第五回

第五回 游幻境指迷十二钗 饮仙醪曲演红楼梦

第四回中既将薛家母子在荣府内寄居等事略已表明，此回则暂不能写矣。

如今且说林黛玉自在荣府以来，贾母万般怜爱，寝食起居，一如宝玉，迎春、探春、惜春三个亲孙女倒且靠后；便是宝玉和黛玉二人之亲密友爱处，亦自较别个不同，日则同行同坐，夜则同息同止，真是言和意顺，略无参商[3]。不想如今忽然来了一个薛宝钗，年岁虽大不多，然品格端方，容貌丰美，人多谓黛玉所不及。而且宝钗行为豁达，随分从时[4]，不比黛玉孤高自许，目无下尘，故比黛玉大得下人之心。便是那些小丫头子们，亦多喜与宝钗去顽。因此黛玉心中便有些悒郁不忿之意，宝钗却浑然不觉。那宝玉亦在孩提之间，况自天性所禀来的一片愚拙偏僻，视姊妹弟兄皆出一意，并无亲疏远近之别。其中因与黛玉同随贾母一处坐卧，故略比〔二〕别个姊妹熟惯些。既熟惯，则更觉亲密；既亲密，则不免一时有求全之毁，不虞之隙[6]。这日不知为何，他二人言语有些不合起来，黛玉又气的独在房中垂泪，宝玉又自悔言语冒撞，前去俯就，那黛玉方渐渐的回转来。

因东边宁府中花园内梅花盛开，贾珍之妻尤氏乃治酒，请贾母、邢夫人、王夫人等赏花。是日先携了贾蓉之妻〔三〕，二人来面请。贾母等于早饭后过来，就在会芳园游顽，先茶后酒，不过皆是宁荣二府女眷家宴小集，并无别样新文趣事可记。

一时宝玉倦怠，欲睡中觉，贾母命人好生哄着，歇一回再来。贾蓉之妻秦氏便忙笑回道：“我们这里有给宝叔收拾下的屋子，老祖宗放心，只管交与我就是了。”又向宝玉的奶娘丫鬟等道：“嬷嬷、姐姐们，请宝叔随我这里来。”贾母素知秦氏是个极妥当的人，生的袅娜纤巧，行事又温柔和平，乃重孙媳中第一个得意之人，见他去安置宝玉，自是安稳的。

当下秦氏引了一簇人来至上房内间。宝玉抬头看见一幅画贴在上面，画的人物固好，其故事乃是《燃藜图》[8]，也不看系何人所画，心中便有些不快。又有一副对联，写的是：

世事洞明皆学问，人情练达即文章。

及看了这两句，纵然室宇精美，铺陈华丽，亦断断不肯在这里了，忙说：“快出去，快出去！”秦氏听了笑道：“这里还不好，可往那里去呢？不然往我屋里去吧。”宝玉点头微笑。有一个嬷嬷说道：“那里有个叔叔往侄儿房里睡觉的理？”秦氏笑道：“嗳哟哟，不怕他恼，他能多大呢，就忌讳这些个！上月你没看见我那个兄弟来了，虽然与宝叔同年，两个人若站在一处，只怕那个还高些呢。”宝玉道：“我怎么没见过，你带他来我瞧瞧。”众人笑道：“隔着二三十里，往那里带去，见的日子有呢。”说着大家来至秦氏房中。刚至房门，便有一股细细的甜香袭人而来。宝玉觉得眼饧[9]骨软，连说“好香！”入房向壁上看时，有唐伯虎画的《海棠春睡图》[10]，两边有宋学士秦太虚写的一副对联[11]，其联云：

嫩寒锁梦因春冷，芳气笼人是酒香。

案上设着武则天当日镜室中设的宝镜[12]，一边摆着飞燕立着舞过的金盘[13]，盘内盛着安禄山掷过伤了太真乳的木瓜[14]。上面设着寿阳公主〔四〕于含章殿下卧的榻[16]，悬的是同昌公主制的联珠帐[17]。宝玉含笑连说：“这里好！”秦氏笑道：“我这屋子大约神仙也可以住得了。”说着亲自展开了西子浣过的纱衾[18]，移了红娘抱过的鸳枕[19]。于是众奶母服侍宝玉卧好，款款散了，只留袭人、媚人、晴雯、麝月四个丫鬟为伴。秦氏便分咐小丫鬟们，好生在廊檐下看着猫儿狗儿打架。

那宝玉刚合上眼，便惚惚的睡去，犹似秦氏在前，遂悠悠荡荡，随了秦氏，至一所在。但见朱栏白石，绿树清溪，真是人迹希逢，飞尘不到。宝玉在梦中欢喜，想道：“这个去处有趣，我就在这里过一生，纵然失了家也愿意，强如天天被父母师傅打呢。”正胡思之间，忽听山后有人作歌曰：

春梦随云散，飞花逐水流；

寄言众儿女，何必觅闲愁。

宝玉听了是女子的声音。歌音未息，早见那边走出一个人来，蹁跹袅娜，端的与人不同。有赋[20]为证：

方离柳坞[21]，乍出花房。但行处，鸟惊庭树[22]；将到时，影度回廊[23]。仙袂乍飘兮，闻麝兰[24]之馥郁；荷衣[25]欲动兮，听环佩之铿锵。靥笑春桃兮，云堆翠髻；唇绽樱颗兮[26]，榴齿[27]含香。纤腰之楚楚[28]兮，回风舞雪[29]；珠翠之辉辉兮，满额鹅黄[30]。出没花间兮，宜嗔宜喜[31]；徘徊池上兮，若飞若扬。蛾眉颦笑兮，将言而未语；莲步[32]乍移兮，待止而欲行。羡彼之良质兮，冰清玉润；慕彼之华服兮，闪灼文章[33]。爱彼之貌容兮，香培玉琢[34]；美彼之态度兮，凤翥龙翔[35]。其素若何，春梅绽雪。其洁若何，秋菊〔五〕被霜。其静若何，松生空谷。其艳若何，霞映澄塘。其文若何，龙游曲沼。其神若何，月射寒江。应惭西子，实愧王嫱[37]。奇矣哉，生于孰地，来自何方；信矣乎，瑶池不二，紫府[38]无双。果何人哉？如斯之美也！

宝玉见是一个仙姑，喜的忙来作揖问道：“神仙姐姐不知从那里来，如今要往那里去？也不知这是何处，望乞携带携带。”那仙姑笑道：“吾居离恨天之上，灌愁海之中，乃放春山遣香洞〔六〕太虚幻境警幻仙姑是也：司人间之风情月债，掌尘世之女怨男痴。因近来风流冤孽，缠绵于此处，是以前来访察机会，布散相思。今忽与尔相逢，亦非偶然。此离吾境不远，别无他物，仅有自采仙茗一盏，亲酿美酒一瓮，素练魔舞[40]歌姬数人，新填《红楼梦》仙曲十二支，试随吾一游否？”宝玉听说，便忘了秦氏在何处，竟随了仙姑，至一所在，有石牌横建，上书“太虚幻境”四个大字，两边一副对联，乃是：

假作真时真亦假，无为有处有还无。

转过牌坊，便是一座宫门，上面横书四个大字，道是：“孽海情天”。又有一副对联，大书云：

厚地高天，堪叹古今情不尽；

痴男怨女，可怜风月债难偿。

宝玉看了，心下自思道：“原来如此。但不知何为‘古今之情’，何为‘风月之债’？从今倒要领略领略。”宝玉只顾如此一想，不料早把些邪魔招入膏肓[41]了。当下随了仙姑进入二层门内，至两边配殿，皆有匾额对联，一时看不尽许多，惟见有几处写的是：“痴情司”“结怨司”“朝啼司”“夜怨司”“春感司”“秋悲司”。看了，因向仙姑道：“敢烦仙姑引我到那各司中游玩游玩，不知可使得？”仙姑道：“此各司中皆贮的是普天之下所有的女子过去未来的簿册，尔凡眼尘躯，未便先知的。”宝玉听了，那里肯依，复央之再四。仙姑无奈，说：“也罢，就在此司内略随喜随喜[42]罢了。”宝玉喜不自胜，抬头看这司的匾上，乃是“薄命司”三字，两边对联写的是：

春恨秋悲皆自惹，花容月貌为谁妍。

宝玉看了，便知感叹。进入门来，只见有十数个大厨，皆用封条封着。看那封条上，皆是各省的地名。宝玉一心只拣自己的家乡封条看，遂无心看别省的了。只见那边厨上封条上大书七字云：“金陵十二钗正册”。宝玉问道：“何为‘金陵十二钗正册’？”警幻道：“即贵省中十二冠首女子之册，故为‘正册’。”宝玉道：“常听人说，金陵极大，怎么只十二个女子？如今单我家里，上上下下，就有几百女孩子呢。”警幻冷笑道：“贵省女子固多，不过择其紧要者录之。下边二厨则又次之。馀者庸常之辈，则无册可录矣。”宝玉听说，再看下首二厨上，果然写着“金陵十二钗副册”，又一个写着“金陵十二钗又副册”。宝玉便伸手先将“又副册”厨开了，拿出一本册来，揭开一看，只见这首页上画着一幅画，又非人物，也无山水，不过是水墨滃染的满纸乌云浊雾而已。后有几行字迹，写的是：

霁月难逢，彩云易散。心比天高，身为下贱。风流灵巧招人怨。寿夭多因毁谤生，多情公子空牵念。[43]

宝玉看了，又见后面画着一簇鲜花，一床破席，也有几句言词，写道是：

枉自温柔和顺，空云似桂如兰；

堪羡优伶有福，谁知公子无缘。[44]

宝玉看了不解。遂掷下这个，又去开了副册厨门，拿起一本册来，揭开看时，只见画着一株桂花，下面有一池沼，其中水涸泥干，莲枯藕败，后面书云：

根并荷花一茎香，平生遭际实堪伤。

自从两地生孤木，致使香魂返故乡。[45]

宝玉看了仍不解。便又掷了，再去取“正册”看，只见头一页上便画着两株枯木，木上悬着一围玉带；又有一堆雪，雪下一股金簪。也有四句言词，道是：

可叹停机德，堪怜咏絮才。

玉带林中挂，金簪雪里埋。[46]

宝玉看了仍不解。待要问时，情知他必不肯泄漏；待要丢下，又不舍。遂又往后看时，只见画着一张弓，弓上挂着香橼。也有一首歌词云：

二十年来辨是非，榴花开处照宫闱。

三春争及初春景，虎兕〔七〕相逢大梦归。[48]

后面又画着两人放风筝，一片大海，一只大船，船中有一女子掩面泣涕之状。也有四句写云：

才自精明志自高，生于末世运偏消。

清明涕送江边望，千里东风一梦遥。[49]

后面又画几缕飞云，一湾逝水。其词曰：

富贵又何为，襁褓之间父母违。

展眼吊斜晖，湘江水逝楚云飞。[50]

后面又画着一块美玉，落在泥垢之中。其断语云：

欲洁何曾洁，云空未必空。

可怜金玉质，终陷淖泥中。[51]

后面忽见画着个恶狼，追扑一美女，欲啖之意。其书云：

子系中山狼，得志便猖狂。

金闺花柳质，一载赴黄粱。[52]

后面便是一所古庙，里面有一美人在内看经独坐。其判云：

勘破三春景不长，缁衣顿改昔年妆。

可怜绣户侯门女，独卧青灯古佛旁。[53]

