帕布莉卡第五出 进果
【过曲】【柳穿鱼】（末扮使臣持竿挑荔枝篮，作鞭马急上）
一身万里跨征鞍，
为进离支[1]受艰难。
上命遣差不由己，
算来名利怎如闲！
巴得个到长安，
只图贵妃看一看。
自家西州道使臣，为因贵妃杨娘娘，爱吃鲜荔枝，奉敕涪州[2]，年年进贡。天气又热，路途又远，只得不惮辛勤，飞马前去。
（作鞭马重唱“巴得个”三句跑下）
【撼动山】（副净扮使臣持荔枝篮，鞭马急上）
海南荔子味尤甘，
杨娘娘偏喜啖。
采时连叶包，
缄封贮小竹篮。
献来晓夜不停骖，
一路里怕耽，
望一站也么[3]奔一站！
自家海南道使臣。只为杨娘娘爱吃鲜荔枝，俺海南所产，胜似涪州，因此敕与涪州并进。但是俺海南的路儿更远，这荔枝过了七日，香味便减，只得飞驰赶去。
（鞭马重唱“一路里”二句跑下）
【十棒鼓】（外扮老田夫上）
田家耕种多辛苦，
愁旱又愁雨。
一年靠这几茎苗，
收来半要偿官赋，
可怜能得几粒到肚！
每日盼成熟，
求天拜神助。
老汉是金城县东乡一个庄家。一家八口，单靠着这几亩薄田过活。早间听说进鲜荔枝的使臣，一路上捎着径道行走，不知踏坏了人家多少禾苗！因此，老汉特到田中看守。
（望介）那边两个算命的来了。
（小生扮算命瞎子手持竹板，净扮女瞎子弹弦子，同行上）
【蛾郎儿】
住褒城，走咸京，
细看流年与五星[4]。
生和死，断分明，
一张铁口[5]尽闻名。
瞎先生，
真灵圣，
叫一声，
赛神仙，
来算命。
（净）老的，我走了几程，今日脚疼，委实走不动。不是算命，倒在这里挣命了。
（小生）妈妈，那边有人说话，待我问他。
（叫介）借问前面客官，这里是什么地方了？
（外）这是金城东乡，与渭城西乡交界。
（小生斜揖介）多谢客官指引。
（内铃响，外望介）呀，一队骑马的来了。
（叫介）马上长官，往大路上走，不要踏了田苗！
（小生一面对净语介）妈妈，且喜到京不远，我每叫向前去，雇个毛驴子与你骑。
（重唱“瞎先生”三句走介）
（末鞭马重唱前“巴得个”三句急上，冲倒小生、净下）
（副净鞭马重唱前“一路里”二句急上，踏死小生下）
（外跌脚向鬼门[6]哭介）天啊，你看一片田禾，都被那厮踏烂，眼见的没用了。休说一家性命难存，现今官粮紧急，将何办纳！好苦也！
（净一面作爬介）哎呀，踏坏人了，老的啊，你在那里！
（作摸着小生介）呀，这是老的。怎么不做声，敢是踏昏了？
（又摸介）哎呀，头上湿渌渌的。（又摸闻手介）不好了，踏出脑浆来了！
（哭叫介）我那天呵，地方[7]救命。
（外转身作看介）原来一个算命先生，踏死在此。
（净起斜福[8]介）只求地方，叫那跑马的人来偿命。
（外）哎，那跑马的呵，乃是进贡鲜荔枝与杨娘娘的。一路上来，不知踏坏了多少人，不敢要他偿命。何况你这一个瞎子。
（净）如此怎了！
（哭介）我那老的呵，我原算你的命，是要倒路死的。只这个尸首，如今怎么断送！
（外）也罢，你那里去叫地方，就是老汉同你抬去埋了罢。
（净）如此多谢，我就跟着你做一家儿[9]，可不是好！
（同抬小生）
（哭，诨[10]下）
（丑扮驿卒上）
【小引】
驿官逃，
驿官逃，
马死单单剩马膫[11]。
驿子有一人，
钱粮没半分。
拚受打和骂，
将身去招架，
将身去招架！
自家渭城驿中，一个驿子便是。只为杨娘娘爱吃鲜荔枝，六月初一是娘娘的生日，涪州、海南两处进贡使臣，俱要赶到。路由本驿经过，怎奈驿中钱粮没有分文，瘦马刚存一匹。本官怕打，不知逃往那里去了，区区就便权知此驿。只是使臣到来，如何应付？且自由他！
（末飞马上）
【急急令】
黄尘影内日衔山，
赶赶赶，
近长安。
（下马介）驿子，快换马来。
（丑接马，末放果篮，整衣介）
（副净飞马上）
一身汗雨四肢瘫，
趱趱趱，
换行鞍。
（下马介）驿子，快换马来。
（丑接马，副净放果篮，与末见介）请了，长官也是进荔枝的？
（末）正是。
（副净）驿子，下程酒饭在那里？
（丑）不曾备得。
（末）也罢，我每不吃饭了，快带马来。
（丑）两位爷在上，本驿只剩有一匹马，但凭那一位爷骑去就是。
（副净）唗，偌大一个渭城驿，怎么只有一匹马！快唤你那狗官来，问他驿马那里去了？
