularity and influence is rooted in its great literary achievements, but even more so in its encyclopaedic inclusion of traditional Chinese cultural phenomena, and the summit presentation of the social culture and life of its time. Of course, also contribute to it is the fact that the book was not yet finished when the great author Cao Xueqin died, leaving readers guessing what it would be like if he had written and revised the whole book.

This book is actually one of those which the more times you read them the more you understand them as you grow more experienced in life.  It also introduces the readers to the basics of traditional Chinese culture and aethetics.

2020.10.02：

Among all preludes, afterwords, notes on publication, commentaries etc. of The Story of The Stone or A Dream of Red Mansions, the prelude written by Qi Lusheng attached to the "Version with Qi's Forewords" is a must-read. 

Forewords to The Story of the Stone
by Qi Lusheng ① (Qing Dynasty)

I have heard Jiangshu could sing two songs simultaneously with one voice from the throat and another from the nasal; and Huanghua could write on two tablets at the same time with the left hand in the standard calligraphic style and the right hand in the drafty style. ② How magical were their skills! I never see them with my own eyes. But now I see singing two songs without differentiating between the throat and the nasal, and writing two tablets without telling the left hand from the right. It's one voice singing two songs and one hand writing two tablets, which is thought to be a surreal magic that is absolutely impossible to happen. But now I do see it in the book of The Story of the Stone. Wow! How strange is that!

The book's plot, narration, theme and diction bear no resemblance to what its predecessors have accomplished. Everyone would readily agree with me on this appraisal, so I will not discuss them in details here. That said, let's examine the way in which  the author was able to express in his writing what he mulled over at heart. Write this here as annotations of that elsewhere, or see the fleeting geese off with eyes while pluck the strings with hands.③ It looks bizarre, yet is indeed righteous; and seems disciplined but is actually indulgent. That's similar to the understatements covering up criticism of those in power in The Chunqiu Annals, ④ or the euphemistic circumlocutions avoiding embarrassing truth in many other official history books.

Let's try to read and elaborate the points one by one. The ladies are described in a graceful and solemn manner, yet their charm and coquettishness overflows on paper; the noble and powerful are depicted vividly and in great details, but their decline and demise fills the eyes. Baoyu is portrayed as amorous and infatuated, yet his gallantry and spirituality is no less than the most affectionate and talented youth from the past; Daiyu is characterized as envious and acrimonious, but the devoted love and genuine fondness makes her as adorable as any legendary beauty in history. As to portraits of a motley of female characters and depictions of their luxurious jewelries and boudoirs, sumptuous perfumes and costumes, the splendor and magnificence almost makes readers' hearts and mind wander in rapture; yet not a single word or sentence can be found coarse or obscene. It's all because there is only one voice and one hand, so that looseness and chastity, sadness and joyfulness are intertwined as if it's been written with two brushes at once. Yes, this is very peculiar!  Isn't the author almost like a true historian among fabricators of fictional stories and folklore?

However, I would say although the author does a double talk, the reader shall read with one heart. Make an analogy to the art of painting: stones are drawn with three sides, but the spectacular is no more than a peak; roads are delineated in two pathes, and what blocks and shades is just a tree. ⑤ Only with this notion in mind while reading this book may a reader get the author's obscure ideas. Then, it's like capturing moon in the water, all you see is the cool light; or raining heavenly flowers, all you smell is the fragrant scent. Haven't you almost heard the musical overtone of this book?

Some may regret not knowing the finale, but they fail to realize that rises and falls succeed each other in cycles and all occurrences are mere bubbles of illusion. The author possesses insightful wisdom and merciful kindness. There is no need for more koans. It would be voyages of salvation for a countless number of people if only the novel could enlighten tens of thousands of readers. Those who pride themselves on doing the same thing as that engraver in the old tale, spending time and efforts carving a piece of lifelike yet fake ivory leaf to compare with the real ones,⑥ could barely benefit those who understand upon opening the book.