后面便是一片冰山，上面有一只雌凤。其判曰：

凡鸟偏从末世来，都知爱慕此生才。

一从二令三人木，哭向金陵事更哀。[54]

后面又是一座荒村野店，有一美人在那里纺绩。其判云：

事败休云贵，家亡莫论亲。

偶因济刘氏，巧得遇恩人。[55]

后面又画着一盆茂兰，旁有一位凤冠霞帔的美人。也有判云：

桃李春风结子完，到头谁似一盆兰。

如冰水好空相妒，枉与他人作笑谈。[56]

后面又画着高楼大厦，有一美人悬梁自缢。其判云：

情天情海幻情身，情既相逢必主淫。

漫言不肖皆荣出，造衅开端实在宁。[57]

宝玉还欲看时，那仙姑知他天分高明，性情颖慧，恐把仙机泄漏，遂掩了卷册，笑向宝玉道：“且随我去游玩奇景，何必在此打这闷葫芦！”

宝玉恍恍惚惚，不觉弃了卷册，又随了警幻来至后面。但见珠帘绣幕，画栋雕檐，说不尽那光摇朱户金铺地，雪照琼窗玉作宫。更见仙花馥郁，异草芬芳，真好个所在。又听警幻笑道：“你们快出来迎接贵客！”一语未了，只见房中又走出几个仙子来，皆是荷袂蹁跹，羽衣飘舞，姣若春花，媚如秋月。一见了宝玉，都怨谤警幻道：“我们不知系何‘贵客’，忙的接了出来！姐姐曾说今日今时必有绛珠妹子的生魂前来游玩，故我等久待。何故反引这浊物来污染这清净女儿之境？”

宝玉听如此说，便吓得欲退不能退，果觉自形污秽不堪。警幻忙携住宝玉的手，向众姊妹道：“你等不知原委：今日原欲往荣府去接绛珠，适从宁府所过，偶遇宁荣二公之灵，嘱吾云：‘吾家自国朝定鼎[58]以来，功名奕世[59]，富贵传流，虽历百年，奈运终数尽，不可挽回者。故遗之子孙虽多，竟无可以继业。其中惟嫡孙宝玉一人，禀性乖张，性情怪谲，虽聪明灵慧，略可望成，无奈吾家运数合终，恐无人规引入正。幸仙姑偶来，万望先以情欲声色等事警其痴顽，或能使彼跳出迷人圈子，然后入于正路，亦吾兄弟之幸矣。’如此嘱吾，故发慈心，引彼至此。先以彼家上中下三等女子之终身册籍，令彼熟玩，尚未觉悟；故引彼再至此处，令其再历饮馔声色之幻，或冀将来一悟，亦未可知也。”

说毕，携了宝玉入室。但闻一缕幽香，竟不知其所焚何物。宝玉遂不禁相问。警幻冷笑道：“此香尘世中既无，尔何能知！此香乃系诸名山胜境内初生异卉之精，合各种宝林珠树之油所制，名‘群芳髓’。”宝玉听了，自是羡慕而已。大家入座，小丫鬟捧上茶来。宝玉自觉清香异味，纯美非常，因又问何名。警幻道：“此茶出在放春山遣香洞，又以仙花灵叶上所带之宿露而烹，此茶名曰‘千红一窟’。”宝玉听了，点头称赏。因看房内，瑶琴、宝鼎、古画、新诗，无所不有；更喜窗下亦有唾绒[60]，奁间时渍粉污。壁上也见悬着一副对联，书云：

幽微灵秀地，无可奈何天。

宝玉看毕，无不羡慕。因又请问众仙姑姓名：一名痴梦仙姑，一名钟情大士[61]，一名引愁金女，一名度恨菩提[62]，各各道号不一。少刻，有小丫鬟来调桌安椅，设摆酒馔。真是：琼浆满泛玻璃盏，玉液浓斟琥珀杯。更不用再说那肴馔之盛。宝玉因闻得此酒清香甘冽，异乎寻常，又不禁相问。警幻道：“此酒乃以百花之蕊，万木之汁，加以麟髓之醅、凤乳之[63]酿成，因名为‘万艳同杯’。”宝玉称赏不迭。

饮酒间，又有十二个舞女上来，请问演何词曲。警幻道：“就将新制《红楼梦》十二支演上来。”舞女们答应了，便轻敲檀板[64]，款按银筝[65]，听他歌道是：

开辟鸿蒙……

方歌了一句，警幻便说道：“此曲不比尘世中所填传奇之曲[66]，必有生旦净末之则[67]，又有南北九宫之限[68]。此或咏叹一人，或感怀一事，偶成一曲，即可谱入管弦。若非个中人[69]，不知其中之妙。料尔亦未必深明此调。若不先阅其稿，后听其歌，翻成嚼蜡矣。”说毕，回头命小丫鬟取了《红楼梦》原稿来，递与宝玉。宝玉接来，一面目视其文，一面耳聆其歌曰：

〔红楼梦引子〕 开辟鸿蒙，谁为情种？都只为风月情浓。趁着这〔八〕奈何天，伤怀日，寂寥时，试遣愚衷。因此上，演出这怀金悼玉的《红楼梦》。[71]

〔终身误〕 都道是金玉良姻，俺只念木石前盟。空对着，山中高士晶莹雪；终不忘，世外仙姝寂寞林。叹人间，美中不足今方信。纵然是齐眉举案，到底意难平。[72]

〔枉凝眉〕 一个是阆苑仙葩，一个是美玉无瑕。若说没奇缘，今生偏又遇着他；若说有奇缘，如何心事终虚化？一个枉自嗟呀，一个空劳牵挂。一个是水中月，一个是镜中花。想眼中能有多少泪珠儿，怎经得秋流到冬尽，春流到夏！[73]

宝玉听了此曲，散漫无稽，不见得好处；但其声韵凄惋，竟能销魂醉魄。因此也不察其原委，问其来历，就暂以此释闷而已。因又看下面唱道：

〔恨无常〕 喜荣华正好，恨无常又到。眼睁睁，把万事全抛。荡悠悠，把芳魂消耗。望家乡，路远山高。故向爹娘梦里相寻告：儿命已入黄泉，天伦呵，须要退步抽身早！[74]

〔分骨肉〕 一帆风雨路三千，把骨肉家园齐来抛闪。恐哭损残年，告爹娘，休把儿悬念。自古穷通皆有定，离合岂无缘？从今分两地，各自保平安。奴去也，莫牵连。[75]

〔乐中悲〕 襁褓中，父母叹双亡。纵居那绮罗丛，谁知娇养？幸生来，英豪阔大宽宏量，从未将儿女私情略萦心上。好一似，霁月光风耀玉堂。厮配得才貌仙郎，博得个地久天长，准折得幼年时坎坷形状。终久是云散高唐，水涸湘江。这是〔九〕尘寰中消长数应当，何必枉悲伤！[77]

〔世难容〕 气质美如兰，才华阜比仙。天生成孤癖人皆罕。你道是啖肉食腥膻，视绮罗俗厌；却不知太高人愈妒，过洁世同嫌。可叹这，青灯古殿人将老；辜负了，红粉朱楼春色阑。到头来，依旧是风尘肮脏违心愿。好一似，无瑕白玉遭泥陷；又何须，王孙公子叹无缘。[78]

〔喜冤家〕 中山狼，无情兽，全不念当日根由。一味的骄奢淫荡贪还构。觑着那，侯门艳质同蒲柳；作践的，公府千金似下流。叹芳魂艳魄，一载荡悠悠。[79]

〔虚花悟〕 将那三春看破，桃红柳绿待如何？把这韶华打灭，觅那清淡天和。说什么，天上夭桃盛，云中杏蕊多。到头来，谁把秋捱过？则看那，白杨村里人呜咽，青枫林下鬼吟哦。更兼着，连天衰草遮坟墓。这的是，昨贫今富人劳碌，春荣秋谢花折磨。似这般，生关死劫谁能躲？闻说道，西方宝树唤婆娑，上结着长生果。[80]

〔聪明累〕 机关算尽太聪明，反算了卿卿性命。生前心已碎，死后性空灵。家富人宁，终有个家亡人散各奔腾。枉费了，意悬悬半世心；好一似，荡悠悠三更梦。忽喇喇似大厦倾，昏惨惨似灯将尽。呀！一场欢喜忽悲辛。叹人世，终难定！[81]

〔留馀庆〕 留馀庆，留馀庆，忽遇恩人；幸娘亲，幸娘亲，积得阴功。劝人生，济困扶穷，休似俺那爱银钱忘骨肉的狠舅奸兄！正是乘除加减，上有苍穹。[82]

〔晚韶华〕 镜里恩情，更那堪梦里功名！那美韶华去之何迅！再休提绣帐鸳衾。只这带珠冠，披凤袄，也抵不了无常性命。虽说是，人生莫受老来贫，也须要阴骘积儿孙。气昂昂头戴簪缨，气昂昂头戴簪缨；光灿灿胸悬金印；威赫赫爵禄高登，威赫赫爵禄高登；昏惨惨黄泉路近。问古来将相可还存？也只是虚名儿与后人钦敬。[83]

〔好事终〕 画梁春尽落香尘。擅风情，秉月貌，便是败家的根本。箕裘颓堕皆从敬，家事消亡首罪宁。宿孽总因情。[84]

〔收尾·飞鸟各投林〕 为官的，家业凋零；富贵的，金银散尽；有恩的，死里逃生；无情的，分明报应。欠命的，命已还；欠泪的，泪已尽。冤冤相报实非轻，分离聚合皆前定。欲知命短问前生，老来富贵也真侥幸。看破的，遁入空门；痴迷的，枉送了性命。好一似食尽鸟投林，落了片白茫茫大地真干净！[85]

歌毕，还要歌副曲。警幻见宝玉甚无趣味，因叹：“痴儿竟尚未悟！”那宝玉忙止歌姬不必再唱，自觉朦胧恍惚，告醉求卧。警幻便命撤去残席，送宝玉至一香闺绣阁之中，其间铺陈之盛，乃素所未见之物。更可骇者，早有一位女子在内，其鲜艳妩媚，有似乎宝钗，风流袅娜，则又如黛玉。正不知何意，忽警幻道：“尘世中多少富贵之家，那些绿窗风月，绣阁烟霞，皆被淫污纨与那些流荡女子悉皆玷辱。更可恨者，自古来多少轻薄浪子，皆以‘好色不淫’为饰，又以‘情而不淫’[86]作案，此皆饰非掩丑之语也。好色即淫，知情更淫。是以巫山之会，云雨之欢，皆由既悦其色、复恋其情所致也。吾所爱汝者，乃天下古今第一淫人也。”

宝玉听了，唬的忙答道：“仙姑差了。我因懒于读书，家父母尚每垂训饬，岂敢再冒‘淫’字。况且年纪尚小，不知‘淫’字为何物。”警幻道：“非也。淫虽一理，意则有别。如世之好淫者，不过悦容貌，喜歌舞，调笑无厌，云雨无时，恨不能尽天下之美女供我片时之趣兴，此皆皮肤滥淫之蠢物耳。如尔则天分中生成一段痴情，吾辈推之为‘意淫’。‘意淫’二字，惟心会而不可口传，可神通而不可语达。汝今独得此二字，在闺阁中，固可为良友，然于世道中未免迂阔怪诡，百口嘲谤，万目睚眦[87]。今既遇令祖宁荣二公剖腹深嘱，吾不忍君独为我闺阁增光，见弃于世道，是以特引前来，醉以灵酒，沁以仙茗，警以妙曲，再将吾妹一人，乳名兼美字可卿者，许配于汝。今夕良时，即可成姻。不过令汝领略此仙闺幻境之风光尚如此，何况尘境之情景哉？而今后万万解释[88]，改悟前情，留意于孔孟之间，委身于经济之道[89]。”说毕便秘授以云雨之事，推宝玉入房，将门掩上自去。