（丑）若说起驿马，连年都被进荔枝的爷每骑死了。驿官没法，如今走了。
（副净）既是驿官走了，只问你要。
（丑指介）这棚内不是一匹马么？
（末）驿子，我先到，且与我先骑了去。
（副净）我海南的来路更远，还让我先骑。
（末作向内介）
【恁麻郎】
我只先换马，
不和你斗口。
（副净扯介）休恃强，惹着我动手。
（末取荔枝在手介）你敢把我这荔枝乱丢！
（副净取荔枝向末介）你敢把我这竹笼碎扭！
（丑劝介）请罢休，免气吼，不如把这匹瘦马同骑一路走！
（副净放荔枝打丑介）唗，胡说！
【前腔】
我只打你、
这泼腌臜[12]死囚！
（末放荔枝打丑介）我也打你这放刁顽贼头！
（副净）剋官马嘴儿太油。
（末）误上[13]用胆儿似斗。
（同打介）
（合）鞭乱抽，拳痛殴，打得你难捱那马自有！
【前腔】（丑叩头介）
向地上连连叩头，望台下[14]轻轻放手。
（末、副净）若要饶你，快换马来。
（丑）马一匹驿中现有。
（末、副净）再要一匹。
（丑）第二匹实难补凑。
（末、副净）没有只是打！
（丑）且慢纽[15]，请听剖，我只得脱下衣裳与你权当酒！
（脱衣介）
（末）谁要你这衣裳！
（副净作看衣、披在身上介）也罢，赶路要紧。我原骑了那马，前站换去。
（取果上马，重唱前“一路里”二句跑下）
（末）快换马来我骑。
（丑）马在此。
（末取果上马，重唱前“巴得个”三句跑下）
（丑弔场）咳，杨娘娘，杨娘娘，只为这几个荔枝呵！
铁关金锁彻明开，崔液
黄纸[16]初飞敕字回。元稹
驿骑鞭声砉[17]流电，李郢
无人知是荔枝来。杜牧
注释：
[1] 离支：荔枝。因为要用平声字，所以改了。
[2] 涪（fú）州：即今四川涪陵县。
[3] 也么：有声无义的语词。
[4] 细看流年与五星：“流年”“五星”是星相学的术语。流年，一年所行的运；五星，金、木、水、火、土，星相家根据一个人出生时所值的星位，来推算他的禄命。
[5] 铁口：说自己算命很准。
[6] 鬼门：即古门，戏场上演员的出入口。
[7] 地方：地保。
[8] 福：妇女向人敛袵致敬叫福，即万福。
[9] 做一家儿：做夫妻。
[10] 诨：打诨，调笑。
[11] 马膫（diǎo）：马屌，牡马的生殖器。
[12] 腌（ā）臜（zɑ）：肮脏。
[13] 上：皇帝。
[14] 台下：对官长的尊称。和“阁下”的意思相近。
[15] 纽：即扭，扭打。
[16] 黄纸：唐代用黄麻纸写的皇帝敕令。
[17] 砉（huā）：形容动作迅疾。
Scene 5 The Feast
(Enter the first envoy on horse with a basketful of lychee fruit suspended from a pole.)
First Envoy (Singing to the tune of “Fish under Willows”):
For miles and miles I come on horse;
The hard rough journey’s spent my force.
To obey orders is not a pleasure,
I don’t prefer fortune to leisure.
Arrived after these hard long miles,
Could the fruit win Lady Yang’s smiles?
I’m an envoy from the Western District rich in lychee, favorite fruit of Lady Yang. The Emperor has ordered to send it as tribute every year. As the weather is hot and the journey long, I must endure the hardship and speed up all the way to the capital.