             Qi Lusheng (Xiaotang) from Deqing County ⑦

Notes:

1. Qi Lusheng, alias Niangong, pen name Xiaotang, was born in 1741 at Deqing County of Zhejiang Province, China. He was enlisted through state examinations in 1769 as an official of the Ministry of Revenue and Household Registry during the reign of Emperor Qianlong, and died in the winter of 1792 while serving as an envoy of His Majesty to Fujian Province.  A historical record in The Local  History of Deqing County described him as "a suave and jaunty person who enjoys pulling pranks and insults on others while drinking". The collection of his poems in five volumes are lost now. He is mostly remembered today as the editor and preluder of the great novel The Story of The Stone. His version only has the first 80 chapters with commentaries and critiques by Zhiyanzhai (or Red Ink Stone), which is known as the "Version with Qi's Forewords". 

2. Jiangshu, literally "vermilion trees", and Huanghua, "yellow blossoms", are two names in some ancient Chinese books. According to a quoted paragraph  in The Tale of Langhuan, compiled by Yi Shizhen of Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368), "Jiangshu was able to sing two songs with one voice. If two persons listened attentively, each could hear a different song without any error in the lyrics. Some suspected that one song was voiced from the nasal, but no one knew exactly what technique was used. There was a contemporary named Huanghua who could write on two tablets simultaneously with two hands, either in the standard calligraphic style or the drafty style. Both hands would wield the brushes continuously, and the characters written were different yet all meaningful. I think 'double songs of the vermilion trees and two writings of the yellow blossoms' are exactly a couplet." A similar quotation was recorded in Pearls of Recorded Events by Feng Zhi (who lived about 904) of Tang Dynasty.

3. Ji Kang (224-263)  was a member of the "Seven Men of Letters Living in the Bamboo Forest" and a player of the musical instrument Guqin. He wrote in his fourth poem by the title of Seeing the Enlisted Men of Books Off, "My eyes on the fleeting geese, my hands pluck the five strings. Up and down as I wish to go, my heart roams about the universe."

4. The Chunqiu Annals, an official history of  the state of Lu between 722 and 481 BC during the Zhou Dynasty (1046-256 BC) in ancient China, is the earliest surviving history books written in the format of annals. It is also one of the Five Classics of the Confucian School, and said to be revised and edited by Confucius himself. Several contemporary scholars wrote elaborations and comments on these tersely written historic records. Three of them still  exist today. They are Commentary by Zuo Qiuming, Commentary by Gongyang , and Commentary by Guliang.

5. Jing Hao (855-915), a famous Chinese painter living mostly during late Tang Dynasty, wrote in his article On Landscape Painting, "Stones are delineated in three sides, roads in two sections, trees by canopy, and rivers by banks. These are the rules." 

6. The story was recorded in Words of Master Han Fei by Han Fei-zi (c. 280-233 BC). "There once was a man from the state of Song who carved a piece of paper mulberry leaf with ivory for his Lord. It took him three years to complete the work. With major veins, minor veins, tiny hairs and varying shades of glossy color all vivid and looking real, it couldn't be told from the real leaves when placed together. The engraver earned a living at the Song court for this achievement. Lie-zi heard about this and said, 'If nature grew a leaf in three years, things with leaves would be rare.'" The same story was also recorded in Words of Master Lie by Lie Yukou (c. 450-375 BC), in which jade replaced ivory. Carving a paper mulberry leaf (or Ke-Chu-Ye in Chinese) is therefore used as a metaphor denoting 1. superb techniques, 2. great investment of time and efforts with little value in outcomes, and 3. Man proposes, God disposes.

7. This translation is based on a simplified Chinese text transliterated from the "Forewords to The Story of the Stone" printed in A Version of The Story of the Stone with Qi Lusheng's Forewords, which was published by People's Literature Publisher in June 1975 in Beijing. According to the "Notes on Publishing", written by the publisher's editor in September 1973 and printed in the same book, the version is a photocopy publication of the "Big Print Version" printed by Yu Cheng Book Company in the 1910s with the title  An Original Hand-copied Version of A Dream of the Red Mansions in Early Minguo.

