原文：維基文庫
（頁一上）
人生一世草一春 天地所造乾共坤 私情世上古今有 不如六娘郭繼春 nâng-seng tse̍k-sì tshàu tse̍k-tshung / thieng-dī só-tsãu khiêng kāng khung / sṳ-tshêng sì-tsiēⁿ kóu-kim ũ / buk-rû La̍k-nie Kueh Kì-tshung People live for decades whereas grass lives for only a spring; Heaven and Earth made man and woman. Secret loves have existed since the beginning of time, but nothing compares to that of Lak-nie and Kueh Ki-tshung.
乾 pronounced khiêng for “male”, name of hexagram; but kang or kuaⁿ for “dry”.
且說吕浦蘇六娘 同細抱寄西蘆鄉 抱寄西蘆尚家養 教伊針指讀文章 tshiáⁿ-su̍eh Lṳ̃-phóu Sou La̍k-niê / tâng-sòi phõ-kià Sai-lôu hieⁿ / phõ-kià Sai-lôu Siãng-ke iáng / kà i tsam-tsí tha̍k bûng-tsieⁿ This is the story of Sou Lak-nie from Lṳ-phou. As an infant she was brought to the village of Sai-lou, to be raised by the Siang family, who taught her how to sew and read.
子去西蘆母安心 年當十四貌如花 排行託隨尚家叫 叫做六娘惜如金 kiáⁿ khṳ̀ Sai-lôu bó uaⁿ-sim / nî tṳng tsa̍p-sì mãu zû hue / pâi-hêng thoh sûi Siãng-ke kiè / kiè tsò La̍k-nie sieh zû kim
西蘆人物出六娘 口如櫻桃手似薑 烏鴉雲鬢面如玉 弓鞋三寸綉鴛鴦 Sai-lôu nâng-mu̍eh tshuk La̍k-nie / kháu zû eng-thô tshiú sṳ̃ kieⁿ / ou-a hûng-pìng mīng zû ge̍k / keng-ôi saⁿ-tshùng siù ueng-ien In Sai-lou was Lak-nie. Her mouth was shaped like a peach, hands like ginger, hair raven-black, and a face like jade. Her shoes only three inches long and embroidered with mandarin ducks.
鴛鴦 ueng-ien “mandarin ducks”, a symbol for a married couple.
公婆惜孫如惜金 深閨綉閣靜沉沉 日去樓上理針線 夜在銷金帳内眠 kong-phûa sieh sung zû sieh kim / tshim kui siù-koh tsẽⁿ-tîm-tîm / zi̍k-khṳ̀ lâu-tsiẽⁿ lí tsam-sùaⁿ / mê tõ siou-kim tièⁿ-lãi mîng Uncle and Aunt treasured their nephew like gold. In the women’s chambers and embroidery room it was very quiet. In the day she would go upstairs to work on her embroidery. At night she would sleep behind golden drapes.
公婆放孫上高樓 百般安樂在心頭 誰知一事想不到 尚家樓對郭家樓 kong-phûa pàng sung tsiẽⁿ kau-lâu / peh-puaⁿ uaⁿ-la̍k tõ sim-thâu / sûi-tsai tse̍k-sṳ̄ siẽⁿ m̃-kàu / Siãng-ke lâu tùi Kueh-ke lâu Uncle and Aunt housed their nephew in their high tower, their minds were happy and at ease. What nobody thougth about at the time was that the Siang family’s tower faced the Kueh family’s tower.
（頁一下）
且說西蘆一郭家 富貴正共尚家平 尚家子多郭家少 郭家一子清俊儕 tshiáⁿ-sueh Sai-lôu tse̍k Kueh-ke / pù-kùi tsiáⁿ kāng Siãng-ke pēⁿ / Siãng-ke tsṳ́-to Kueh-ke tsié / Kueh-ke tse̍k-tsṳ́ tsheng-tsùng sê Let us speak of the Kueh family from Sai-lou, whose wealth was on par with the Siang family. The Siangs had many sons but the Kuehs had few, their first son was fair and handsome.
郭家一子名繼春 才貌秀麗實超群 高樓讀書無人伴 滿腹文章共禮文 Kueh-ke tse̍k-tsṳ́ miâ Kì-tshung / tshâi-mãu siù-lĩ si̍k thiòu khûng / kau-lâu tha̍k-tsṳ bô nâng phũaⁿ / múa pak bûng-tsieⁿ kāng lói-bûng The eldest son of the Kuehs was named Ki-tshung, his appearance was fine and extraordinary. Studying alone in the high tower he had no one to keep him company; his entire breast was filled with books and learning.
