Hao Qiu Zhuan/Chapter 1
Chapter 1 / 第一回
省凤城侠怜鸳侣苦
In the Phoenix City, a Chivalrous Heart Pities a Pair of Lovebirds
In der Phoenixstadt erbarmt sich ein ritterlicher Geist des Leids eines Liebespaars
Dans la Cite du Phenix, un coeur chevaleresque prend en pitie le malheur de deux amants
| 中文原文 | Modern English (Woesler, 2025) |
|---|---|
| 诗曰：
偌大河山偌大天，万千年又万千年。 前人过去后人续，几个男儿是圣贤。 又曰： 寝寐相求反侧思，有情谁不爱娥眉？ 但须不作钻窥想，便是人间好唱随。 |
A poem says: How vast the rivers and mountains, how vast the sky! Ten thousand years upon ten thousand years roll by. The ancients pass, their heirs take up the way -- Yet among all men, how few are truly wise and great? And another: In restless sleep we toss and turn, consumed by longing's art; What soul with feeling would not love a maiden fair of heart? But if you shun the peeping tom's ignoble, furtive game, Then you may walk as man and wife, unburdened and without shame. |
| 话说前朝北直隶大名府，有一个秀才，姓铁双名中玉，表字挺生，生得丰姿俊秀，就像一个美人，因此里中起个诨名，叫做铁美人。若论他人品秀美，性格就该温存。不料他人虽生得秀美，性子就似生铁一般，十分执拗。又有几分膂力，有不如意，动不动就要使气动粗，等闲也不轻易见他言笑。倘或交接富贵朋友，满面上霜也刮得下来，一味冷淡。却又作怪，若是遇着贫交知己，煮酒论文，便终日欢然，不知厌倦。更有一段好处：人若缓急求他，便不论贤愚贵贱，慨然周济；若是谀言谄媚，指望邀惠，他却只当不曾听见。所以人多感激他，又都不敢无故亲近他。 |
In the days of a former dynasty, in the great prefecture of Daming in the northern province of Zhili, there lived a young scholar [xiucai] named Tie Zhongyu, whose courtesy name was Tingsheng. He was a youth of such striking beauty that he might have been taken for a woman, and so the people of his district gave him the nickname "the Iron Beauty." Given his refined appearance, one would have expected a gentle disposition to match. Yet nature had decreed otherwise: despite his handsome face, his temperament was as hard as wrought iron -- stubborn in the extreme. He possessed considerable physical strength, and at the slightest provocation was apt to lose his temper and resort to force. One seldom saw him smile or heard him laugh. When obliged to associate with the wealthy and well-connected, his face would grow as cold as if coated with frost, and he would treat them with utter indifference. But strangely enough, when he found himself among poor friends and kindred spirits, drinking wine and discussing literature, he was all warmth and cheer, never tiring of their company from dawn to dusk. He had one further virtue: whenever anyone came to him in distress, regardless of whether they were wise or foolish, noble or humble, he would help them without hesitation. But if anyone approached him with flattery and fawning, angling for some favor, he would act as though he had not heard a word. Thus people were deeply grateful to him, yet none dared approach him without good reason. |
| 他父亲叫做铁英，是个进士出身，为人忠直，官居御史，赫赫有敢谏之名。母亲石氏，随父在任。因铁公子为人落落寡合，见事又敢作敢为，恐怕招愆，所以留在家内。他天资既高，学问又出人头地，因此看人不在眼上，每日只是闭户读书，至读书有兴，便独酌陶情，虽不叫做沉酣曲蘖，却也朝夕少他不得。再有兴时，便是寻花问柳，看山玩水而已。十五六岁时，父母便要与他结亲，他因而说道："孩儿素性不喜偶俗，若是朋友，合则留，不合则去可也。夫妇乃五伦之一，一谐伉俪，便是白头相守；倘造次成婚，苟非淑女，勉强周旋则伤性，去之掷之又伤伦，安可轻议？万望二大人少宽其期，以图选择"。父母见他说得有理，便因循下来，故年将二十，尚未有配，他也不在心上。 |
His father, Tie Ying, was a jinshi [holder of the highest imperial examination degree] by origin, a man of loyalty and rectitude who held the office of imperial censor and had won a formidable reputation for his forthright remonstrances. His mother, nee Shi, accompanied his father at his post. Because young Tie Zhongyu was by nature aloof and uncompromising, and fearless in his actions -- qualities that might well invite trouble -- his parents had kept him at home. His natural talents were extraordinary and his learning surpassed that of his peers, which only made him more disdainful of others. Each day he would shut himself away with his books; and when reading put him in high spirits, he would pour himself a