References:

1. Cao Xueqin, A Version of The Story of The Stone with Qi Lusheng's Forewords. Blackprint paperback, Beijing: People's Literature Publisher, first edition and first print in June 1975.

2. Jing Hao，late Tang Dynasty, On Landscape Painting, WikiSource. 

3. Wang Ren-en, Essays on Studies of A Dream of Red Mansions. (2014), Beijing: China Social Sciences Publisher.

4. Yan Jianhua, "A New Study on Life, Resume and Writings of Qi Lusheng, Also Written Discussions with Mr. Deng Qingyou", Studies on A Dream of Red Mansions, issue 6, 2008, Beijing: China Arts Studies Institute.

5. Master of Room Zhizhen, "A Newly Re-versed Forewords to The Story of The Stone by Qi Lusheng - Also On the Significance of Qi's Prelude for Interpretations of A Dream of Red Mansions" , published online on 2017-08-09, Blogs by Master of Room Zhizhen at https://blog.sina.come.cn/zhizhenzhaizhu .

6. Zhou Ruchang, "Appendix Three: Qi Lusheng and Qi's Version", New Evidence of A Dream of the Red Mansions Revised Edition (1976), Beijing: People's Literature Publisher.

Translation by Qun Renee Chen, last revised 2021.02.04

 2020.10.06： 

”Mid-Autumn Night in Prospect Garden:
A Poem in  Thirty-five Couplets"

from The Story of the Stone V.III The Warning Voice
Translated by David Hawkes (British) 

Penguin Classics (1981)

Fifteenth night of the Eighth, Mid-Autumn moon,

Whose joys the First Full Moon's do emulate.

Under your crystal-constellated heaven -

The sounds of music everywhere pulsate.

At many a board the reckless winecups fly -

Where friends are met your feast to celebrate.

The air is crisp, the wind more bracing blows -

In the clear sky the cold stars scintillate.

Grey hairs are mocked when they for cakes dispute -

Green girls divide the melons, eight and eight.

New scents the jade-like cassia have enriched -

Closed day-lilies the morrow's gold gestate.

A blaze of candles gilds the radiant feasters -

Whom frequent sconcings soon inebriate.

Competing, they observe the game's strict order -

And rules for ‘I spy' gravely promulgate.

Some shake the pretty dice and make them roll -

Or, to the drum's quick beat, the branch rotate. 

The clear rays glint on roofs and courts below -

And all in silvery light illuminate.

Prizes and forfeits impartially they ponder -

Sibling verse-contests they adjudicate.

Poets lean on railings, seeking inspiration -

Or hunt for rhymes, propped up against a gate.

The excitement lingers, though the party's over -

The sounds of music softly terminate.

Slowly the talk and laughter fade to silence -

Leaving a noonscape hushed and desolate.

On dewy steps the tiny toadstools sprout -

Tight-curled albizzia bushes pernoctate.

A rain-swelled swirl rips through the brook-bed rocks -

And wind-combed leaves on ledges congregate.

The Weaving Maid in lonely splendour shines -

Damp airs the silver Toad of the moon inflate.

See where the Hare immortal medicine pounds -

Thither Chang E was forced to emigrate.

A man moves upwards through the constellations -

A raft floats skywards with a human freight.

Waxing or waning, the moon's face, ever changing -

Its substance changeless and inanimate.

Soon the clepsydra's night-long drip will cease -

Black shades the lamp's last gleams annihilate.

A stork's dark shape crosses the cold, bright water -

Where, moon-embalmed, a dead muse lies in state.

In golden censers figured incense burns;

Unguents in their jade pots coagulate. 

A flute provokes the grieving widow's weeping;

She craves some warmth her bed's chill to abate.

Its cheerless hangings stir in the wind of autumn,

Its love-ducks mock a mistress without mate.

Thick dews make treacherous the slippery moss,

And spears of frost the tall bamboos serrate.

Better the winding lakeside path to follow,

Or lonely hilltop to perambulate.