郭家一樓面向西 四時花木滿樓台 百般景致十分好 一點春心引惹來 Kueh-ke tse̍k-lâu mīng hiàng sai / sì-sî hue-ba̍k múa-lâu-thâi / peh-puaⁿ kéng-tì tsa̍p-hung hó / tse̍k-tiém tshung-sim íng-ziá lâi The Kueh family’s tower faced the West; in all four seasons it was covered in flowers and greenery. The scenery was beautiful in every way, enough to spark romantic feelings.
尚家一樓門向東 風花雪月四時全 六娘常在樓挑綉 無奈花香引動人 Siãng-ke tse̍k-lâu mûng hiàng tang / hong-hue soh-gue̍h sì-sî cuêng / La̍k-niê siêⁿ tõ lâu thiou-siù / bô-nãi hue-phang íng-tõng nâng The Siang family’s tower faced the East; bedecked with flowers all year around. Lak-nie often did her embroidery there; one cannot help but be moved by the fragrance of the flowers.
東樓讀書日彈琴 西樓聽見好聲音 繼春雖有相如音 六娘亦有文君心 tang-lâu tha̍k-tsṳ zi̍k thâng-khîm / sai-lâu thiaⁿ-kìn hó siaⁿ-im / Gì-tshung sui-ũ sie zû im / La̍k-niê iā ũ bûng-kung sim In the Eastern tower, he read books and played the zither every day, in the Western tower she heard the wonderful sound. Ki-tshung [TK] Lak-nie also had a scholar’s sensibility.
尚家景致如蓬萊 百花𨙰是六娘栽 繼春上樓看景■ 觀着六娘入園來 Siãng-ke kéng-tì zû Phông-lâi / pe̍h-hue tou sĩ La̍k-niê tsai / Gì-tshung tsiẽⁿ-lâu thói kéng-[tì] / kueng-tie̍h La̍k-niê zi̍p hn̂g lâi The Siang grounds were landscaped like Phong-lai, all the hundred flowers were planted by Lak-nie. Ki-tshung ascended the tower to admire the view, and saw Lak-nie enter the garden below.
蓬萊 Phông-lâi, mythical island of the immortals
六娘入園來得桃 頭種金釵身穿纙 天生冰肌玉骨■ 免粧胭粉世間無 La̍k-niê zi̍p-hn̂g lâi thik-thô / thâu tsèng kim-thoi sing tshēng lô / thieng-seng piaⁿ-ki ge̍k-kuk [?] / miéng tsuang ing-húng sì-kang bô Lak-nie entered the garden to play, she had a golden hairpin on the head and was dressed in finery, her skin was naturally pale like ice and her bones fine like jade, without needing even a spot of makeup on her.
得桃 thik-thô “to play”, phonetic loan characters
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桃花隨娘到園中 好花開得綠間紅 一年四季春天好 不識賞花總是空 Thô-hue sui niê kàu hn̂g-tang / hó-hue khai-tik le̍k kāng âng / tse̍k-nî sì-khùi tshung-thieng hó / m̃-sek siéⁿ hue tsóng-sĩ khang Tho-hue followed her mistress into the garden, where the flowers blossomed red among the greenery. Spring is the best season of the year, and those who don’t know how to appreciate flowers are missing out.
輕移蓮步入花陰 鶯啼鳥叫悶人心 蜂蝶亦知春色好 飛來飛去戀花心 khing-î nôi-pōu zi̍p hue-im / eng-tî tsiòu-kiè būng nâng-sim / phang-tie̍p iā-tsai tshung-sek hó / pue-lâi pue-khṳ̀ lùeng hue-sim With delicate lotus steps she entered the flowery shade, where the oriole’s song calls out the melancholy. The bees and butterflies also know that it is Spring, and flutter about, dipping into the flowers.
行入涼亭去賞花 芳菲巧麗春未回 無心悶坐花陰下 繡出鸞風宿枝梅 kiaⁿ-zip liâng-têng khṳ̀ siéⁿ-hue / phang-hui khá-lĩ tshung būe hûe / bô-sim būng-tsõ hue-im ẽ / siù-tshuk lûeng hong siù ki buê Upong walking into the cool pavilion to admire the flowers, the delicate spring fragrance [?]. Not content to sit glumly in the flowery shade, she began to embroider a mythical bird nested among plum branches.
