憐香伴

by Li Yu, 李漁

Two young gentry women meet by chance at a nunnery in Yangzhou, where they fall in love at first sight. After they exchange poetry and recognize each other’s literary talents, their emotional bond deepens. They conduct a mock wedding ceremony at the nunnery and hatch a plan to spend the rest of their lives together. Their schemes are stymied by a series of obstacles, but in the end the two women find an unlikely resolution—a ménage-à-trois marriage.The Fragrant Companions is the most significant work of literature that portrays female same-sex love in the entire premodern Chinese tradition. Written in 1651 by Li Yu, one of the most inventive and irreverent literary figures of seventeenth-century China, this play is at once an unconventional romantic comedy, a barbed satire, and a sympathetic portrayal of love between women. It offers a sensitive portrait of the two women’s passion for each other, depicts their intellectual pursuits and resourcefulness, and celebrates their partial triumph over social convention. At the same time, Li caustically mocks the imperial examination system and deflates the idealized image of the male scholar.The Fragrant Companions is both an indispensable source for students and scholars of gender and sexuality in premodern China and a compelling work of literature for all readers interested in China’s rich theatrical traditions.

Genres: Classics, School, China, Plays, Asia

50 pages, Unknown Binding

Published January 1, 1651

About the author

Li Yu (Chinese: 李漁; pinyin: Lǐ Yú, given name: 仙侣 Xiānlǚ; style name: 笠翁 Lìwēng) (1610—1680 AD), also known as Li Liweng was a Chinese playwright, novelist and publisher. Born in Rugao, in present day Jiangsu province, he lived in the late-Ming and early-Qing dynasties. Although he passed the first stage of the imperial examination, he did not succeed in passing the higher levels before the political turmoil of the new dynasty, but instead turned to writing for the market. Li was an actor, producer, and director as well as a playwright, who traveled with his own troupe. His biographers call him a "writer-entrepreneur" and the “most versatile and enterprising writer of his time”.

Li is the presumed author of Ròu pútuán (肉蒲團, The Carnal Prayer Mat), a well-crafted comedy and a classic of Chinese erotic literature. He also wrote a book of short stories called Shí'èr lóu (十二樓, "Twelve Towers"). In his time he was widely read, and appreciated for his daringly innovative subject matter. He addresses the topic of same-sex love in the tale Cuìyǎ lóu (萃雅樓, "House of Gathered Refinements"). This is a theme which he revisits in the collection Wúshēng xì (無聲戲, "Silent Operas" i.e. "novels") and his play The Fragrant Companion. The painting manual Jieziyuan Huazhuan was prefaced and published by Li in Jinling.

Li was also known for his informal essays, or xiaopin (小品), and for his gastronomy and gastronomical writings. Lin Yutang championed Li and translated a number of these essays. Li's whimsical, ironic "On Having a Stomach" proposes that the mouth and the stomach "cause all the worry and trouble of mankind throughout the ages." He continues that the "plants can live without a mouth and a stomach, and the rocks and the soil have their being without any nourishment. Why, then, must we be given a mouth and a stomach and endowed with these two extra organs?" Lin also translated Li's "How to be Happy Though Rich" and "How to be Happy Though Poor", and "The Arts of Sleeping, Walking, Sitting and Standing", which illustrate his satirical approach to serious topics

Reviews

[orion · Rating 4 out of 5]

i love wlw

[ReadinWithSteven]

Incredible, honestly.

[abbie hall · Rating 4 out of 5]

honestly an extremely interesting work of Li Yu's, perhaps not as humorous as some others that I've read of his, but more so addresses so many theories of how sexuality and gender are conceptualized in the dynastic transition from the Ming to Qing Dynasties.

[ML Character · Rating 5 out of 5]

THIS. IS. INCREDIBLE. This play has EVERYTHING.
It does a same-sex love story incredibly frankly in the 18th century (admittedly, in a brand-new English translation) and with a plot that is ingenius-- just totally novel and hiding out under the radar in Chinese for 300 years.
Not to mention, special treat for me: subplots are academic dishonesty (?!) in the Chinese scholars' exams with a both queer and scatalogical apotheosis of gross out comedy and ... a super exoticist trip to Okinawa (Ryukyu Islands) and back?

Now some notes about plot ...spoilers...

Yuhua meets Jianyu at the Rain Flower Nunnery where each seduces the other with poetry genius (also Yuhua apparently smells amazing?). Instantly in love, they hold an impromptu marriage ceremony between the two of them and a pledge to be together in the next life. Next life isn't good enough so they also begin concocting this delicious plot to get Yuhua married to Jianyu's husband so they can be together forever. Hijinks ensure though with B-plot bribery and cheating at the scholars' exams, so that the girls get separated when Jiefu gets unfairly failed and has to go into exile and change his name (back to his original name). Losing touch for 3 years, Yuhua falls terribly ill with longing, a state only fixed by Jianyu finally finding Yuhua and going undercover as an orphan to get hired as an adopted poetry companion to Yuhua. B-plot cheaters and bribers get their comeuppance at the next exams, including aforementioned high point when the clown lazy cheating scholar tries to hide sample essays *in his rectum* (something he gleefully notes only the few who have slept with men, like he has, could successfully do) only to fart and blow his cover. More disgusting description of a scatalogical scene ensures. But, academic integrity restored to Jiefu, now the rest of the plot contrives to get each married back to Jiefu eventually. In between the two weddings he also has to sail to Okinawa for very hilariously exoticist "barbarian" rejoicing at how happy the Ryukyuans are to be vassals to China.
!!! So incredible.

[York · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable little romantic tale about two women who fall in love at first sight and then conspire to be married to the same man (as well as marrying one another--there's a delightful scene involving cross-dressing while they're at a temple).

[Ren · Rating 3 out of 5]

Charming and smart, but I wished there was more emphasis on the relationship between the girls. I still don't understand why they liked each other SO much. And so much time spent on side characters.

[Kienan Aguado · Rating 4 out of 5]

Uhaul Lesbianism existed in China in 1651! Amazing!

[Hal · Rating 3 out of 5]

one of the more confusing plays i've ever read for a class. very special and queer though.

[Leilani Tañeza · Rating 5 out of 5]

Qing Dynasty yuri

[Lulu]

1651 (or 1653?)

https://www.zhonghuadiancang.com/shic...