那宝玉恍恍惚惚，依警幻所嘱之言，未免有儿女之事，难以尽述。至次日，便柔情缱绻[90]，软语温存，与可卿难解难分。因二人携手出去游顽之时，忽至一个所在，但见荆榛遍地，狼虎同群，迎面一道黑溪阻路，并无桥梁可通。正在犹豫之间，忽见警幻后面追来，告道：“快休前进，作速回头要紧！”宝玉忙止步问道：“此系何处？”警幻道：“此即迷津[91]也。深有万丈，遥亘千里，中无舟楫可通，只有一个木筏，乃木居士掌舵，灰侍者撑篙，不受金银之谢，但遇有缘者渡之。尔今偶游至此，设如堕落其中，则深负我从前谆谆警戒之语矣。”话犹未了，只听迷津内水响如雷，竟有许多夜叉[92]海鬼将宝玉拖将下去。吓得宝玉汗下如雨，一面失声喊叫：“可卿救我！”吓得袭人辈众丫鬟忙上来搂住，叫：“宝玉别怕，我们在这里！”

却说秦氏正在房外嘱咐小丫头们好生看着猫儿狗儿打架，忽听宝玉在梦中唤他的小名，因纳闷道：“我的小名这里从没人知道的，他如何知道，在梦里叫出来？”正是：

一场幽梦同谁近，千古情人独我痴。

[1] 仙醪（láo劳）——仙酒。醪：本指发酵后未经过滤、汁滓相拌的原酿，后用以指醇酒。

〔一〕 此回回前，己卯、梦稿、蒙府、戚序、舒序、卞藏本有：“题曰：春困葳蕤拥绣衾，恍随仙子别红尘。问谁幻入华胥境，千古风流造孽人。”（己卯本“题曰”作“题云”，在第四回之末；梦稿本无“题曰”二字。）

[3] 略无参（shēn申）商——指彼此感情融洽，没有一点隔阂、矛盾。“参”和“商”都是星宿名，属二十八宿。因两星此出彼没，故常用来比喻两人分离不得见面。又据《左传》昭公元年：传说帝喾高辛氏二子阏伯与实沈不和，常争斗，帝遂命阏伯去商丘管商星，实沈去大夏管参星。故参商也用以比喻人与人之间感情不和。

[4] 随分从时——安于本分、顺应环境。

〔二〕 “略比”，底本、卞藏本作“略与”，从梦稿本改。

[6] 求全之毁，不虞之隙——因要求完美而常有责难；因相处亲密而常有料不到的矛盾。毁：诋毁，责难。不虞：没料到。隙：嫌隙、裂痕。从《孟子·离娄上》“有不虞之誉，有求全之毁”句衍化而来，含义亦有所不同。

〔三〕 “之妻”，底本、卞藏本作“夫妻”，从甲戌本改。

[8] 《燃藜图》——这是劝人勤学苦读的画。题材来自六朝无名氏《三辅黄图·阁部》所载故事。藜：一年生草本植物，茎高数尺，老可为杖；燃烧时光亮耐久，可以当烛。

[9] 眼饧（xín行）——眼皮滞涩、朦胧欲睡。饧：古“糖”字，《本草纲目·谷部》：“饴即软糖也，北人谓之饧。”

[10] 《海棠春睡图》——海棠春睡：喻杨贵妃醉态。《明皇杂录》：“上尝登沉香亭，召妃子。妃子时卯酒未醒，高力士从侍儿扶掖而至。上皇笑曰：岂是妃子醉耶？海棠睡未足耳。”此图是否实有，未能确知。

[11] 宋学士秦太虚写的一副对联——北宋词人秦观，一字太虚，乃苏（轼）门四学士之一。词风婉约媚丽，多写男女情爱。这副对联不见于其《淮海集》。嫩寒：春天的微寒。锁梦：不成梦，不能入睡。

[12] 武则天当日镜室中设的宝镜——武则天：唐高宗的皇后，后登极称帝，改国号为周。史载她的宫闱生活十分秽乱。据说在高宗时她曾造了一座镜殿，四壁都安着镜子（见清朱鹤龄注李商隐《镜槛》诗）。作者在这里用了一系列与古代香艳故事的风流韵事有关的器物，渲染秦氏房中陈设的华丽秾艳。

[13] 飞燕立着舞过的金盘——飞燕：赵飞燕，汉成帝的皇后，身轻善舞。据乐史《杨太真外传》引《汉成帝内传》：“汉成帝获飞燕，身轻欲不胜风，恐其飘翥，帝为造水晶盘，令宫人掌之而歌舞。”

[14] 安禄山掷过伤了太真乳的木瓜——太真：即杨玉环，道号太真，受宠于唐玄宗，封为贵妃。安史之乱前，玄宗宠信安禄山，杨贵妃曾认安禄山为养子，关系暧昧。木瓜伤乳事，可能从《诗经·卫风·木瓜》“投我以木瓜”句联想而来。又据宋代高承《事物纪原》“诃子”条：“贵妃私安禄山，指爪伤胸乳之间，遂作诃子饰之。”掷瓜伤乳，因“掷”、“指”音同，“瓜”、“爪”形近，或即由此讹转附会而来。

[15] 〔四〕 “寿阳”，底本作“寿昌”，各本同。惟舒序、卞藏本分别作“寿长”“寿星”。按，含章殿下卧榻，系寿阳公主（刘宋武帝女）梅花妆事。此处究竟是笔误、抄讹，还是有意虚写，无从断定，依典事改。

[16] 寿阳公主于含章殿下卧的榻——底本作寿昌公主，应是寿阳公主之误。寿阳公主：南朝宋武帝刘裕的女儿。据《太平御览·时序部》引《杂五行书》：“宋武帝女寿阳公主，人日（旧历正月初七）卧于含章殿檐下，梅花落于公主额上，成五出花，拂之不去，皇后留之，……宫女奇其异，竞效之，今梅花妆是也。”

[17] 同昌公主制的联珠帐——苏鹗《杜阳杂编》：唐懿宗“咸通九年，同昌公主出降，宅于广化里，……堂中设连珠之帐，却寒之帘。……连珠帐，续真珠以成也。”见《旧小说》七。

[18] 西子浣（huàn换）过的纱衾——西子：即西施。衾：被子。传说中有西子浣纱的故事，明代梁辰鱼著传奇《浣纱记》即本此。

[19] 红娘抱过的鸳枕——红娘：崔莺莺的丫鬟。这里是指莺莺到西厢与张生幽会时，红娘送衾枕事。见《西厢记》第四本第一折。

[20] 赋——文体名。起于战国，盛于两汉。赋有骈体的，也有散体的。

[21] 柳坞（wù误）——植柳以为屏障，泛指柳树成行的地方。

[22] 鸟惊庭树——极言仙姑之美。《庄子·齐物论》：“毛嫱、丽姬，人之所美也；鱼见之深入，鸟见之高飞，麋鹿见之决骤：四者孰知天下之正色哉？”后因以“鱼入鸟惊”形容女子的美貌，与“沉鱼落雁”义同。

[23] 影度回廊——身影在回廊上移动。这里似从《吴郡志》所载吴王夫差闻西施着木鞋步回廊之声的传说化出，形容仙姑身姿之美。回廊：曲折回环的走廊。

[24] 麝兰——麝香和兰草，为古代贵族妇女常佩之香料。亦用以代指香气。

[25] 荷衣——用荷花、荷叶制成的衣裳，神仙的一种服饰。屈原《九歌·少司命》：“荷衣兮蕙带。”

[26] 唇绽樱颗兮——形容双唇似刚成熟的樱桃那样鲜红饱满。张宽《太真明皇并笛图》：“露湿樱唇金缕衣。”

[27] 榴齿——形容牙齿整齐如一排石榴子。《博物论》：“石榴子似人齿，带淡红色，光皎若琥珀。”

[28] 楚楚——原义为鲜明整洁的样子，这里作纤细秀美解。

[29] 回风舞雪——形容仙子体态轻盈飘忽。曹植《洛神赋》：“仿佛兮若轻烟之蔽月，飘飘兮若流风之回雪。”

[30] 满额鹅黄——妇女在额上涂嫩黄色作妆饰的习俗。或谓始于汉代，或谓始于六朝。李商隐《蝶》：“寿阳公主嫁时妆，八字宫眉捧额黄。”鹅黄：嫩黄，黄色之娇美者，如幼鹅的毛色。

[31] 宜嗔宜喜——无论是生气还是高兴，都使人感到美。《西厢记》第一折：“我见他宜嗔宜喜春风面。”

[32] 莲步——旧时对美女脚步的称谓。语本《南史·齐东昏侯纪》：“凿金为莲华（花）以帖地，令潘妃行其上，曰：‘此步步生莲华（花）也。’”

[33] 闪灼文章——花纹灿烂。文章：花纹错杂相间。

[34] 香培玉琢——用香料造就，用美玉雕成。

[35] 凤翥（zhù助）龙翔——意即龙飞凤舞，形容仙子体态风度的飘逸。翥：鸟向上飞。

〔五〕 “秋菊”，底本、卞藏本作“秋兰”，从甲戌本改。

[37] 王嫱——即王昭君，汉元帝时宫人，貌美。

[38] 瑶池、紫府——均古代传说中的仙境。瑶池在昆仑山上，西王母所居之处。见《史记·大宛列传赞》、《穆天子传》卷三。紫府在青丘凤山，天真仙女曾游此地。见《海内十洲记·长洲》。

〔六〕 “放春山遣香洞”，原作“放春山选香洞”，“山”又点改为“”。从己卯、甲戌、蒙府、戚序、甲辰、卞藏本改。

[40] 魔舞——即天魔舞。本为唐代一种宫廷舞乐，王建《宫词》：“十六天魔舞袖长。”元顺帝至正十四年制天魔舞，系宫廷大型队舞，以宫女十六人，盛妆扮成菩萨相，有多种乐器伴奏，应节而舞。

[41] 膏肓（huān荒）——古代中医称心脏与横膈膜之间的部位叫膏肓。膏：心之下。肓：横膈膜。《左传》成公十年：晋景公患重病，求医于秦国，秦桓公派名医缓前往医治，缓未到，晋景公梦见他的病化作两个童子藏到膏之下，肓之上。缓诊断后说：“疾不可为也。在肓之上，膏之下，攻之不可，达之不得，药不至焉，不可为也。”后遂称病重垂危、不可救药叫病入膏肓。

[42] 随喜——佛教术语。谓见人作善事而随之生欢喜心。后游览参观寺院，亦称随喜。

[43] “霁月难逢”一首——晴雯判词。画面喻晴雯处境的污浊与险恶。霁月难逢：雨过天晴时的明月叫“霁月”，点“晴”字，喻晴雯人品高尚，然而遭遇艰难。《宣和遗事·元集》：“大概光风霁月之时少。”彩云易散：隐指晴雯的横遭摧残而寿夭。“彩云”，寓“雯”字（雯，即彩云）。白居易《简简吟》：“大都好物不坚牢，彩云易散琉璃脆。”身为下贱：指晴雯身为女奴，地位十分低下。多情公子：指贾宝玉。