鸞 lûeng, mythical bird
繼春看見心癡呆 假意吟詩乞伊知 春色滿園觀不盡 一枝紅杏出牆來 Kì-tshung thóiⁿ-kìⁿ sim tshi-tai / ké-ì ngîm-sî kheh i tsai / tshung-sek muá-hn̂g kueng m̃-tsĩng / tse̍k-ki âng-hẽng tshuk tshiêⁿ lâi Ki-tshung was dumbstruck upon seeing this, and found a pretext to make himself conspicuous by reciting poetry: “Spring colors fill the garden, more than one’s sight can take in, a red apricot branch grows out of the wall.”
紅杏出牆, also an idiom to mean a wife cheating on her husband
六娘聽見咲唏唏 行入花陰心帶疑 樓上有人看見吾 有意吟出一句詩 La̍k-niê thiaⁿ-kìⁿ tshiè-hi-hi / kiâⁿ-zi̍p hue-im sim tuà-gî / lâu-tsiẽⁿ ũ nâng thóiⁿ-kìⁿ uá / ũ-ì ngîm-tshuk tse̍k-kù si Lak-nie heard this and laughed, walking back into the shade she had some suspicions on her mind. Upstairs there is someone watching me, who intentionally recited that line of poetry.
咲 probably a variant character for 笑
桃未了轉回來＊ 亦念二句乞伊知 閒門不管窗前月 分付梅花自主栽 thô buē lióu tṳ́ng huê-lâi [?] / iā liēm nõ-kù kheh i tsai / ôiⁿ-mûng m̃-kuéng theng-tsôiⁿ gue̍h / hung-hù buê-hue tsṳ̃-tsú tsai [?] ..., and recited two lines of poetry in reply. [TK]
繼春聽了咲嘮唏 好卻全憑二句詩 托天詩詞有靈感 成就二人做夫妻 Kì-tshung thiaⁿ-lióu tshiè-lâu-hi / hó-khiak tshûeng-pêng nõ-kù si / thoh-thiⁿ si-sṳ̂ ũ lêng-kám / sêng-tsiũ nõ-nâng tsò hu-tshi Ki-tshung laughed on hearing this, what a fitting reply in these two verses. I ask heaven that poetry reflects a sympathy of spirits, and that we are fated to be husband and wife.
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六娘心內暗思量 憶着詩句無落場 一腹心事無人曉 叫出桃花來較量 La̍k-niê sim-lãi àm-sṳ-niê / e̍k-dieh si-kù bô lo̍h-tiêⁿ / tse̍k-pak sim-sṳ bô-nâng hióu / kiè-tshuk Thô-hue lâi kà-niê Lak-nie thought silently to herself, thinking that her verses missed their mark. No one to understand the matters of her heart, she called Tho-hue to her to talk.
全頭說乞桃花知 吾因看見郭秀才 眉清眼秀面如玉 芙蓉面色柳如眉 tshûeng-thâu sueh kheh Thô-hue tsai / uá ing thóiⁿ-kìⁿ Kueh siù-tsâi / bâi-tsheng ngáng-siù mīng zû ge̍k / hû-iông mīng-sek liú zû bâi She told everything to Tho-hue from the beginning: I have seen Scholar Kueh, his brow is clear and his face fine like jade, complexion like a lotus and brows like a willow.
記得賞花一夜昏 園內看見繼春郎 人物生得合赧意 值時得共伊全床 kì-tik siéⁿ-hue tse̍k-mê-hung / hn̂g-lãi thóiⁿ-kìⁿ Kì-tshung nṳ̂ng / nâng-mue̍h seⁿ-tik ha̍h náng ì / tī-sî tik kāng i tshûeng tshṳ̂ng I remember admiring flowers one evening, and saw Gentleman Ki-tshung in the garden. His person is much to our liking; I wonder when I can share a bed with him.
赧 náng, 1st person plural pronoun, phonetic loan 值時 tī-sî, “when”, phonetic loan for tī
桃花近前來較量 古有陳三共五娘 嘗擲荔枝做古記 後來姻歸得落場 Thô-hue kṳ̃ng-tsôiⁿ lâi kà-niê / kóu-ũ Tâng-saⁿ kāng Ngõu-niê / siêⁿ sek nōi-ki tsò kóu-kì / ãu-lâi ing-kui tik lo̍h tiêⁿ Tho-hue moved closer to give her counsel: In the past there was Tang-saⁿ and Ngou-nie, who threw a lychee branch as a sign, and later came to be married.
陳三五娘 Tâng-saⁿ Ngõu-niê, another famous Min-nan folk story about two young lovers that was the basis for operas and songs, also known as 荔枝記 Nōi-ki-kì Tale of the Lychee Branch or 荔鏡記 Nōi-kiàn-kì Tale of the Lychee and Mirror.