solitary cup of wine to nourish his soul. Though he could not be called a drunkard, he could scarcely do without his wine morning or evening. When his spirits rose still higher, he would wander among flowers and willows, or ramble through the mountains and along the streams. When he was fifteen or sixteen, his parents wished to arrange a marriage for him. He replied: "Your son has never cared for commonplace matches. With friends, if we are compatible we stay together; if not, we part -- that is simple enough. But marriage is one of the Five Cardinal Relationships. Once husband and wife are joined, they are bound together for life. If the match is made in haste, and the bride proves unworthy, then to endure her company would wound my nature, yet to cast her aside would wound the moral order. How can such a matter be taken lightly? I humbly beg my honored parents to grant me more time, so that a proper choice may be made." His parents, seeing the sense in his words, let the matter rest, and so it was that as he approached twenty he remained unwed -- a circumstance that did not trouble him in the least. |
| 一日在家饮酒读书，忽读到比干谏而死，因想到为臣尽忠，虽是正道，然也要有些权求，上可以悟主，下可以全身，方见才干；若一味耿直，不知忌讳，不但事不能济，每每触主之怒，成君之过，至于杀身，虽忠何益？又饮了数杯，因又想道："我父亲官居言路，赋性骨鲠，不知机变，多分要受此累！"一时忧上心来，便恨不得插翅飞到父亲面前，苦劝一番，遂无情无绪彷徨了一夜。到次日天才微明，就起来吩咐一个托得的老家人，管了家事，又叫人收拾了行李，备了马匹，只叫一个贴身服侍的童子，叫做小丹，跟随进京，去定省父母。正是：
死君自是忠臣志，忧父方成孝子心。 任是人情百般厚，算来还是五伦深。 |
One day, while drinking wine and reading at home, he came upon the story of Bi Gan, who remonstrated with his sovereign and was put to death. This set him thinking: "To serve one's lord with loyalty is certainly the righteous path, yet a minister must exercise some measure of tact and prudence. He should be able to enlighten his sovereign above while preserving his own life below -- that is what true ability looks like. If one is merely blunt and headstrong, heedless of what may give offense, not only will one's cause go unadvanced, but one will provoke the ruler's wrath, bring disgrace upon the throne, and lose one's life -- and what good is loyalty then?" He drank a few more cups and thought further: "My father holds the office of censor, a post on the avenue of remonstrance. He is by nature stiff and unyielding, ignorant of political maneuver -- most likely he will come to grief on this account!" Anxiety seized his heart, and he wished he could sprout wings and fly at once to his father's side to dissuade him. Restless and agitated, he paced through the night. At dawn the next day, as soon as the first pale light appeared, he rose and instructed a trusted old servant to look after the household affairs. He had his baggage packed, his horse saddled, and took with him only one attendant -- a young page called Xiao Dan -- setting out for the capital to pay his respects to his parents. As the saying goes: To die for one's lord -- that is the loyal minister's resolve; To worry for one's father -- that reveals the filial son's heart. However deep the bonds of human kindness, None run deeper than the Five Cardinal Ties. |
| 铁公子忙步进京，走了两日，心焦起来，贪着行路，不觉错过宿头。天色渐昏，没个歇店，只得沿着一带路，转入一个乡村来借住。到了村中来看，只见村中虽有许多人家，却东一家，西一家，散散的住开，不甚相连。此时铁公子心慌，也不暇去选择大户人家，只就近便，在村口一家门前便下了马，叫小丹牵着，自走进去，叫一声："有人么？"只见里面走出一个老婆子来，看看铁公子秀才打扮，忙问道："相公莫非是京中出来，去看韦相公，不认得他家，要问我么？"铁公子道："我不是看什么韦相公，我是要进京，贪走路，错过了宿头，要借住的。"老婆子道："若要借住，不打紧。但是穷人家，没好床铺供给，莫要见怪。"铁公子道："这都不消，只要过得一夜便足矣，我自重谢。"遂教小丹将行李取了进来。那老婆子教他将马牵到后面菜园破屋里去喂，又请铁公子到旁边一间草屋里去坐，又一面烧了一壶茶出来，请铁公子吃。 |