[44] “枉自温柔和顺”一首——袭人判词。画面寓“花气袭（谐音席）人”四字，隐花袭人姓名。优伶：旧时对歌舞戏剧艺人的称谓，这里指蒋玉菡。公子：指贾宝玉。根据脂批，袭人出嫁先于宝玉出家，故有末二句判词。

[45] “根并荷花一茎香”一首——香菱判词。画面“一枝桂花”暗指“夏金桂”，“莲枯藕败”隐指英莲及其结局。根并荷花：指菱根挨着莲根。隐寓香菱就是原来的英莲。遭际：遭遇。两地生孤木：拆字法，两个“土”（地）字，加一个“木”字，指“桂”，寓夏金桂。照画面与后二句判词，香菱的结局当被夏金桂虐待致死。

[46] “可叹停机德”一首——薛宝钗和林黛玉判词。停机德：指符合封建道德规范要求的一种妇德。东汉乐羊子远出求学，中道而归，其妻以停下织机割断经线为喻，劝其不要中断学业，以期求取功名。见《后汉书·列女传》。这里指薛宝钗。咏絮才：指女子敏捷的才思。晋人谢道韫，聪明有才辩，某天大雪，韫叔谢安问：“白雪纷纷何所似？”韫堂兄谢朗答道：“撒盐空中差可拟。”道韫曰：“未若柳絮因风起。”谢安赞赏不已。见《世说新语·言语》。这里指林黛玉。玉带林中挂：前三字倒读谐“林黛玉”三字。又暗示贾宝玉对林黛玉的牵挂。金簪雪里埋：金簪，喻“宝钗”，雪，谐音“薛”。句意暗寓其结局之冷落与凄苦。

〔七〕 “虎兕”，原作“虎兔”，甲戌、蒙府、戚序、甲辰、舒序本均同。卞藏本作“虎儿”。从己卯、梦稿本改。

[48] “二十年来辨是非”一首——元春判词。画面的“一张弓”，谐音“宫闱”的“宫”字；“弓”上悬着一个“香橼（yuán元）”，谐元春的“元”字。三春：这里隐指迎春、探春、惜春。初春：指元春。争及：怎及。兕（sì四）：犀牛类猛兽。大梦归：死亡。

[49] “才自精明志自高”一首——探春判词。画面暗指探春远嫁海隅，犹如断线的风筝，一去不返。后二句诗与此意同。运偏消：命运偏偏愈来愈不济。

[50] “富贵又何为”一首——史湘云判词。前二句说史湘云自幼父母双亡，家庭的富贵并不能给她以温暖。襁褓（qiǎn bǎo抢保）之间：指婴儿时期。襁：背孩子用的系带；褓：包孩子用的小被。后二句说史湘云婚后好景不长，转眼之间夫妻离散。吊：凭吊，伤悼。湘江水逝楚云飞：藏“湘”“云”二字，并暗用宋玉《高唐赋》中楚怀王梦会巫山神女事，喻夫妻生活的短暂，与该判词画面含意相同。

[51] “欲洁何曾洁”一首——妙玉判词。画面“一块美玉”寓其名，“落在泥垢之中”喻其结局。后二句诗与此意同。洁：既指清洁，亦指佛教所说的净。佛教认为现实世界是污秽的，唯有天堂佛国才算“净土”，所以佛教又称净教。妙玉有“洁癖”，又身在佛门，故云欲“洁”。空：超脱尘缘。金玉质：喻妙玉“出身不凡，心性高洁”。淖（nào闹）：泥沼，烂泥。

[52] “子系中山狼”一首——迎春判词。画面与判词均暗示迎春嫁了忘恩负义的凶恶丈夫，致被折磨而死。子：旧时对男子的尊称。系：是。“子”“系”又合而成“孙（孙）”字，指迎春的丈夫孙绍祖。“中山狼”：古代寓言，见明代马中锡《东田集》。后遂以中山狼比喻忘恩负义的人。赴黄粱：这里喻死亡。唐人沈既济《枕中记》说：寒儒卢生枕在道士吕翁给他的一个神奇的枕上睡去，梦中享尽荣华富贵，梦醒，还不到蒸熟一顿黄粱米饭的时间，后以喻人生如梦。

[53] “勘破三春景不长”一首——惜春判词。画面与判词暗示惜春的结局是出家为尼。据脂批，惜春为尼后过着“缁衣乞食”的生活。三春：指惜春的三个姐姐。勘破：看破。缁（zī资）衣：黑色的衣服，这里指僧尼服装。青灯：佛前海灯。

[54] “凡鸟偏从末世来”一首——王熙凤判词。画面的“雌凤”象征王熙凤，“一片冰山”喻王熙凤倚作靠山的财势似冰山难以持久。“凡鸟”合而成“凤（凤）”字，点其名。事出《世说新语·简傲》：嵇康与吕安是好友，一次吕安去拜访嵇康，康不在，其兄嵇喜出门迎接，吕安不入，在门上题一“凤”字而去，嵇喜很高兴，以为称自己是凤凰，其实吕安嘲笑他是“凡鸟”。一从二令三人木：难确知其含义。或谓指贾琏对王熙凤态度变化的三个阶段：始则听从，续则使令，最后休弃（“人木”合成“休”字）。据脂批，贾府“事败”，王熙凤曾落入“狱神庙”，后短命而死。

[55] “事败休云贵”一首——巧姐判词。画面暗指巧姐的结局是成为以纺绩为生的乡村妇女。判词前二句写巧姐在贾府事败后被“狠舅奸兄”所卖。后二句写巧姐为刘姥姥所救。巧：语意双关，含巧姐之“巧”与凑巧之“巧”。恩人：指刘姥姥。

[56] “桃李春风结子完”一首——李纨判词。画面暗示李纨晚年因子得贵、诰命加身。首句“桃李”、“完”寓李纨二字，全句寓李纨生子后就青春丧偶。次句寓贾兰的“兰”字，兼指将来贾府诸子孙中唯贾兰显贵。后二句句意难以确定，或谓化用唐代僧人寒山《无题》诗“欲识生死譬，且将冰水比。水结即成冰，冰消返成水。”说李纨一生三从四德，晚年荣华方至，却随即死去，只留得一个诰封虚名，白白地给世人作谈资笑料。

[57] “情天情海幻情身”一首——秦可卿判词。根据脂批，小说第十三回回目原为：“秦可卿淫丧天香楼”。画上所画当指此。脂批又云：“老朽因（秦可卿）有魂托凤姐贾家后事二件……其言其意则令人悲切感服，姑赦之，因命芹溪（雪芹）删去。”但曹雪芹虽删去了这段情节，却在判词和画中仍保留了初稿里关于秦可卿结局的某些暗示。情天情海：与“太虚幻境”的匾额“孽海情天”义同，喻世间风月情多。幻情身：幻变的情的化身。后两句意谓别以为不长进的东西都出自荣国府，造祸开端的其实是宁国府里的人，指贾珍等伤风坏俗的秽行。

[58] 定鼎——传说夏禹曾收九州之金，铸造九鼎，夏商周三代都把它们作为传国的重器。后世因称新朝定都建国为定鼎。语见《左传》宣公三年：“成王定鼎于郏鄏。”

[59] 奕（yì义）世——一代接一代，世代绵延。奕：重、累。

[60] 唾绒——古代妇女刺绣，每当换线停针，用齿咬断绣线，口中常沾留线绒，随口吐出，俗谓唾绒。李煜词《一斛珠》：“烂嚼红茸，笑向檀郎唾。”“茸”与“绒”通。

[61] 大士——佛教称佛和菩萨为大士。

[62] 菩提——佛教名词。梵文音译，意译为觉悟、成佛。释迦在毕钵罗树下觉悟成佛，佛家遂称该处为菩提场，该树为菩提树。

[63] 醅（pēi胚）、（qū曲）——醅：未经过滤的酒。：酿酒用的发酵物，多用大麦皮等制成。这里“麟髓之醅”、“凤乳之”均极言酿造仙酒的原料之珍异。

[64] 檀板——乐器名。即拍板，亦名牙板。因用檀木制成，故名檀板，因其色红，亦称红牙板。

[65] 款按银筝——款：动作缓慢、舒徐的样子。按：弹筝的动作。筝：一种弦乐器。

[66] 传奇之曲——明代以后通称南戏为传奇。曲：曲词。

[67] 生旦净末之则——传统戏曲中的脚色类型，主要分为生、旦、净、丑四类，或生、旦、净、末、丑五类，总称为“行当”。演员扮演人物，皆按“行当”，各有自己的表演程式（即法则），不能随意混用。

[68] 南北九宫之限——南北九宫，指古代戏曲的宫调（即调式）。南：指南曲（传奇）；北：指北曲（杂剧）；九宫：即九个宫调（正宫、中吕、南吕、仙吕、黄钟五宫，大石调、双调、商调、越调四调，合为九宫调）。戏剧的曲牌，是受宫调限制的，某一曲牌属于某一宫调之内，不能放入其它宫调来用。有的曲牌可以兼入两宫，但要按曲谱规定。所以戏剧的宫调限制是很严的。

[69] 个中人——指处在局中，洞悉内情的人。在这里作“行家”解。

〔八〕 “趁着这”，底本、卞藏本无，从甲戌、戚序、蒙府本补。

[71] 〔红楼梦引子〕一首——《红楼梦》十二支曲与金陵十二钗册子判词互为补充，预示了书中主要人物的命运和结局。开辟鸿蒙：开天辟地以来。鸿蒙：旧指宇宙形成以前的原始浑沌状态。遣：排遣，抒发。愚：“我”的自谦词。衷：衷曲，情怀。怀金悼玉：以薛宝钗（金）和林黛玉（玉）代指金陵十二钗。

[72] 〔终身误〕一首——曲名意即误了终身。曲子从贾宝玉婚后仍念念不忘死去的林黛玉，写薛宝钗婚后境遇的冷落和难堪。金玉良姻：指贾宝玉与薛宝钗的姻缘，书中有金锁配玉的说法。木石前盟：指贾宝玉与林黛玉的爱情，书中有神瑛侍者以甘露灌溉绛珠仙草的神话描写。齐眉举案：《后汉书·梁鸿传》：“（梁鸿）为人赁舂（舂米），每归，妻为具食，不敢于鸿前仰视，举案齐眉。”后遂以“举案齐眉”喻妻子对丈夫的恭顺，成为妇德的楷模。案：通“椀”，即碗。见清人胡鸣玉《订杂录》。

[73] 〔枉凝眉〕一首——曲名意谓徒然悲愁。曲子写宝黛的爱情悲剧及黛玉泪尽而逝的命运。阆（làn浪）苑仙葩（pā趴）：隐指林黛玉。阆苑：神仙的园林；仙葩：仙花。美玉无瑕：隐指贾宝玉。瑕：玉的疵病。嗟呀：伤感叹息。

[74] 〔恨无常〕一首——曲名有不得寿终与荣辱无定双重意思。曲子从元妃的暴死，写贾府的即将大祸临头。无常：本佛教用语，指世间一切事物忽生忽灭，变幻无定，后讹称勾命鬼。这里指元春的死亡，兼有风云变幻的意味。黄泉：旧时谓天玄地黄，称地下水为黄泉，后用以代指冥间。天伦：旧时指父子、兄弟等天然的亲属关系，这里是父亲的代称。

[75] 〔分骨肉〕一首——曲名即骨肉分离的意思。曲子从探春远嫁海隅时对父母的强颜劝慰，写她与骨肉亲人分离时的悲苦心境。抛闪：抛开。残年：晚年，指老年人。穷通：人生遭遇的窘困和显达。定：指命中注定。缘：缘分，机缘。奴：旧时女子的自称。牵连：牵挂留连。

