Verses praising opera:
1. I once taught talented people to dress up after the opera, so that Qiuniang would be jealous of her. ——"Song of Everlasting Sorrow" by Bai Juyi of the Tang Dynasty
Translation: Every time I play the song, I am impressed by the art masters; every time I put on my makeup, I am jealous of my fellow singers and prostitutes.
2. Sing with an unrivaled voice. In the previous dynasty, there was only Mrs. Li. Since breaking through the colorful clothes, Chu played Wu songs and fanned new things. ——Zhu Dunru of the Song Dynasty, "Partridge Sky: Singing with Peerless Singing in the Lioruan"?
Translation: In the late Northern Song Dynasty, the best singer in the pear garden was the famous prostitute Li Shishi. The Jingkang Incident and the invasion of Jin soldiers shocked the court's colorful and feathery clothes. Li Shishi also fled to the south of the Yangtze River, adding new Wu Chu songs that southern audiences loved to her singing fan.
3. Climb up the ten steps to get to the ancient town, with concrete and subtle folk customs. It is said that the scenery is used for drama, and there is no such thing as a drama in this life. ——Contemporary Liu Xiong's "Journey to Xunlong Mountain"
Translation: Climbing up the steps to this ancient town, the overall scenery is of some farmers and some organization. Rumor has it that the scenery here is used to sing dramas. Life is just a drama.
4. Light gathering, slow twisting, wiping and then picking, first "Neon Shang" and then "Liu Yao". The big strings are noisy like the rain, and the small strings are like whispers. ——"Pipa Xing" by Bai Juyi of the Tang Dynasty
Translation: Gently gather, slowly twist, sometimes wipe, sometimes pick. The first performance was "The Song of Colorful Feather Clothes" and then the "Liu Yao". The big string is loud, long and noisy like a storm; the small string is gentle and quiet, like someone whispering.
5. When an official talks about drama, the three paths will be deserted. ——Song Dynasty Chen Di's "Three Poems to Support Jiang Gong"
Interpretation If an official starts to talk about opera, then the area within three paths of his management must be deserted.
6. Mr. Wanqiu is as long as a hill, and Wanqiu School is as small as a boat. ——Su Shi of the Song Dynasty, "The Actor's Voice"
Explanation: Sometimes the voice of an actor is as long as a teacher's voice, and sometimes it is as small as a schoolhouse.