A Qing period copy of the play, from the National Library of China

The Fragrant Companion (traditional Chinese: 憐香伴; simplified Chinese: 怜香伴; pinyin: Lián Xiāng Bàn) is a Chinese play by Li Yu, written in 1651.[1] The story is about two women, Cui Jianyun (Chinese: 崔笺云; pinyin: Cuī Jiànyún) and Cao Yuhua (Chinese: 曹语花; pinyin: Cáo Yǔhuā), who fell for each other after their encounter.

The story is about female homosexuality in a patriarchal society.

Plot

Cui Jianyun, the newly married wife of the renowned scholar Fan Jiefu (Chinese: 范介夫; pinyin: Fàn Jièfū), went to a temple to burn joss to the gods after her honeymoon. At the temple she meets Cao Yuhua, the daughter of Lord Cao who is two years her junior. Madame Cui became attracted to Cao's extraordinary fragrance and Miss Cao became attracted to Cui Jianyun's poetic talent. Cui Jianyun prays that she be turned into a man so she can marry Cao Yuhua. When the miracle does not occur, Cui Jianyun begins wearing men's clothing and marries Cao Yuhua secretly in a private ceremony.[2] However they are soon separated.

In order to live together, Madame Cui persuades her husband to send a matchmaker to Lord Cao's house, asking him to grant her daughter to him as a second wife. Lord Cao flies into a rage at the thought of his daughter becoming a mere concubine to the scholar. He throws out the matchmaker, and leaves at once for the capital with Miss Cao, and orders Fan to be stripped of his title. After numerous twists and turns, Cui Jianyun and Cao Yuhua manage to reunite and in the end her husband was given permission to take them both as wives.

Performances

This story has been on Peking opera stage in 1954, and it is re-compiled into Kun Opera. The latter premiered in Beijing in 2010, to commemorates the 400 anniversary of Li Yu's birthday.

References

  1. ↑ Chang, Dongshin (2011). ""Xiang yong" (Poems on Fragrance): A Translation of a Scene from Li Yu's Lian xiang ban (The Fragrant Companion)". CHINOPERL Papers. 30 (1): 239–258. ISSN 2835-3188.
  2. ↑ Neill, James (2009-01-14). The Origins and Role of Same-Sex Relations in Human Societies. McFarland. p. 261. ISBN 978-0-7864-5247-7.


This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.