〔九〕 “这是”，原无，从各本补。

[77] 〔乐中悲〕一首——曲名谓乐中寓悲。写史湘云虽生于富贵之家，但自幼父母双亡，虽嫁得“才貌仙郎”，又中途离散。绮罗丛：代指富贵家庭。霁月光风：雨过天晴时明净景象，喻史湘云胸怀开朗，磊落光明。光风：《楚辞·招魂》：“光风转蕙”。王逸注：“光风，谓雨已（止）日出而风，草木有光也。”厮配：相配。才貌仙郎：据脂批，当指卫若兰。准折：抵销；弥补。坎坷：道路不平，喻人生道路的曲折多艰。“云散”两句喻史湘云的夫妻离散，晚景孤凄。水涸（hé合）湘江：传说舜南巡死于苍梧，二妃随征，溺于湘江，俗呼湘君。见汉刘向《列女传》。消长：《易·泰》：“君子道长，小人道消。”消：灭；长：生，这里指盛衰变化。数：气数，运数。

[78] 〔世难容〕一首——曲名意谓难为世俗所容。写妙玉的为人及其不幸遭际。罕：少见。啖（dàn旦）：吃。膻：羊臊气。红粉：胭脂、香粉，代指年轻女子。朱楼：指富贵人家女子住的绣楼。春色阑：春色将尽，喻女子的青春将逝。风尘肮脏：一说“风尘”指扰攘的尘世；肮脏读如亢臧（kǎn　zǎn），又作抗脏，不屈不阿的意思。文天祥《得儿女消息诗》：“肮脏到头方是汉，娉娉更欲向何人？”一说“风尘”犹云烟花，旧指娼妓的生活；肮脏作龌龊不洁解。

[79] 〔喜冤家〕一首——曲名意谓喜庆婚嫁招来冤家对头。写迎春的婚后不幸遭际。贪还构：词意难确指，或系贪婪和构陷的意思。觑（qù去）：看。侯门艳质：犹言侯门千金小姐。蒲柳：即水杨，易生易凋，旧时常用以比喻本性低贱或易于衰朽的东西，此取前一义。

[80] 〔虚花悟〕一首——曲名意谓参悟到良辰美景皆虚幻，亦即“色空”的禅理。写惜春因看破贾府好景不长而决意皈依佛门。韶华：美好时光，喻青春年华。天和：自然的和气，亦即所谓元气。觅天和：犹言修道养性。天上夭桃、云中杏蕊：喻荣华富贵。《诗·周南·桃夭》：“桃之夭夭，灼灼其华。”夭夭：茂盛艳丽的样子。唐代高蟾《下第后上永崇高侍郎》诗以“天上碧桃和露种，日边红杏倚云栽”喻在朝显贵。白杨村：指坟地，古人在墓地多种白杨。青枫林：用杜甫《梦李白》“魂来枫林青”之意。婆娑：似为梵文“婆颇娑”的省称，意即光明；或谓即“婆罗”，一种常绿乔木，相传佛祖释迦牟尼在此树下涅槃（逝世）。长生果：虚拟的一种食之能长生不老的果实；或喻解脱人世一切痛苦而修成正果。

[81] 〔聪明累〕一首——曲名即聪明反为聪明误之意。苏轼《洗儿诗》：“我被聪明误一生。”写王熙凤的悲惨结局和贾府一败涂地的情景。机关：心机，权术。黄庭坚《牧童诗》：“骑牛远远过前村，短笛横吹隔垅闻。多少长安名利客，机关用尽不如君。”卿卿：夫妻间的爱称。《世说新语·惑溺》：“王安丰妇常卿安丰，安丰曰：‘妇人卿婿，于礼为不敬，后勿复尔。’妇曰：‘亲卿爱卿，是以卿卿，我不卿卿，谁当卿卿？’遂恒听之。”朋友间的敬称，亦多用“卿”者，如《史记·孟子荀卿列传》：“荀卿，赵人。”司马贞《索隐》：“名况，卿者，时人相尊而号为卿”也。唐李贺《休洗红》诗：“卿卿骋少年”。〔聪明累〕中的“卿卿”，非夫妇间的昵称，而含有作者讽怜之意。意悬悬：提心吊胆，时刻劳神。

[82] 〔留馀庆〕一首——曲名意谓前辈留下的德泽。写贾府势败家亡时骨肉相残及巧姐由刘姥姥救出火坑事。馀庆：与“阴功”义近，意为前辈的善行而使后辈获得善报。《易·坤》：“积善之家，必有馀庆。”奸兄：似指曾得凤姐好处的贾蔷之流。续书指贾芸，恐非。脂批云：“醉金刚一回文字伏芸哥仗义探庵”，可知贾芸后来对贾府有仗义行为。乘除加减：意谓人生的荣枯消长，浮沉赏罚，皆有定数，丝毫不爽。苍穹：青天。

[83] 〔晚韶华〕一首——曲名寓“夕阳无限好，只是近黄昏”之意。写李纨一生的枯荣变化。镜里恩情：指李纨早寡。梦里功名：似指贾兰“爵禄高登”后她即死去。珠冠、凤袄：旧时诰命夫人穿戴的服饰。绣帐鸳衾：代指夫妻生活。阴骘（zhì治）：阴德。

[84] 〔好事终〕一首——曲名意谓情事终了，含有嘲讽意味。曲子从秦可卿的悬梁自缢，写贾府纲常毁堕，道德败坏。画梁春尽落香尘：暗指秦可卿于天香楼悬梁自尽。箕裘（jī　qiú基球）：簸箕和皮袍。《礼记·学记》：“良冶之子，必学为裘；良弓之子，必学为箕。”后人遂常用“箕裘”来比喻祖先的事业。箕裘颓堕：指贾府的儿孙不能继承祖业。敬：指贾敬。宁：指宁国府。宿孽：犹言祸根。

[85] 〔收尾·飞鸟各投林〕一首——曲名喻家败人散各奔东西。此曲总写贾宝玉和金陵十二钗等的不幸结局和贾府最终“树倒猢狲散”的衰败景象。据脂批透露，贾府“事败抄没”后，“子孙流散”，“一败涂地”。贾宝玉“悬崖撒手”，“弃而为僧”。

[86] 情而不淫——感情志趣相投，却不流于淫乱。

[87] 睚眦（yá　zì牙自）——瞪眼、怒目而视。也引申为很小的怨隙。《史记·范雎传》：“一饭之德必偿，睚眦之怨必报。”

[88] 解释——这里是领悟、不受困惑的意思。

[89] 经济之道——指封建社会的治国理民、经邦济世之道。

[90] 缱绻（qiǎn　quǎn浅犬）——犹言缠绵。语出《诗经·大雅·民劳》，本为牢固相结之意。后多用以形容情投意合、难舍难分的样子。

[91] 迷津——佛家谓三界（欲界、色界、无色界）六道（天道、人道、阿修罗道、畜生道、饿鬼道、地狱道）都是迷误虚妄的境界，故称迷津；世间众生，都陷溺于“迷津”之中，须赖佛家教义，觉迷情海，慈航普渡。后用“迷津”比喻人沉溺于迷途之中。津：江河的渡口。

[92] 夜叉——梵语音译，亦作药叉，意译为能噉鬼、捷疾鬼。佛教多泛指恶鬼。后来借以形容相貌丑陋、性情凶恶的人。

CHAPTER 5. Jia Bao-yu visits the Land of Illusion And the fairy Disenchantment performs the ‘Dream of Golden Days’

From the moment Lin Dai-yu entered the Rong mansion, Grandmother Jia’s solicitude for her had manifested itself in a hundred different ways. The arrangements made for her meals and accommodation were exactly the same as for Bao-yu. The other three granddaughters, Ying-chun, Tan-chun and Xi-chun, were relegated to a secondary place in the old lady’s affections, and the objects of her partiality themselves began to feel an affection for each other which far exceeded what they felt for any of the rest. Sharing each other’s company every minute of the day and sleeping in the same room at night, they developed an understanding so intense that it was almost as if they had grown into a single person.

And now suddenly this Xue Bao-chai had appeared on the scene – a young lady who, though very little older than Dai-yu, possessed a grown-up beauty and aplomb in which all agreed Dai-yu was her inferior. Moreover, in contrast to Dai-yu with her air of lofty self-sufficiency and total obliviousness to all who did not move on the same exalted level as herself, Bao-chai had a generous, accommodating disposition which greatly endeared her to subordinates, so that even the tiniest maid looked on Miss Bao-chai as a familiar friend. Dai-yu could not but feel somewhat put out by this – a fact of which Bao-chai herself, however, was totally unaware.

As for Bao-yu, he was still only a child – a child, moreover, whom nature had endowed with the eccentric obtuseness of a simpleton. Brothers, sisters, cousins, were all one to him. In his relationships with people he made no distinction between one person and another. If his relationship with Dai-yu was exceptional, it was because greater proximity – since she was living with him in his grandmother’s quarters – made her more familiar to him than the rest; and greater familiarity bred greater intimacy.

And of course, with greater intimacy came the occasional tiffs and misunderstandings that are usual with people who have a great deal to do with each other.

One day the two of them had fallen out over something or other and the argument had ended with Dai-yu crying alone in her room and Bao-yu feeling remorsefully that perhaps he had spoken too roughly. Presently he went in to make his peace with her and gradually, very gradually, Dai-yu’s equanimity was restored.

The winter plum in the gardens of the Ning Mansion was now at its best, and this particular day Cousin Zhen’s wife, You-shi, had some wine taken into the gardens and came over in person, bringing her son Jia Rong and his young wife with her, to invite Grandmother Jia, Lady Xing and Lady Wang to a flower-viewing party.

Grandmother Jia and the rest went round as soon as they had finished their breakfast. The party was in the All-scents Garden. It began with tea and continued with wine, and as it was a family gathering confined to the ladies of the Ning and Rong households, nothing particularly worth recording took place.

At one point in the party Bao-yu was overcome with tiredness and heaviness and expressed a desire to take an afternoon nap. Grandmother Jia ordered some of the servants to go back to the house with him and get him comfortably settled, adding that they might return with him later when he was rested; but Qin-shi, the little wife of Jia Rong, smilingly proposed an alternative.

‘We have got just the room here for Uncle Bao. Leave him to me, Grannie dear! He will be quite safe in my hands.’

She turned to address the nurses and maidservants who were in attendance on Bao-yu.

‘Come, my dears! Tell Uncle Bao to follow me.’

Grandmother Jia had always had a high opinion of Qin-shi’s trustworthiness – she was such a charming, delightful little creature, the favourite among her great-granddaughters-in-law – and was quite content to leave the arrangements to her.

Qin-shi conducted Bao-yu and his little knot of attendants to an inner room in the main building. As they entered, Bao-yu glanced up and saw a painting hanging above them on the opposite wall. The figures in it were very finely executed. They represented Scholarly Diligence in the person of the Han philosopher Liu Xiang at his book, obligingly illuminated for him by a supernatural being holding a large flaming torch. Bao-yu found the painting – or rather its subject – distasteful. But the pair of mottoes which flanked it proved the last straw:

True learning implies a clear insight into human activities.

Genuine culture involves the skilful manipulation of human relationships.

In vain the elegant beauty and splendid furnishings of the room! Qin-shi was given to understand in no uncertain terms that her uncle Bao-yu wished to be out of it at once.