Bound demons seem to writhe in the tortured rock-shapes,

In the trees' black shadows wild things pullulate.

Light's harbingers begin with the dark to struggle,

And morning's first dews to accumulate.

Birds in a thousand treetops wake the woodland;

In the echoing valley sad apes ululate.

My footsteps tread the path's familiar turnings,

Nor need the stream's source to investigate.

From Green Bower convent sounds the matin bell;

And Sweet-rice cocks the dawn anticipate.

Why should this rapt enjoyment end in sorrow,

Or timid cares our conscience irritate?

Poets ought in themselves to find their pleasure,

Not in the message they communicate.

As daylight breaks let none of us plead tiredness,

But over tea continue our debate. 

"A Poem Written Collectively with Thirty-five Rhymes While Celebrating the Mid-Autumn Festival in Grand View Garden"

from A Dream of Red Mansions, Chapter 76
Translated by Xianyi Yang and Gladys Yang

Peking: Foreign Languages Press (1978-1980)

Mid-autumn's fifteenth night is here again,

As on the Feast of Lanterns we stroll round.

The sky above is sprinkled with bright stars,

And everywhere sweet strings and pipes resound.

Goblets fly here and there as men carouse,

No house but has its windows opened wide.

The breeze that softly fans the air is chill,

But bright as day the fine night scene outside.

The greybeard grabbing for a cake is mocked,

Green girls share melons laughing themselves silly.

How fresh the scent of jade osmanthus bloom,

How bright the regal gold of the day-lily.

Wax candles set the sumptuous feast aglow,

Wild drinking games the splendid park confuse.

Opposing sides beg the self-same rule,

Those guessing riddles hear three different clues.

The dice is thrown and wins - the dots are red,

Drums speed the blossom passed from hand to hand.

The courtyard scintillates with limpid light,

A silver splendour merges sky and land.

For hosts and guests alike the same requital,

Verses are written turn and turn about.

One leaning on the barricade to think,

One tapping the door to make the scene stand out.

Engrossed as ever, though the wine is drunk,

They savour the last watches of the night.

Then comes a gradual end to talk and laughter,

Nought's left now but the waning frosty light.

By the steps, dew-drenched hibiscus blooms at dawn,

In the courtyard, mist the albizzia shrouds.

Autumn rapids pour forth through the core of rocks,

Wind-swept leaves gather at the root of clouds.

Lonely and pure the Lady of the Star,

The Silver Toad puffs and deflates the moon.

Elixirs are prepared by the Jade Hare,

The goddess flies towards the Palace of Cold Void.

One soars on high to greet Weaving Maid and Cowherd,

One sails a barque to the heavenly maiden fair.

The orb, for ever changing, wanes and waxes,

At each month's start and end but its ghost is there.

Clepsydra's water had well-nigh run dry,

The lamp by the window is no longer bright.

A stork's shadow flit across the chilly pool,

The poet's spirit is buried in cold moon light.

The incense in gold tripods has burnt out,

And ice-white oil in the jade basin forms.

Fluting recalls a widow's lamentation,

As a small serving-maid the silk quilt warms.

On empty curtains a bright phoenix hangs,

The idle screens gay ducks and drakes enfold.

Thick dew has made the moss more slippery,

And heavy frost makes bamboo hard to hold.

Strolling again beside the winding lake,

Climbing once more the solitary hill.

The rugged boulders seem contending ghosts,

The gnarled trees wolves and tigers crouching still.

Dawn lights the tortoise pedestal of stone,

On outer trellis now the thick dew falls.

A thousand woodland birds begin to stir,

In vales below a single gibbon calls.

How can we stray on a familiar road?

Why ask the way to fountain - heads we know?

The bells chime in Green Lattice Nunnery,

The cocks in Paddy-Sweet Cottage start to crow.

With cause for joy why grieve excessively,

Or needlessly display anxiety?

A maiden's feelings none but she can vent,

To whom can she confide her nicety?

Speak not of weariness though night is done,

Over fresh tea let us talk on and on.