(He gallops while singing):
Arrived after these hard long miles,
Could the fruit win Lady Yang’s smiles?
(Enter a second envoy on horse, with a basketful of lychee fruit.) Second Envoy (Singing to the tune of “Mountain-Shaking Song”):
The lychee’s sweetest in the Southern Capital,
And Lady Yang likes it the best of all.
When gathered, it is wrapped in leaves
And sent in a basket by the horse which heaves,
While I gallop all the way night and day
From one station to another without delay.
I am an envoy of the Southern Seaside Capital. Since Lady Yang loves to eat fresh lychee and the fruit grown in the south is even better than that of the west, we are ordered to send it to the capital. But it is a longer journey to go from the south than from the west. As the fruit would lose its flavor seven days after it’s picked from the tree, so I have to hurry up.
(Galloping off while singing):
While I gallop all the way night and day
From one station to another without delay.
(Enter an old Peasant.)
Peasant (Singing to the tune of “Ten Drumbeats”):
How hard is a peasant’s lot on the plain!
We worry about drought and heavy rain.
From year to year we live on little grain which grows,
But half of our harvest for taxes goes.
How much is left our hunger to stay?
What we can do is but to pray
Heaven to ripen it each day.
I am an old peasant of the eastern village of the Golden County and have to feed a family of eight mouths. It is said that the envoys carrying lychee fruit would take a shortcut across the fields, careless of trampling and damaging the crop under their horsehoofs. So I have come here to guard my crop. (Looking around) Here are two fortune-tellers coming this way.
(Enter a blind man with clappers in hand and a blind woman with a stringed instrument.)
Blind Man and Woman Together (Singing to the tune of “Young Moth” ):
Coming from the west, to the east we go;
Judging by stars, we can foretell how years will flow.
We know how long you’ll live and when you’ll die;
Our prophesy is wellknown far and nigh.
Blind as we are,
We can see from afar.
We’re like immortals old.
Would you please have your fortune told?
Woman: My old man, we have traveled so long today that my feet are aching now. I can’t go any farther. I’m afraid we cannot foretell how long people can live but how soon we’ll die.
Blind Man: Dear Ma, I hear someone speaking. Let us ask him.(Speaking to the peasant):
Will you please tell us where we are?
Peasant: This is the eastern village of the Golden County, next to the westerm village of the Riverside Town.
Blind Man (Bowing): Thank you very much, sir.
(Bells around the neck of the horse are heard.)
Peasant (Looking around): Oh! Here comes a troop of horsemen.(Calling out) My respectable cavaliers, will you please keep to the highway lest you trample on the grain?
Blind Man (to Woman): Dear Ma, it’s not far from the capital now.I’ll go ahead to hire a donkey for you. (Singing)
We’re like immortals old.
Would you please have your fortune told?
(He walks on while the first envoy comes up, whipping his horse.)
First Envoy (Singing): Arrived after these hard long miles,
Could the fruit win Lady Yang’s smiles?
(Knocking down the blind man, he gallops off. Immediately after comes the second envoy.)
Second Envoy (Singing): While I gallop all the way night and day From one station to another without delay.
(Trampling the blind man to death, he gallops of.)
Peasant (Stamping and wailing): O Heaven! My paddy field is trampled.How can I get grain enough to eat and to feed my family? What is more, I still have to pay the taxes. How can I afford it!
Woman (Crawling on the ground): Alas! I am trampled down and badly hurt. Where are you, my old man? (She gropes for the blind man.) O here is my old man. Why don’t you answer me? Have you fainted? (She passes her hand over him.) Why, your head is wet.
(She feels him again.) His brain is crushed.
(She cries.) O Heaven! O Earth! Who would come to help us?
Peasant (Looking around): Oh! A blind fortune-teller is killed.
Woman (Getting up): To whom can I appeal? How can I stop the riders to pay my old man’s life?
Peasant: Ah! The riders are sending lychee fruit for Lady Yang. They have trampled many people without paying any one. How can they pay you a blind woman?
Woman: What can I do now? (Crying) Oh! My old man! I fore told you would die by the roadside. Now you are dead. How can I get you buried?
Peasant: How could you find any one in charge to help you? Let me help you to bury him.
Woman: Oh! Thank you so much. Could I stay here with you? (Weeping)(They carry the dead body off.)
(Enter a groom from the posting station.)