‘If this is not good enough for you,’ said Qin-shi with a laugh, ‘where are we going to put you? – unless you would like to have your rest in my bedroom.’

A little smile played over Bao-yu’s face and he nodded. The nurses were shocked.

‘An uncle sleep in the bedroom of his nephew’s wife! Who ever heard of such a thing!’

Qin-shi laughed again.

‘He won’t misbehave. Good gracious, he’s only a little boy! We don’t have to worry about that sort of thing yet! You know my little brother who came last month: he’s the same age as Uncle Bao, but if you stood them side by side I shouldn’t be a bit surprised if he wasn’t the taller of the two.’

‘Why haven’t I seen your brother yet?’ Bao-yu demanded. ‘Bring him in and let me have a look at him!’

The servants all laughed.

‘Bring him in? Why, he’s ten or twenty miles away! But I expect you’ll meet him one of these days.’

In the course of this exchange the party had made its way to Qin-shi’s bedroom. As Bao-yu entered, a subtle whiff of the most delicious perfume assailed his nostrils, making a sweet stickiness inside his drooping eyelids and causing all the joints in his body to dissolve.

‘What a lovely smell!’

He repeated the words several times over.

Inside the room there was a painting by Tang Yin entitled ‘Spring Slumber’ depicting a beautiful woman asleep under a crab-apple tree, whose buds had not yet opened. The painting was flanked on either side by a pair of calligraphic scrolls inscribed with a couplet from the brush of the Song poet Qin Guan:

(on one side)

The coldness of spring has imprisoned the soft buds in a wintry dream;

(on the other side)

The fragrance of wine has intoxicated the beholder with imagined flower-scents.

On a table stood an antique mirror that had once graced the tiring-room of the lascivious empress Wu Ze-tian. Beside it stood the golden platter on which Flying Swallow once danced for her emperor’s delight. And on the platter was that very quince which the villainous An Lu-shan threw at beautiful Yang Gui-fei, bruising her plump white breast. At the far end of the room stood the priceless bed on which Princess Shou-yang was sleeping out of doors under the eaves of the Han-zhang Palace when the plum-flower lighted on her forehead and set a new fashion for coloured patches. Over it hung a canopy commissioned by Princess Tong-chang entirely fashioned out of ropes of pearls.

‘I like it here,’ said Bao-yu happily.

‘My room,’ said Qin-shi with a proud smile, ‘is fit for an immortal to sleep in.’ And she unfolded a quilted coverlet, whose silk had been laundered by the fabulous Xi Shi, and arranged the double head-rest that Hong-niang once carried for her amorous mistress.

The nurses now helped Bao-yu into bed and then tiptoed out, leaving him attended only by his four young maids: Aroma, Skybright, Musk, and Ripple. Qin-shi told them to go outside and stop the cats from fighting on the eaves.

As soon as Bao-yu closed his eyes he sank into a confused sleep in which Qin-shi was still there yet at the same time seemed to be drifting along weightlessly in front of him. He followed her until they came to a place of marble terraces and vermilion balustrades where there were green trees and crystal streams. Everything in this place was so clean and so pure that it seemed as if no human foot could ever have trodden there or floating speck of dust ever blown into it. Bao-yu’s dreaming self rejoiced. ‘What a delightful place!’ he thought. ‘If only I could spend all my life here! How much nicer it would be than living under the daily restraint of my parents and teachers!’

These idle reflections were interrupted by someone singing a song on the other side of a hill:

‘Spring’s dream-time will like drifting clouds disperse,

Its flowers snatched by a flood none can reverse.

Then tell each nymph and swain

’Tis folly to invite love’s pain!’

It was the voice of a girl. Before its last echoes had died away, a beautiful woman appeared in the quarter from which the voice had come, approaching him with a floating, fluttering motion. She was quite unlike any earthly lady, as the following poem will make clear:

She has left her willow-tree house, from her blossoming bower stepped out;

For the birds betray where she walks through the trees that cluster about,

And a shadow athwart the winding walk announces that she is near,

And a fragrance of musk and orchid from fluttering fairy sleeves,

And a tinkle of girdle-gems that falls on the ear

At each movement of her dress of lotus leaves.

A peach-tree blossoms in her dimpling cheek;

Her cloud-coiled tresses are halcyon-sleek;

And she reveals, through parted cherry lips,

Teeth like pomegranate pips.

Her slim waist’s sinuous swaying calls to mind

The dance of snowflakes with the waltzing wind;

Hair ornaments of pearl and halcyon blue

Outshine her painted forehead’s golden hue.

Her face, through blossoms fleetingly disclosed,

To mirth or ire seems equally disposed;

And as by the waterside she goes,

Hovering on light-stepping toes,

A half-incipient look of pique

Says she would speak, yet would not speak;

While her feet, with the same irresolution,

Would halt, yet would not interrupt their motion.

I contemplate her rare complexion,

Ice-pure and jade-like in perfection;

I marvel at her glittering dress,

Where art lends grace to sumptuousness;

I wonder at her fine-cut features –

Marble, which fragrance marks as one with living creatures;

And I admire her queenly gait,

Like stately dance of simurgh with his mate.

Her purity I can best show

In plum-trees flowering in the snow;

Her chastity I shall recall

In orchids white at first frost-fall;

Her tranquil nature will prevail,

Constant as lone pine in an empty vale;

Her loveliness as dazzled make

As sunset gilding a pellucid lake;

Her glittering elegance I can compare

With dragons in an ornamental mere;

Her dreamy soulfulness most seems

Like wintry waters in the moon’s cold beams.

The beauties of days gone by by her beauty are all abashed.

Where was she born, and from whence descended?

Immortal I judge her, fresh come from fairy feastings by the Jasper Pool,

Or from fluting in starry halls, some heavenly concert ended.

Observing delightedly that the lady was a fairy, Bao-yu hurried forward and saluted her with a smile.

‘Madam Fairy, I don’t know where you have come from or where you are going to, but as I am quite lost in this place, will you please take me with you and be my guide?’

‘I am the fairy Disenchantment,’ the fairy woman replied. ‘I live beyond the Realm of Separation, in the Sea of Sadness. There is a Mountain of Spring Awakening which rises from the midst of that sea, and on that mountain is the Paradise of the Full-blown Flower, and in that paradise is the Land of Illusion, which is my home. My business is with the romantic passions, love-debts, girlish heartbreaks and male philanderings of your dust-stained, human world. The reason I have come here today is that recently there has been a heavy concentration of love-karma in this area, and I hope to be able to find an opportunity of distributing a quantity of amorous thoughts by implanting them in the appropriate breasts. My meeting you here today is no accident but a part of the same project.

‘This place where we are now is not so very far from my home. I have not much to offer you, but would you like to come back with me and let me try to entertain you? I have some fairy tea, which I picked myself. You could have a cup of that. And I have a few jars of choice new wine of my own brewing. I have also been rehearsing a fairy choir and a troupe of fairy dancers in a twelve-part suite which I recently composed called “A Dream of Golden Days”. I could get them to perform it for you. What do you think?’

Bao-yu was so excited by this invitation that he quite forgot to wonder what had become of Qin-shi in his eagerness to accompany the fairy. As he followed her, a big stone archway suddenly loomed up in front of them on which

THE LAND OF ILLUSION

was written in large characters. A couplet in smaller characters was inscribed on either side of the arch:

Truth becomes fiction when the fiction’s true;

Real becomes not-real when the unreal’s real.

Having negotiated the archway, they presently came to the gateway of a palace. The following words were inscribed horizontally above the lintel:

SEAS OF PAIN AND SKIES OF PASSION

whilst the following words were inscribed vertically on the two sides:

Ancient earth and sky

Marvel that love’s passion should outlast all time.

Star-crossed men and maids

Groan that love’s debts should be so hard to pay.

‘I see,’ said Bao-yu to himself. ‘I wonder what the meaning of “passion that outlasts all time” can be. And what are “love’s debts”? From now on I must make an effort to understand these things.’

He could not, of course, have known it, but merely by thinking this he had invited the attentions of the demon Lust, and at that very moment a little of the demon’s evil poison had entered Bao-yu’s body and lodged itself in the innermost recesses of his heart.

Wholly unconscious of his mortal peril, Bao-yu continued to follow the fairy woman. They passed through a second gateway, and Bao-yu saw a range of palace buildings ahead of them on either hand. The entrance to each building had a board above it proclaiming its name, and there were couplets on either side of the doorways. Bao-yu did not have time to read all of the names, but he managed to make out a few, viz:

DEPARTMENT OF FOND INFATUATION DEPARTMENT OF CRUEL REJECTION DEPARTMENT OF EARLY MORNING WEEPING DEPARTMENT OF LATE NIGHT SOBBING DEPARTMENT OF SPRING FEVER DEPARTMENT OF AUTUMN GRIEF

‘Madam Fairy,’ said Bao-yu, whose interest had been whetted by what he had managed to read, ‘couldn’t you take me inside these offices to have a look around?’

‘In these offices,’ said the fairy woman, ‘are kept registers in which are recorded the past, present and future of girls from all over the world. It is not permitted that your earthly eyes should look on things that are yet to come.’

Bao-yu was most unwilling to accept this answer, and begged and pleaded so persistently that at last Disenchantment gave in.

‘Very well. You may make a very brief inspection of this office here.’

Delighted beyond measure, Bao-yu raised his head and read the notice above the doorway:

DEPARTMENT OF THE ILL-FATED FAIR

The couplet inscribed vertically on either side of the doorway was as follows:

Spring griefs and autumn sorrows were by yourselves provoked.

Flower faces, moonlike beauty were to what end disclosed?

Bao-yu grasped enough of the meaning to be affected by its melancholy.

Passing inside, he saw a dozen or more large cupboards with paper strips pasted on their doors on which were written the names of different provinces. He was careful to look out for the one belonging to his own area and presently found one on which the paper strip said ‘Jinling, Twelve Beauties of, Main Register’. Bao-yu asked Disenchantment what this meant, and she explained that it was a register of the twelve most outstanding girls of his home province.

‘People all say what a big place Jinling is,’ said Bao-yu. ‘Surely there should be more than just twelve names? Why, even in my own home, if you count the servants, there must be altogether several hundred girls.’

‘Certainly there are a great many-girls in the whole province,’ said Disenchantment with a smile, ‘but only the most important ones have been selected for recording in this register. The registers in the cupboards on either side contain two other selections from the same area. But of the host of ordinary girls outside those three dozen we keep no records.’

Bao-yu glanced at the other two cupboards referred to by Disenchantment. One was labelled ‘Jinling, Twelve Beauties of, Supplementary Register No. 1’; the other was labelled ‘Jinling, Twelve Beauties of, Supplementary Register No. 2’. Stretching out his hand he opened the door of the second one, took out Supplementary Register No. 2, which was like a large album, and opened it at the first page.

It was a picture, but not of a person or a view.1 The whole page was covered with dark ink washes representing storm-clouds or fog, followed on the next page by a few lines of verse:

Seldom the moon shines in a cloudless sky,

And days of brightness all too soon pass by.

A noble and aspiring mind

In a base-born frame confined,

Your charm and wit did only hatred gain,

And in the end you were by slanders slain,

Your gentle lord’s solicitude in vain.

Bao-yu could not make much sense of this, and turned to the next page. It was another picture, this time of a bunch of fresh flowers and a worn-out mat, again followed by a few lines of verse.

What price your kindness and compliance,

Of sweetest flower the rich perfume?

You chose the player fortune favoured,

Unmindful of your master’s doom.

