俯首潛將鶴步移， Enters Han Qizhong： With my head low, I move like a crane;

心上蹊蹺常愁路低。I feel uneasy, hesitant about the road ahead

小生韓琦仲，多蒙詹家小姐多情眷念，約我今夜在閨房相會。I am Han Qizhong. Granting me a special favor, Ms. Zhan invited me to visit her chamber tonight.

使我今夜有此機緣，試試她的才，見見她的容貌。 Tonight I will have the opportunity to probe her literary caliber and see her in person.

呀呀呀！韓琦仲呀，韓琦仲！想不到你也有這等的艷福喔！ Ah, Han Qizhong, never have you thought that you would have such a romantic affair!

我艷福不淺驚又喜，幾曾慣，私相會。 What a joyous surprise, this unexpected favor. I am not used to having evening trysts.

小姐她貌美才又奇，我只為難求知己， Ms. Zhan must be a beauty of extraordinary talent, the soul mate I have long been seeking.

莫怕人議論是非，這美姻緣怎可輕棄。 I thus overlook the possible scandals this tryst may have caused, as a good match can’t be easily dismissed.

天這般光景，那放風箏的戚公子為何還不曾來呀？ Nanny: It’s really late. Where is that kite-flying Master Qi?

喂，那邊來的可是放風箏的公子麼？正是！ Nanny: Is over there Master Qi who flew the kite? Han: It’s he.

小姐在房內等你半日了！隨我來！ My mistress has been waiting for you for too long. Please follow me. After you.

喔唷！那說個些晨光還勿曾來拉介！ (Enters Zhan Aijuan.) Oh dear! It’s already this late and he is still not here!

慌慌的梳頭畫眉，早早的鋪床疊被， In haste I combed my hair and lined my eyebrows;Quite early on I’d made the bed and tidied up the bedspread

只有天公不體人心意，繫紅輪不教西墜。 Only Heaven does not consider how I feel, not letting the red sun set in the west.

只待我百般嫵媚，管教他沉醉溫柔不思歸！ For sure my tender loving care will make him captivated, not thinking about leaving

奴家姓詹，小字愛娟，最恨讀書寫字，最歡喜搓麻將踢球。 I, Zhan Aijun, loathe reading and writing the most, love mahjong and ball-kicking the best

屋裡樣樣啥物事全有，就是沒有鏡子。為啥？嗯媽說的， I have all kinds of stuff in my room, expect the mirror. Why so? Well, my mom said that

像我長得這般標致，若果我照著鏡子嘛，就要驕傲的。 as I am such a beauty, if I have a mirror to see myself, I will become too proud

前日子，一位戚公子放著風箏，落在我家花園裡。約好今夜裡嘛，來我格搭裡碰頭。 The other day there was this Master Qi whose kite fell into my family’s courtyard. I have invited him to come meet me tonight.

乳母已接他去了。留我一人，叫我獨坐房內，說要替我點盞燈來！ My nanny has gone to bring him here, leaving me behind. She asked me to stay inside by myself and said that she will bring me a lamp.

那說這些晨光還不曾來，啊喲！奴好怕呀！ 乳母：公子隨我來！ But it’s getting very late and he is still not here. Oh, I’m so scared! Nanny: Please follow me, young master.

喔，來了！身隨月老空中度，手捏紅絲暗裡牽！這裡是了！你且稍待！I’m following you. Behind the Matchmaking Sage I travel in space and time,
I hold the red thread to bond the lovers. Here it is. Please wait for a moment.

啊小姐，那放風箏的公子他來了！ 他在哪裡呀？ Nanny: Mistress, the kite-flying Master Qi is here. Zhan: Where?

讓我出去看看！啊小姐，待我去喚他進來！ Nanny: Outside the door. Zhan: Let me go check him out! Wait! Let me ask him to come in instead, Mistress.

啊公子，我家小姐喚你進去。 Nanny: Master Qi, my mistress would like to demand your presence.

啊小姐，你們二人在此講話，我去取盞燈亮來！ Nanny: Mistress, why don’t you two have a chat, and let me go bring a lamp.

正是，姣婿上門來，小姐喜心懷！ Nanny: I see: A handsome groom-to-be by her side, my mistress can’t contain her joy

My Master Qi! Yes, young mistress… Zhan: Yes?

她把我當作戚年兄了。小姐，我不是戚.... 哦喲，啥個七七八八？ Han: She takes me as my sworn brother Qi. Mistress, I am not Qi… Zhan: You’re not… please, let’s cut to the point.

我曉得，你就是那放風箏的戚公子。為何今夜姍姍來遲，等得奴家，好苦啊！ I know you are that Master Qi who flew a kite. Why did you come so late tonight? Do you know you made me so miserable in waiting!

小姐，小生乃一介書生，得近千金之體，喜出望外。只是你我二人，原為文字締交， Young mistress, I’m but a simple scholar who is completely overjoyed by this opportunity to be so intimate with you. But you and I met through our correspondence in writing

不從私欲而起，望小姐從容些，恐傷雅道。 哦喲！啥叫做雅道不雅道？ not for lustful desires. I ask that young mistress resort to restraint for the sake of our refined taste. Zhan: Oh, dear, what do you mean, refined taste?

小姐！小生的拙作，小姐可曾賜和過麼？啊，你的拙作？我老早賜和過了！ Han: Young mistress, have you had the chance to honor my inferior work with your response? Zhan: Your inferior work? Sure, I have.

如此，還要請教小姐的佳篇。啥？佳篇，我的佳篇我老早忘記忒哉！ Han: If so, I beg to hear your superior reply. Zhan: My superior reply? Oh, I have totally forgotten what I wrote.