Groom (Singing the “Prologue”):
The station master’s fled.
The station master’s tied.
No horse is left but the dead.
No man is left but me the groom.
No money is left in the room.
I’m often whipped;
With curse I’m often tipped
How can I stand their whip?
How can my blood not drip?
I am a groom at the posting station of the Riverside Town. The first day of the sixth moon is the birthday of Lady Yang. She is so fond of eating lychee fruit that the envoys sending it from the west and from the south must reach the capital by that day and they will pass here. But the station master has fled for fear of being beaten by the envoys. He has left the charge to me without money but a lean horse. What can I do when come the envoys? But this can’t be helped.
(Enter the first envoy galloping up.)
First Envoy (Singing to the tune of “Hastening Song”):
The sun sinks amid dust and cloud;
It seems pecked by mountains proud.
Make haste, make haste, make haste,
Before I reach the capital.
I have no time to waste,
No time to waste at all.
(He alights.) Station master, prepare a new horse for me as soon as possible!
(The groom takes his reins while the envoy puts down his basket and dusts his clothes.)
(Enter the second envoy galloping.)
Second Envoy (Singing):
My aching limbs are wet
With drenching sweat.
I must gallop with all my force
And race to change my horse.
(He alights.) Station master, change the horse for me at once!
(The groom takes his reins while the second envoy puts down his fruit basket and greets the first envoy.)Good day, sir. Are you sending lychee to the capital too?
First Envoy: Yes, I am.
Second Envoy: Is our meal ready?
Groom: Not yet.
First Envoy: If not, I won’t eat. But bring out the horse for me!
Groom: My dear sir, there is only one horse left in the stable. Either of you may have it as you will.
Second Envoy: What! Only one horse in such a big station! Call out your rogue of a station master. Let him tell us where have gone the horses!
Groom: Oh! Our horses have been ridden to death by senders of lychee fruit these years. The station master knew not what to do and ran away.
Second Envoy: If the station master is not here, we can only demand horses from you.
Groom (Pointing to the stable): There is the horse you need.
First Envoy: I got here first so I will have it.
Second Envoy: I come from the southern seaside farther away than you, so let me have it!
First Envoy (Turning to the stable and singing to the tune of“Pockmarked Face”):
I’m going to change my horse.
To argue with you I have no force.
Second Envoy (Pulling him back):
Do not to force appeal,
Or it’s my fist you’ll feel.
First Envoy: How dare you upset my lychee fruit! (He picks up his basket.)
Second Envoy: How dare you damage my basket of bamboo! (He picks up his basket.)
Groom (Pleading): Do not be angry nor use force! Would you ride together this lean horse?
Second Envoy (Putting down his basket and beating the groom):How dare you say that!
(Singing to the tune of “Pockmarked Face”):
I’ll beat you out of breath;
I’ll beat you till your death.
First Envoy (Putting down his basket to beat the groom too):
I’ll beat you too,
You rascal, you!
Second Envoy: How can I not use force!
You have stolen the horse.
First Envoy: O how dare you delay
The envoy on his way! (They beat the groom.)
Envoys: We’ll use our whips
Or kick your hips.
When you go out of force,
You will bring out a horse.
Groom (Kowtowing, he sings to the tune of“Pockmarked Face”):
I beg you not to beat
Nor kick me with your feet!
Envoys: If you are afraid of being beaten, bring out the horse at once!
Groom: In the stable there is only one horse.
Envoys: We need two.
Groom: I cannot get two horses though you use force.
Envoys: Then we’ll beat you again.
Groom: Don’t beat me, masters mine,
I’ll take of my coat for you to buy wine. (He takes off his coat.)
First Envoy: Who needs your dirty coat?
Second Envoy (Checking up the coat and putting it on): All right, I must hurry up to change my horse at the next station.
(He picks up his basket, mounts his horse and rides off, singing.)
While I gallop all the way night and day,
From one station to another without delay.
First Envoy: Bring me the new horse at once!
Groom: Here it is.
First Envoy (Singing): Arrived after these hard long miles,Could the fruit win Lady Yang’s smiles? (He rides off.)
Groom: Oh! Lady Yang, Lady Yang! This is all for your lychee fruit.
Epilogue of the Scene
To pass the iron doors and golden gates we’re free,
On yellow paper written the royal decree.
Whipping the steed at top of speed forward we go.
O How much weal and woe brings the fruit, do you know?
(Exeunt.)