Bao-yu was even more mystified by this than by the first page, and laying the album aside, opened the door of the cupboard marked ‘Supplementary Register No. 1’ and took out the album from that.

As in the previous album, the first page was a picture. It represented a branch of cassia with a pool underneath. The water in the pool had dried up and the mud in the bottom was dry and cracked. Growing from it was a withered and broken lotus plant. The picture was followed by these lines:

Your stem grew from a noble lotus root,

Yet your life passed, poor flower, in low repute.

The day two earths shall bear a single tree,

Your soul must fly home to its own country.

Once more failing to make any sense of what he saw, Bao-yu picked up the Main Register to look at. In this album the picture on the first page represented two dead trees with a jade belt hanging in their branches and on the ground beneath them a pile of snow in which a golden hairpin lay half-buried. This was followed by a quatrain:

One was a pattern of female virtue,

One a wit who made other wits seem slow.

The jade belt in the greenwood hangs,

The gold pin is buried beneath the snow.

Still Bao-yu was unable to understand the meaning. He would have liked to ask, but he knew that Disenchantment would be unwilling to divulge the secrets of her immortal world. Yet though he could make no sense of the book, for some reason he found himself unable this time to lay it down, and continued to look through it to the end.

The picture that followed was of a bow with a citron hanging from it, followed by what looked like the words of a song:

You shall, when twenty years in life’s hard school are done,

In pomegranate-time to palace halls ascend.

Though three springs never could with your first spring compare,

When hare meets tiger your great dream shall end.

Next was a picture of two people flying a kite. There was also a large expanse of sea with a boat in it and a girl in the boat who had buried her face in her hands and appeared to be crying. This was followed by a quatrain:

Blessed with a shrewd mind and a noble heart,

Yet born in time of twilight and decay,

In spring through tears at river’s bank you gaze,

Borne by the wind a thousand miles away.

The next picture showed some scudding wisps of cloud and a stretch of running water followed by these words:

What shall avail you rank and riches,

Orphaned while yet in swaddling bands you lay?

Soon you must mourn your bright sun’s early setting.

The Xiang flows and the Chu clouds sail away.

Next was a picture showing a beautiful jade which had fallen into the mud, followed by words of judgement:

For all your would-be spotlessness

And vaunted otherworldliness,

You that look down on common flesh and blood,

Yourself impure, shall end up in the mud.

Next was a striking picture of a savage wolf pursuing a beautiful girl. He had just seized her with his jaws and appeared to be about to eat her. Underneath it was written:

Paired with a brute like the wolf in the old fable,

Who on his saviour turned when he was able,

To cruelty not used, your gentle heart

Shall, in a twelvemonth only, break apart.

After this was an old temple with a beautiful girl sitting all on her own inside it reading a Buddhist sūtra. The words said:

When you see through the spring scene’s transient state,

A nun’s black habit shall replace your own.

Alas, that daughter of so great a house

By Buddha’s altar lamp should sleep alone!

Next was an iceberg with a hen phoenix perched on the top of it, and these words:

This phoenix in a bad time came;

All praised her great ability.

‘Two’ makes my riddle with a man and tree:

Returning south in tears she met calamity.

Next was a cottage in a deserted village inside which a beautiful girl sat spinning, followed by these words:

When power is lost, rank matters not a jot;

When families fall, kinship must be forgot.

Through a chance kindness to a country wife

Deliverance came for your afflicted life.

This was followed by a picture of a vigorously growing orchid in a pot, beside which stood a lady in full court dress. The words said:

The plum-tree bore her fruit after the rest,

Yet, when all’s done, her Orchid was the best.

Against your ice-pure nature all in vain

The tongues of envy wagged; you felt no pain.

The picture after that showed an upper room in a tall building in which a beautiful girl was hanging by her neck from a beam, having apparently taken her own life. The words said:

Love was her sea, her sky; in such excess

Love, meeting with its like, breeds wantonness.

Say not our troubles all from Rong’s side came;

For their beginning Ning must take the blame.

Bao-yu would have liked to see some more, but the fairy woman, knowing how intelligent and sharp-witted he was, began to fear that she was in danger of becoming responsible for a leakage of celestial secrets, and so, snapping the album shut, she said with a laugh, ‘Come with me and we will do some more sight-seeing. Why stay here puzzling your head over these silly riddles?’

Next moment, without quite knowing how it happened, Bao-yu found that he had left the place of registers behind him and was following Disenchantment through the rear parts of the palace. Everywhere there were buildings with ornately carved and painted eaves and rafters, their doorways curtained with strings of pearls and their interiors draped with embroidered hangings. The courtyards outside them were full of deliciously fragrant fairy blooms and rare aromatic herbs.

Gleam of gold pavement flashed on scarlet doors,

And in jade walls jewelled casements snow white shone.

‘Hurry, hurry! Come out and welcome the honoured guest!’ he heard Disenchantment calling to someone inside, and almost at once a bevy of fairy maidens came running from the palace, lotus-sleeves fluttering and feather-skirts billowing, each as enchantingly beautiful as the flowers of spring or the autumn moon. Seeing Bao-yu, they began to reproach Disenchantment angrily.

‘So this is your “honoured guest”! What do you mean by making us hurry out to meet him? You told us that today at this very hour the dream-soul of our darling Crimson Pearl was coming to play with us, and we have been waiting I don’t know how long for her arrival. And now, instead, you have brought this disgusting creature to pollute our pure, maidenly precincts. What’s the idea?’

At these words Bao-yu was suddenly overwhelmed with a sense of the uncleanness and impurity of his own body and sought in vain for somewhere to escape to; but Disenchantment held him by the hand and advanced towards the fairy maidens with a conciliatory smile.

‘Let me tell you the reason for my change of plan. It is true that I set off for the Rong mansion with the intention of fetching Crimson Pearl, but as I was passing through the Ning mansion on my way, I happened to run into the Duke of Ning-guo and his brother the Duke of Rong-guo and they laid a solemn charge on me which I found it hard to refuse.

‘ “In the hundred years since the foundation of the present dynasty,” they said, “several generations of our house have distinguished themselves by their services to the Throne and have covered themselves with riches and honours; but now its stock of good fortune has run out, and nothing can be done to replenish it. And though our descendants are many, not one of them is worthy to carry on the line. The only possible exception, our great-grandson Bao-yu, has inherited a perverse, intractable nature and is eccentric and emotionally unstable; and although his natural brightness and intelligence augur well, we fear that owing to the fated eclipse of our family’s fortunes there will be no one at hand to give the lad proper guidance and to start him off along the right lines.

‘ “May we profit from the fortunate accident of this encounter, Madam, to entreat you to take the boy in hand for us? Could you perhaps initiate him in the pleasures of the flesh and all that sort of thing in such a way as to shock the silliness out of him? In that way he might stand a chance of escaping some of the traps that people fall into and be able to devote himself single-mindedly to the serious things of life. It would be such a kindness if you would do this for us.”

‘Hearing the old gentlemen so earnest in their entreaty, I was moved to compassion and agreed to bring the boy here. I began by letting him have a good look at the records of the three grades of girls belonging to his own household; but the experience did not bring any awareness; and so I have brought him to this place for another attempt. It is my hope that a full exposure to the illusions of feasting, drinking, music and dancing may succeed in bringing about an awakening in him some time in the future.’

Having concluded her explanation, she led Bao-yu indoors. At once he became aware of a faint, subtle scent, the source of which he was quite unable to identify and about which he felt impelled to question Disenchantment.

‘How could you possibly know what it was,’ said Disenchantment with a somewhat scornful smile, ‘since this perfume is not to be found anywhere in your mortal world? It is made from the essences of rare plants found on famous mountains and other places of great natural beauty, culled when they are new-grown and blended with gums from the pearl-laden trees that grow in the jewelled groves of paradise. It is called “Belles Se Fanent”.’

Bao-yu expressed his admiration.

The company now seated themselves, and some little maids served them with tea. Bao-yu found its fragrance fresh and clean and its flavour delicious, totally unlike those of any earthly blend he knew. He asked Disenchantment for the name.

‘The leaves are picked in the Paradise of the Full-blown Flower on the Mountain of Spring Awakening,’ Disenchantment informed him. ‘It is infused in water collected from the dew that lies on fairy flowers and leaves. The name is “Maiden’s Tears”.’

Bao-yu nodded attentively and commended the tea.

Looking around the room he noticed various musical instruments, antique bronzes, paintings by old masters, poems by new poets, and other hallmarks of gracious living. He was particularly delighted to observe some rouge-stained pieces of cotton-wool lying on the window-sill – evidently the aftermath of some fairy-woman’s toilet. A pair of calligraphic scrolls hung on the wall, making up the following couplet:

Earth’s choicest spirits in the dark lie hid:

Heaven ineluctably enforced their fate.

After reading the scrolls, Bao-yu asked to be introduced to the fairy maidens. They had a strange assortment of names. One was called Dream-of-bliss, another was called Loving-heart, a third Ask-for-trouble, a fourth Past-regrets, and the rest all had names that were equally bizarre.

Presently the little maids came in again and proceeded to arrange some chairs around a table and to lay it with food and wine for a feast. In the words of the poet,

Celestial nectar filled the crystal cup,

And liquid gold in amber goblets glowed.

The wine’s bouquet was delectable, and once again Bao-yu could not resist asking about it.

‘This wine,’ said Disenchantment, ‘is made from the petals of hundreds of different kinds of flowers and extracts from thousands of different sorts of trees. These are blended and fermented with kylin’s marrow and phoenix milk. Hence its name, “Lachrymae Rerum”.’

Bao-yu praised it enthusiastically.

As they sat drinking wine, a troupe of twelve dancers entered and inquired what pieces they should perform for the company’s entertainment.

‘You can do the twelve songs of my new song-and-dance suite “A Dream of Golden Days”,’ said Disenchantment.

At once the sandalwood clappers began, very softly, to beat out a rhythm, accompanied by the sedate twang of the zheng’s silver strings and by the voice of a singer.

‘When first the world from chaos rose …’

The singer had got no further than the first line of the first song when Disenchantment interrupted.

‘This suite,’ she told Bao-yu, ‘is not like the music-dramas of your earthly composers in which there are always the fixed parts of sheng, dan, jing, mo and so on, and set tunes in the various Northern and Southern modes. In my suite each song is an elegy on a single person or event and the tunes are original compositions which we have orchestrated ourselves. You need to know what the songs are about in order to appreciate them properly. I should not imagine you are very familiar with this sort of entertainment; so unless you read the libretto of the songs first before listening to them, I fear you may find them rather insipid.’

Turning to one of the maids, she ordered her to fetch the manuscript of her libretto of ‘A Dream of Golden Days’ and gave it to Bao-yu to read, so that he could listen to the songs with one eye on the text. These were the words in Disenchantment’s manuscript:

Prelude: A Dream of Golden Days2

When first the world from chaos rose,

Tell me, how did love begin?

The wind and moonlight first did love compose.

Now woebegone

And quite cast down

In low estate

I would my foolish heart expose,

And so perform

This Dream of Golden Days,

And all my grief for my lost loves disclose.

First Song: The Mistaken Marriage

Let others all

Commend the marriage rites of gold and jade;

I still recall

The bond of old by stone and flower made;

And while my vacant eyes behold

Crystalline shows of beauty pure and cold,

From my mind can not be banished

That fairy wood forlorn that from the world has vanished.

How true I find

That every good some imperfection holds!

Even a wife so courteous and so kind

No comfort brings to my afflicted mind.