爾說言語有來情 赧今要學為不成 荔枝古人擲過了 何物擲乞繼春兄 lṳ́ sueh ngâng-gṳ́ ũ lâi-tsiâⁿ / náng kim iou o̍h ûi m̃-tsiâⁿ / nōi-ki kóu-zîng sek-kuè--liòu / hô-mue̍h sek kheh Kì-tshung-hiaⁿ You say that you have exchanged words. But we cannot follow that example today. The ancients have already thrown the lychee branch – what have you to throw to Brother Ki-tshung?
頭上插是金風釵 腳下穿是綉花鞋 身上衣衫手中帕 件件可乞郭秀才 thâu-tsiẽⁿ tshah sĩ kim-hong-thoi / kha-ẽ tshēng sĩ siù-hue-ôi / sing-tsiẽⁿ i-saⁿ tshiú-tang phè / kiãⁿ-kiãⁿ khó-kheh Kueh siù-tsâi On my head is a golden hairpin, on my feet are embroidered flower slippers, in my garments is a handkerchief – all these I can give to Scholar Kueh.
六娘心內暗思存 就此設計見郎君 使囝捧出筆墨硯 捧出花筆寫書文 La̍k-niê sim-lãi àm sṳ-tshûng / tsiũ-tshṳ́ siek-kòi kìⁿ nṳ̂ng-kung / sái kiáⁿ hóng-tshuk pik ba̍k īⁿ / hóng-tshuk hue-bik siá tsṳ-bûng Lak-nie thought silently to herself, coming up with a plan to see her lover. She instructed her servant to bring her brush, ink, and inkstone, and prepared to write him a letter.
（頁三上）
親寫羅帕字一雙 姻緣二字在鎮中 包枝金釵做力擲 憑只金釵做媒人 tshing-siá lô-phè zai tse̍k-sang / ing-uêng nõ-zī tõ tìng-tang / pau ki kim-thoi tsò-la̍k sek / pêng tsí kim-thoi tsò buê-nâng She personally wrote the two words “marriage destiny” in the middle of the silk handkerchief, wrapped it around the gold hairpin, and flung it vigorously, wishing that it would serve as their matchmaker.
西樓擲過東樓中 六娘抽身入樓房 吾身情願伊為婿 全憑帕釵結成雙 sai-lâu sek-kuè tang-lâu tang / La̍k-niê thiu-sing zi̍p lâu pâng / uá-sing tshêng-nguẽng i ûi sài / tshûeng-pêng phè-thoi kak sêng-sang From the western tower she tossed it to the eastern tower, then Lak-nie retired to her room. “I wish that he would be my husband; all my hopes are on the handkerchief and hairpin to bring us together.”
繼春在許樓中行 忽聽樓外響一聲 舉頭看見一包物 什起半喜又半京 Kì-tshung tõ hṳ́ lâu-tang kiâⁿ / huk-thiaⁿ lâu-gūa hiáng tse̍k-siaⁿ / kṳ́-thâu thóiⁿ-kìⁿ tse̍k-pau-mue̍h / sĩm khí puàⁿ-hí iû puàⁿ-kiaⁿ Ki-tshung was walking in the tower, when he was startled by a sound from outside. Looking up, he saw a bundle of something, which aroused both excitement and fear.
京 phonetic loan character for 驚
玘 simplified character for 起
慌忙舉手持起來 就折來看乜形骸 原來夭是帕共釵 此物乃是六娘個 huang-mâng kṳ́-tshiú thî khí-lâi / tsiũ tsih lâi-thóiⁿ mih hêng-hâi / ngûeng-lâi iou-sĩ phè kā thoi / tshṳ́-mue̍h nãi-sĩ La̍k-niê kâi Hurriedly he reached up to retrieve it, and unpacked it to see what was inside. It turned out to be a handkerchief and a hairpin, these must belong to Lak-nie.
妝起羅帕無計施 只事又畏人知機 娘子這般有吾意 姻緣二字寫在邊 tsuang-khí lô-phè bô kòi-si / tsí-sṳ̄ iû ùi nâng tsai-ki / niê-kiáⁿ tsé-puaⁿ ũ uá ì / ing-uêng nõ-zī siá tõ piⁿ He hid away the handkerchief, not having a plan, he was afraid that someone else would find out about this. This lady is indeed forward, she even wrote the words “marriage destiny” inside!