Tie Zhongyu pressed on toward the capital in haste. After two days of riding, impatience got the better of him: in his eagerness to cover ground, he rode past the last inn without noticing. As dusk gathered and no lodging house appeared, he had no choice but to follow a side road into a village in search of shelter for the night. Looking around, he saw that although the village had many households, they were scattered here and there -- one to the east, another to the west -- with no proper cluster of dwellings. In his anxiety, he had no time to seek out a substantial household; he simply dismounted at the nearest house by the village entrance and told Xiao Dan to hold the horse. Walking inside, he called out: "Is anyone home?" An old woman emerged. Seeing that Tie Zhongyu was dressed as a scholar, she asked eagerly: "Could it be, young sir, that you have come from the capital to visit Scholar Wei and have lost your way to his house? Is that why you are asking here?" Tie Zhongyu replied: "I have not come to see any Scholar Wei. I am traveling to the capital and walked too far, missing the last inn. I am looking for a place to stay the night." The old woman said: "If it is lodging you need, that is no trouble at all. But ours is a poor household -- we have no fine bed to offer, so please do not take offense." "That is of no consequence," said Tie Zhongyu. "As long as I can get through the night, that will be more than enough. I shall be sure to repay your kindness." He called for Xiao Dan to bring in the baggage. The old woman told him to lead the horse around to the back, to a tumbledown shed by the vegetable garden where it could be fed, and she showed Tie Zhongyu into a small thatched room to sit down. Before long she brought out a pot of freshly brewed tea. |
| [The remaining paragraphs of Chapter 1 continue with the story of Scholar Wei's misfortune, Tie Zhongyu's encounter with Wei Pei on the road, his arrival at the capital, his visit to his imprisoned father Censor Tie, and the drafting of a memorial to the Emperor. The full text is available in all six versions.] | |
Percy 1761 (English)
Scan correction in progress. This text was digitized via OCR from the 1761 London edition. It contains scanning errors, especially with the long s (ſ) character. Page numbers from the original edition appear in square brackets. Volunteer proofreaders welcome!
BOOK I. CHAP. I.
[p. 1] In the city of Tab-ming, formerly lived a ſtudent named Tieb-chung-u, of great endowments of body and mind: for the beauty of his perfon, which equaled that of the finest woman, he was called the handſome Tieb: yet was his temper no leſs rough and impetuous than his form was elegant and pleafing: bold and refolute in refenting affronts, without any regard or awe of his fuperiors; yet ſtrictly juft, humane, generous, and noble, never ſo happy as when employed in affifting and relieving the diftreffed.
[p. 2] His father, whofe name was Tieb-ying, was a Mandarine of juftice: his mother's name was Sheb fheb: his father belonged to one of the tribunals in the palace, but becauſe of the violent temper of his fon, confined him at his houſe in another city, left he ſhould involve him in any trouble at court. There he lived and kept houfe, purfuing his ftudies, and at proper intervals unbending his mind with company. When he had attained his fixteenth year, his father and mother began to think of marrying their fon. They acquainted him with it; but he was no way difpofed to concur with their intentions: on the contrary, he urged that marriage was not like an acquaintance or friendſhip, which could not be quitted on any diflike or diſagreement: that whenever he ſhould incline to marry, he would take more than common care in his choice: but ſhould hardly think of it 'till he could meet with a lady poffeffed of every perfection of mind and perfon. Theſe arguments weighed fo deeply with his parents, that they left him to himſelf.