Second Song: Hope Betrayed

One was a flower from paradise,

One a pure jade without spot or stain.

If each for the other one was not intended,

Then why in this life did they meet again?

And yet if fate had meant them for each other,

Why was their earthly meeting all in vain?

In vain were all her sighs and tears,

In vain were all his anxious fears:

All, insubstantial, doomed to pass,

As moonlight mirrored in the water

Or flowers reflected in a glass.

How many tears from those poor eyes could flow,

Which every season rained upon her woe?

Third Song: Mutability

In the full flower of her prosperity

Once more came mortal mutability,

Bidding her, with both eyes wide,

All earthly things to cast aside,

And her sweet soul upon the airs to glide.

So far the road back home did seem

That to her parents in a dream

Thus she her final duty paid:

‘I that now am but a shade,

Parents dear,

For your happiness I fear:

Do not tempt the hand of fate!

Draw back, draw back, before it is too late!’

Fourth Song: From Dear Ones Parted

Sail, boat, a thousand miles through rain and wind,

Leaving my home and dear ones far behind.

I fear that my remaining years

Will waste away in homesick tears.

Father dear and mother mild,

Be not troubled for your child!

From of old our rising, falling

Was ordained; so now this parting.

Each in another land must be;

Each for himself must fend as best he may;

Now I am gone, oh do not weep for me!

Fifth Song: Grief Amidst Gladness

While you still in cradle lay,

Both your parents passed away.

Though born to silken luxury,

No warmth or kind indulgence came your way.

Yet yours was a generous, open-hearted nature,

And never could be snared or soured

By childish piques and envious passions –

You were a crystal house by wind and moonlight scoured.

Matched to a perfect, gentle husband,

Security of bliss at last it seemed,

And all your childish miseries redeemed.

But soon alas! the clouds of Gao-tang faded,

The waters of the Xiang ran dry.

In our grey world so are things always ordered:

What then avails it to lament and sigh?

Sixth Song: All at Odds

Heaven made you like a flower,

With grace and wit to match the gods,

Adding a strange, contrary nature

That set you with the rest at odds.

Nauseous to you the world’s rank diet,

Vulgar its fashion’s gaudy dress:

But the world envies the superior

And hates a too precious daintiness.

Sad it seemed that your life should in dim-lit shrines be wasted,

All the sweets of spring untasted:

Yet, at the last,

Down into mud and shame your hopes were cast,

Like a white, flawless jade dropped in the muck,

Where only wealthy rakes might bless their luck.

Seventh Song: Husband and Enemy

Zhong-shan wolf,

Inhuman sot,

Who for past kindnesses cared not a jot!

Bully and spendthrift, reckless in debauch,

For riot or for whoring always hot!

A delicate young wife of gentle stock

To you was no more than a lifeless block,

And bore, when you would rant and rave,

Treatment far worse than any slave;

So that her delicate, sweet soul

In just a twelvemonth from its body stole.

Eighth Song: The Vanity of Spring

When triple spring as vanity was seen,

What use the blushing flowers, the willows green?

From youth’s extravagance you sought release

To win chaste quietness and heavenly peace.

The hymeneal peach-blooms in the sky,

The flowering almond’s blossoms seen on high

Dismiss, since none, for sure,

Can autumn’s blighting frost endure.

Amidst sad aspens mourners sob and sigh,

In maple woods the poor ghosts thinly cry,

And under the dead grasslands lost graves lie.

Now poor, now rich, men’s lives in toil are passed

To be, like summer’s pride, cut down at last.

The doors of life and death all must go through.

Yet this I know is true:

In Paradise there grows a precious tree

Which bears the fruit of immortality.

Ninth Song: Caught By Her Own Cunning

Too shrewd by half, with such finesse you wrought

That your own life in your own toils was caught;

But long before you died your heart was slain,

And when you died your spirit walked in vain.

Fall’n the great house once so secure in wealth,

Each scattered member shifting for himself;

And half a life-time’s anxious schemes

Proved no more than the stuff of dreams.

Like a great building’s tottering crash,

Like flickering lampwick burned to ash,

Your scene of happiness concludes in grief:

For worldly bliss is always insecure and brief.

Tenth Song: The Survivor

Some good remained,

Some good remained:

The daughter found a friend in need

Through her mother’s one good deed.

So let all men the poor and meek sustain,

And from the example of her cruel kin refrain,

Who kinship scorned and only thought of gain.

For far above the constellations

One watches all and makes just calculations.

Eleventh Song: Splendour Come Late

Favour, a shadow in the glass;

Fame, a dream that soon would pass:

The blissful flowering-time of youth soon fled,

Soon, too, the pleasures of the bridal bed.

A pearl-encrusted crown and robes of state

Could not for death untimely compensate;

And though each man desires

Old age from want made free,

True blessedness requires

A clutch of young heirs at the knee.

Proudly upright

The head with cap and bands of office on,

And gleaming bright

Upon his breast the gold insignia shone.

An awesome sight

To see him so exalted stand! –

Yet the black night

Of death’s dark frontier lay close at hand.

All those whom history calls great

Left only empty names for us to venerate.

Twelfth Song: The Good Things Have An End

Perfumed was the dust that fell

From painted beams where springtime ended.

Her sportive heart

And amorous looks

The ruin of a mighty house portended.

The weakness in the line began with Jing;

The blame for the decline lay first in Ning;

But retribution all was of Love’s fashioning.

Epilogue: The Birds Into The Wood Have Flown

The office jack’s career is blighted,

The rich man’s fortune now all vanished,

The kind with life have been requited,

The cruel exemplarily punished;

The one who owed a life is dead,

The tears one owed have all been shed.

Wrongs suffered have the wrongs done expiated;

The couplings and the sunderings were fated.

Untimely death sin in some past life shows,

But only luck a blest old age bestows.

The disillusioned to their convents fly,

The still deluded miserably die.

Like birds who, having fed, to the woods repair,

They leave the landscape desolate and bare.

Having reached the end of this suite, the singers showed signs of embarking on another one. Disenchantment observed with a sigh that Bao-yu was dreadfully bored.

‘Silly boy! You still don’t understand, do you?’

Bao-yu hurriedly stopped the girls and told them that they need not sing any more. He felt dizzy and his head was spinning. He explained to Disenchantment that he had drunk too much and would like to lie down.

At once she ordered the remains of the feast to be removed and conducted Bao-yu to a dainty bedroom. The furnishings and hangings of the bed were more sumptuous and beautiful than anything he had ever seen. To his intense surprise there was a fairy girl sitting in the middle of it. Her rose-fresh beauty reminded him strongly of Bao-chai, but there was also something about her of Dai-yu’s delicate charm. As he was pondering the meaning of this apparition, he suddenly became aware that Disenchantment was addressing him.

‘In the rich and noble households of your mortal world, too many of those bowers and boudoirs where innocent tenderness and sweet girlish fantasy should reign are injuriously defiled by coarse young voluptuaries and loose, wanton girls. And what is even more detestable, there are always any number of worthless philanderers to protest that it is woman’s beauty alone that inspires them, or loving feelings alone, unsullied by any taint of lust. They lie in their teeth! To be moved by woman’s beauty is itself a kind of lust. To experience loving feelings is, even more assuredly, a kind of lust. Every act of love, every carnal congress of the sexes is brought about precisely because sensual delight in beauty has kindled the feeling of love.

‘The reason I like you so much is because you are full of lust. You are the most lustful person I have ever known in the whole world!’

Bao-yu was scared by the vehemence of her words.

‘Madam Fairy, you are wrong! Because I am lazy over my lessons, Mother and Father still have to scold me quite often; but surely that doesn’t make me lustful? I’m still too young to know what they do, the people they use that word about.’

‘Ah, but you are lustful!’ said Disenchantment. ‘In principle, of course, all lust is the same. But the word has many different meanings. For example, the typically lustful man in the common sense of the word is a man who likes a pretty face, who is fond of singing and dancing, who is inordinately given to flirtation; one who makes love in season and out of season, and who, if he could, would like to have every pretty girl in the world at his disposal, to gratify his desires whenever he felt like it. Such a person is a mere brute. His is a shallow, promiscuous kind of lust.

‘But your kind of lust is different. That blind, defenceless love with which nature has filled your being is what we call here “lust of the mind”. “Lust of the mind” cannot be explained in words, nor, if it could, would you be able to grasp their meaning. Either you know what it means or you don’t.

‘Because of this “lust of the mind” women will find you a kind and understanding friend; but in the eyes of the world I am afraid it is going to make you seem unpractical and eccentric. It is going to earn you the jeers of many and the angry looks of many more.

‘Today I received a most touching request on your behalf from your ancestors the Duke of Ning-guo and the Duke of Rong-guo. And as I cannot bear the idea of your being rejected by the world for the greater glory of us women, I have brought you here. I have made you drunk with fairy wine. I have drenched you with fairy tea. I have admonished you with fairy songs. And now I am going to give you my little sister Two-in-one – “Ke-qing” to her friends – to be your bride.

‘The time is propitious. You may consummate the marriage this very night. My motive in arranging this is to help you grasp the fact that, since even in these immortal precincts love is an illusion, the love of your dust-stained, mortal world must be doubly an illusion. It is my earnest hope that, knowing this, you will henceforth be able to shake yourself free of its entanglements and change your previous way of thinking, devoting your mind seriously to the teachings of Confucius and Mencius and your person wholeheartedly to the betterment of society.’

Disenchantment then proceeded to give him secret instructions in the art of love; then, pushing him gently inside the room, she closed the door after him and went away.

Dazed and confused, Bao-yu nevertheless proceeded to follow out the instructions that Disenchantment had given him, which led him by predictable stages to that act which boys and girls perform together – and which it is not my intention to give a full account of here.

Next morning he lay for a long time locked in blissful tenderness with Ke-qing, murmuring sweet endearments in her ear and unable to tear himself away from her. Eventually they emerged from the bedroom hand in hand to walk together out-of-doors.

Their walk seemed to take them quite suddenly to a place where only thorn-trees grew and wolves and tigers prowled around in pairs. Ahead of them the road ended at the edge of a dark ravine. No bridge connected it with the other side. As they hesitated, wondering what to do, they suddenly became aware that Disenchantment was running up behind them.

‘Stop! Stop!’ she was shouting. ‘Turn back at once! Turn back!’

Bao-yu stood still in alarm and asked her what place this was.

‘This is the Ford of Error,’ said Disenchantment. ‘It is ten thousand fathoms deep and extends hundreds of miles in either direction. No boat can ever cross it; only a raft manned by a lay-brother called Numb and an acolyte called Dumb. Numb holds the steering-paddle and Dumb wields the pole. They won’t ferry anyone across for money, but only take those who are fated to cross over.

‘If you had gone on walking just now and had fallen in, all the good advice I was at such pains to give you would have been wasted!’

Even as she spoke there was a rumbling like thunder from inside the abyss and a multitude of demons and water monsters reached up and clutched at Bao-yu to drag him down into its depths. In his terror the sweat broke out over his body like rain and a great cry burst from his lips,

‘Ke-qing! Save me!’

Aroma and his other maids rushed upstairs in alarm and clung to him.

‘Don’t be frightened, Bao-yu! We are here!’

But Qin-shi, who was out in the courtyard telling the maids to be sure that the cats and dogs didn’t fight, marvelled to hear him call her name out in his sleep.

‘“Ke-qing” was the name they called me back at home when I was a little girl. Nobody here knows it. I wonder how he could have found it out?’

If you have not yet fathomed the answer to her question, you must read the next chapter.