自己做的詩，怎說就忘了？一定要請教的！ 一定要請教？格麼，讓我想想看！ Han: How could that be possible? I insist to hear your fine work. Zhan: You insist? Alright, let me try to recall,

拉裡哉！聽好子！雲淡風輕近午天，傍花隨柳過前川。 let me try… Ah! I have it! Are you ready for it?“The clouds high, the breeze light, it’s almost noon time; In the company of flowers, following the willows, I pass across the front stream.”

這是千家詩呀，怎說是小姐你做的？ 原是千家詩，我是故意念來考考你的。哦喲，你果然連千家詩都曉得的，實在是個才子啊！ Han: These verses are from Masterpieces of Poetry, why would you say you composed them? Zhan: Oh, indeed. I recited them to test your knowledge. Wow, you even read Masterpieces, which proves that you are indeed a talented scholar!

啊小姐，小生是一定要請教你的詩篇。啥個輸啊贏啊，搓麻將才問輸贏的。 Han: Please, young mistress, I beg to hear your poetic work. Zhan: What? You want to place a “bet”? You only bet when you play mahjong and you might win, or lose.

啊呀，一定要請教的，一定要請教的！格麼，你聽好子！啥？哦！前世姻緣一線牽，何必囉嗦提詩篇， Han: No, I must insist. Zhan: You must? Okay, here it goes:“The red thread that binds us together extends from our previous lives, Save all the fuss about poetry.

今夜月黑機會好，戚郎，我和你拜堂做夫妻！唉呀呀！這哪裡是什麼詩呀？ It’s so dark tonight, a great opportunity, Master Qi, for us to get married!” Han: What, what kind of poetry is this?

來呀！來呀！哦喲！有人來了！ Zhan: Come on! Let’s go… Han: Please… someone’s coming! 啊小姐！燈亮在此！我去看看老夫人再來！ (Enters Nanny.) Mistress, here’s the lamp. Let me go check on Madam, and I will return shortly.

正是，閉門不管窗前月，吩咐梅花自主張！This is: “With the gate closed, the moonlight by the window ignored, the plum blossoms bloom as they will.”

我只道詹家小姐不知是怎樣一個絕色佳人，卻原來是個醜婦！聽她的言語一些文理也無有，風箏上的詩哪裡是她做的喲！ Han: I imagined Ms. Zhan to be an extraordinary beauty, but in fact she is so unsightly! The poem she just composed has no literary taste, how could she compose that one on the kite?

我驚疑，多應是醜魑魅，將咱魔迷，憑何計，逃出重圍？ 戚郎！戚郎！戚郎！ In shock, I must have been haunted by some evil spirits. What strategy can I use to break away from this snare?

妙啊！覷著他，俊臉嬌容，頓使我歡欣加倍。戚郎啊！ Oh, my! Finally I get to see him, what a handsome face he has, which makes me all the more happier. My dear Master Qi!

好生起來哉！起來哉！ 啊呀！喔，不不不不！ Zhan: Are you alright? Let me help you up!

他為何不敢近奴家的身哪？我曉得哉！想是他從來不曾看見過像我這樣標致的女子，故而嘛，那丟害羞喲！ Zhan: Why is he so afraid of getting close to me? Oh, I see. It’s because he is so overwhelmed by my beauty that he is acting shy!

啊呀，小姐呀！小生聞命而來，卻忘了一樁大事，今晚暫且告辭，改日再來領教啊！ Han: Oh, young mistress, in accepting your invitation, I totally forgot that I have some important business to attend to. I am afraid that I must bid farewell for now, and perhaps we will meet some other time.

戚郎！來不來由你！放不放嘛由我！你不要裝腔作勢。今夜頭，我和你兩家頭的婚事，就，就特定哉！ Zhan: Master Qi, it was your decision to come here, and now it’s my decision whether to let you go. Save your pretention and excuses. Tonight, I say, is our wedding night, that’s it!

我想婚姻大事，一無父母之命，二無媒妁之言，就算是苟合，也不足為證。 Han: A proper marriage needs the consent of the parents, then sealed through the efforts of the matchmaker. And our meeting in your room can’t be used as proof in any way, either.

Please, young mistress, please quite your rash thoughts. Zhan: Oh? It can’t be done? Han: No, it can’t.

格麼，你為啥要到我閨房裡來價？ 哦，不是我自己要來的！ Zhan: Then, why are you in my room? Han: I didn’t intend to come here myself.

啥人叫你來價？ 是、是乳母，啊呀，約我來的！ Zhan: Who made you do so? Han: It’s your Nanny who took me here.

拉裡哉！人有三父八母，那乳母豈不是八母裡頭的 Zhan: There! As the saying goes, a person has three fathers and eight mothers. Nanny is one of the mothers, yes?

那媒人呢？ 喏，就是格只風箏，豈不是媒人麼？ Han: Fine. What about the matchmaker? Zhan: Well, isn’t that kite our matchmaker?

誒！風箏怎算得是媒人價？ 呀呸！若不是那風箏，我和你今夜頭怎得碰面呢？ Han: How can a kite be considered as our matchmaker? Zhan: If it weren’t the kite, how could I ever be able to meet you?

戚郎！主婚、媒人全有了，我和你今夜拜堂做夫妻！ Zhan: Dear Master Qi, now that we have the nanny who can officiate our ceremony, with the kite as the witness, let’s go right ahead and get married!

小姐，謝謝媒人哉！ 呀呸！ 你勿是媒人，反倒是瘟神！Nanny: Mistress, don’t you need to thank me for setting you up with him? Zhan: You! How you ruined everything!

方才我兩家頭剛剛說得有點意思，馬上就要拜堂成親，被你闖了進來， Zhan: We two were just getting to know each other, ready for our wedding ceremony, and suddenly you intruded in.

這樁婚事是不成功哉！This marriage is not going to happen!