Qu P oe t ry : s ong P oe m s o F tHe y uan Dy na s t y 349to anybody’s interpretation. Judging from the way the poet presents the butterfly,
the apparent uncertainty and puzzlement expressed by the inquisitive phrase nan-
dao (couldn’t we say...? isn’t it... ?) at the beginning of line 4 actually betrays
his admiration for and wonder at the amazing creature he has created.
The carefree playfulness of the butterfly and the poet’s appreciative attitude
toward it thus tell us much about the cultural milieu of the time when the sanqu
and its sister genre, the zaju (variety play), flourished. Those who might be sur-
prised by the bold message of this song need only read the following selections
from the song suite “Not Giving In to Old Age” to see that the impudence of “On
the Big Butterfly” was by no means abnormal in its time. The author of this song
suite is none other than Guan Hanqing (whose work is discussed earlier in this
chapter), the greatest playwright of the time and a close friend of Wang Heqing:
I’ve plucked every bud hanging over the wall,
and picked every roadside branch of the willow.
The flower I plucked had the softest red petals,
the willows I picked were the tenderest green.
A rogue and a lover, I’ll rely
on my picking and plucking dexterity
’til flowers are ruined and willows wrecked.
I’ve picked and plucked half the years of my life,
a generation entirely spent
lying with willows, sleeping with flowers.
I’m champion rake of all the world,
The cosmic chieftain of rogues...........................
You think I’m too old!
Forget it!
I’m the best known lover anywhere....
[QYSQ 1:172]19
【南吕宫】一枝花 不服老
([nán lǚ gōng] yì zhī huā bù fú lăo)
pull out wall [measure] [measure] flower 攀出牆朵朵花
(pān chū qiáng duŏ duŏ huā)
snap facing road twig twig willow 折臨路枝枝柳^ ▲
(zhé lín lù zhī zhī liŭ)
flower pull red pistil tender 花攀紅蕊嫩
(huā pān hóng ruĭ nèn)
willow snap green twig supple 柳折翠條柔^ △
(liŭ zhé cuì tiáo róu)
prodigal son wind flow 浪子風流^ △
(làng zĭ fēng liú)