繼春煩惱面青黃 冬日讀書無本門 明日便做板桂客 不如月下探花郎 Kì-tshung hûeng-ló mīng tsheⁿ-n̂g / tang-zi̍k tha̍k-tsṳ bô búng-mûng / mêng-zi̍k piẽng tsò páng-kùi kheh / puk-zû gue̍h-ẽ thàm hue-nṳ̂ng Ki-tshung was worried until his complexion changed. TODO
愈思愈想掛心頭 無人遞書到伊樓 心中憔悴發一計 着尋媒人理正通 zú-sṳ zú-siẽⁿ khuà sim-thâu / bô-nâng tîⁿ tsṳ kàu i lâu / sim-tang tsiou-tsũi huek tse̍k-gòi / tieh tshîm bûe-nâng lí-tsiáⁿ thong Worries and pondering got stuck on his mind, while no one came to deliver books to his tower. Weary in his mind he hatched a plan, for which he needed to find a matchmaker.
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親身落樓路上移 心忙意急尋媒姨 去尋別人亦難事 惟有林婆可託伊 tshing-sing lo̍h-lâu lōu-tsiẽn î / sim-mâng ì-kip tshîm bûe-î / khṳ̀ tshîm pa̍k-nâng iā lâng-sṳ̄ / zûi-ũ Lîm-phûa kó thoh i He left the tower and went on the road, hurrying and impatient to find a matchmaker. It would have been difficult to find anybody, and he could only trust Lim-phua.
行到林婆個家中 叫聲林婆說一言 吾有件事拜託爾 事成之日謝伊人 kiâⁿ-kàu Lîm-pûa kâi ke-tang / kiè-siaⁿ Lîm-pûa sueh tse̍k-ngâng / uá ũ hṳ́-sṳ̄ pài-thoh lṳ́ / sṳ̄-tsiâⁿ tsṳ zi̍k sià i-nâng Entering Lim-phua’s house, he said to her, “I have a matter here to entrust to you, and if it turns out successful I will owe you my thanks.”
林婆便問郭秀才 秀才因乜只路來 乜風吹來到草捨 有何事情呾吾知 Lîm-pûa piẽng mūng Kueh siù-tsâi / siù-tsâi ing-mih tsí-lōu lâi / mih-hong tshue-lâi kàu tsháu-sià / ũ hô sṳ̄-tsiâⁿ tàⁿ uá tsai Whereupon Lim-phua asked him, “why have you come this way, Scholar? What wind blows you to this remote place? Tell me what matter brings you here.”
吾今實情呾爾聽 為着人情只路行 細聲共爾呾一句 姻緣靠爾做到成 uá kim si̍k-tshêng tàⁿ lṳ́ thiaⁿ / ûi-tieh nâng-tshêng tsí-lōu lâi / sòi-siaⁿ kā lṳ́ tàⁿ tse̍k-kù / ing-uêng khàu-lṳ́ tsò-kàu tsiâⁿ “What I tell you is the truth. I have come here because of a matter of the heart.” In a low voice he spoke to her, and entrusted his future marital bliss to her.
秀才做事勿太忙 有緣千里會成雙 但是雖家小娘子 借問配人未配人 siù-tsâi tsò-sṳ̄ mài thài-mâng / ũ-ûeng tshoiⁿ-lí õi sêng-sang / tãng-sĩ sui-ke sié-niê-kiáⁿ / tsieh-mūng phùe-nâng būe phùe-nâng “Scholar, you are too hasty. If it is fated, you will be married even if you are a thousand miles apart. To which house belongs this young lady? Is she betrothed to anyone?”
林婆聽吾說爾知 吾有一事只路來 西蘆有一小娘子 林婆爾皆知不知 Lîm-phûa thiaⁿ uá sueh lṳ́ tsai / uá ũ tse̍k-sṳ̄ tsí-lōu lâi / Sai-lôu ũ tse̍k sié-niê-kiáⁿ / Lîm-phûa lṳ́ kai tsai-m̃-tsai “Lim-phua, hear what I have to say. This matter has brought me here. In Sai-lou is a young lady, do you know of her, Lim-phua?”
西園樓上一小娘 顏色飢骨如筆描 那因賞花相會見 無計共伊得落場 sai-hn̂g lâu-tsiẽⁿ tse̍k sié-niê / ngûeng-sek ki-kuk zû pik-biê / na-ing siéⁿ-hhue sie huẽ-kìⁿ / bô-kòi kā i tik lo̍h-tiêⁿ “In the western garden’s tower is a young lady, whose features and complexion are as fine as a painting. While admiring flowers we encountered each other, but I am at a loss as to how we can go further.”