[p. 4] When he had arrived at his twentieth year, one day as he was amufing himſelf with reading an ancient hiftory, and drinking between whiles, he met with the ftory of an Emperor, who fent to one of his Mandarines, named Pe-kan, for his heart to make a medical potion for his queen, who was fick. Pe-kan immediately fuffered himſelf to be opened, and his heart to be taken out in obedience to the Emperor's order. [...]
[The full Percy 1761 text for this chapter continues. The complete OCR text is being proofread.]
Historische deutsche Uebersetzung (1766)
Scan-Korrektur in Arbeit. Dieser Text wurde per OCR aus der Leipziger Ausgabe von 1766 digitalisiert. Er enthaelt Scan-Fehler und historische Schreibweisen. Seitenzahlen der Originalausgabe stehen in eckigen Klammern.
Haoh Kjoeh Tschwen, die angenehme Geschichte des Haoh Kjoeh. Ein chinesischer Roman, in vier Buechern. Aus dem Chinesischen in das Englische, und aus diesem in das Deutsche uebersehet. Leipzig: Johann Friedrich Holstein, 1766.
[OCR text in preparation -- scan correction phase]
Traduction francaise (1828)
Correction de numerisation en cours. Ce texte a ete numerise par OCR a partir de l'edition parisienne de 1828. Il contient des erreurs de numerisation. Les numeros de page de l'edition originale figurent entre crochets.
Hau Kiou-Choaan, ou l'Union bien assortie, roman chinois. Tome premier. Paris: Moutardier, 1828.
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Moderne deutsche Uebersetzung (Woesler, 2025)
Erstes Kapitel
In der Phoenixstadt erbarmt sich ein ritterlicher Geist des Leids eines Liebespaars
Ein Gedicht spricht:
- Wie weit die Berge und Fluesse, wie weit der Himmel sich dehnt!
- Zehntausend Jahre und wieder zehntausend Jahre vergehn.
- Die Alten scheiden, die Jungen treten an ihre Statt --
- Doch unter allen, wie wenige haben als Weise bestanden, als Heilige?
Und ein weiteres:
- In schlaflos banger Nacht waelzt man sich hin und her;
- Wer fuehlt und liebt, den zieht der Schoenen Antlitz an.
- Doch wer sich huetet vor verstohlnem Spaehlerblick,
- Der wandelt recht als Mann an seiner Gattin Seit'.
In den Tagen einer frueheren Dynastie lebte in der grossen Praefektur Daming in der noerdlichen Provinz Zhili ein junger Gelehrter namens Tie Zhongyu, mit dem Hoeflichkeitsnamen Tingsheng. Er war von so auffallender Schoenheit, dass man ihn haette fuer ein Maedchen halten koennen, und so gaben ihm die Leute seiner Heimat den Spitznamen "die Schoene aus Eisen". Bei einem so anmutigen Aeusseren haette man ein sanftes Gemuet erwartet. Doch die Natur hatte es anders gefuegt: trotz seines feinen Gesichts war sein Wesen hart wie Gusseisen -- eigensinnig bis zum Aeussersten. [...]
[The complete modern German translation continues for the full chapter. See the source files for the complete text.]
Traduction francaise moderne (Woesler, 2025)
Chapitre premier
Dans la Cite du Phenix, un coeur chevaleresque prend en pitie le malheur de deux amants
Un poeme dit :
- Que les monts et les fleuves sont vastes, que le ciel est immense !
- Dix mille ans et dix mille ans encore se succedent sans fin.
- Les anciens s'en vont, les jeunes prennent leur place --
- Mais parmi tous les hommes, combien furent vraiment sages ?
Et un autre :
- Au lit, sans sommeil, l'on se tourne et se retourne, en proie au desir ;
- Quel coeur sensible ne serait epris d'un beau visage ?
- Mais qui s'interdit les regards furtifs du voyeur,
- Celui-la marche en homme aupres de sa compagne, sans honte.
Au temps d'une dynastie revolue, dans la grande prefecture de Daming, province septentrionale du Zhili, vivait un jeune lettre [xiucai] du nom de Tie Zhongyu, dont le nom de courtoisie etait Tingsheng. [...]
[The complete modern French translation continues for the full chapter. See the source files for the complete text.]