Farewell To My Concubine Part II - The Song of Gaixia (垓下之战)

I've had just enough time to...   lament the suicide of the concubine

Taken of the "Farewell to My Concubine" opera show in Beijing

Xiang Yu, the King of Chu is in a desperate situation. Trapped and surrounded by enemies with superior forces on all sides, he is losing hope for the first time since he took up arms. The "Chu Song from Four Sides" (四面楚歌) employed by their enemies reminded them of home, sapped their remaining spirit and caused defection. But his faithful horse and favourite concubine refused to leave his side. He lamented with this song – 

力拔山兮气盖世。 Once, my unparallel spirit lifted the hills 
时不利兮骓不逝。 But the time is against me and my horse would not 

                                leave me 
骓不逝兮可奈何!    If my horse would not leave me, what can I do? 
虞兮虞兮奈若何!    Oh, my precious Yu, what fate will befall thee?

Lady Yu begged to die by his side but Xiang Yu strongly refused. She tried to lift his spirit by drinking with him and performed the sword dance for him and sang - 

汉兵已略地,     The Han army has invaded our land 

四面楚歌声。  We are surrounded by Chu songs from all sides 

大王义气尽,     My king's spirit is broken 

贱妾何聊生      What reasons have I to live?

This role is traditionally played by a male

She blamed herself for the predicament her king is in and felt responsible for the downfall of the Chu dynasty. When Xiang Yu’s attention was distracted, she committed suicide by slitting her throat further breaking Xiang Yu’s spirit. She was only 16 when the king said farewell to his concubine.

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霸王別姬 Farewell My Concubine Fan MV

Farewell To My Concubine Part I - The Battle of Gaixia (垓下之战)

I've had just enough time to...   join in the Battle of Gaixia

Taken of the Farewell to My Concubine Opera in Beijing

Betrayed by former friend and ally Liu Bang with a fake peace treaty, Xiang Yu was constantly harassed and ambushed on the retreat back to Western Chu. A trap was sprung in the canyon near Gaixia but Xiang Yu was too intelligent to fall for it and ordered his troops to head back to his capital through the main road. But then his beloved concubine Yuji travelling with the convoy was captured in one of the ambush and brought deep into the canyon of Gaixia…

In spite of knowing he will be rushing into a trap, the King of Chu ordered the rest of his tired men back to the capital while with a smaller troop of 100,000 men tried to save his wife. Once in the canyon, Liu Bang’s crafty ally and mastermind of the trap Han Xin wielded his “ambush from ten sides”  (十面埋伏). Though he managed to save his wife, he and his troop were hopelessly trapped by a superior and fresh troop of 300,000 Han soldiers and were gradually decimated.

As night fall, the Chu troops were helmed in by enemies from all sides and the situation was desperate. Han Xin ordered his men and the captured Chu soldiers to sing Chu folk songs employing the tactic  "Chu Song from Four Sides" (四面楚歌) to break the spirit of the remaining Chu soldiers causing some to desert the army. Yuji stopped Xiang Yu from taking actions against his own men. Calling for wine, Xiang Yu drank and lamented his situation with a poignant composition known as “The Song of Gaixia”. On the brink of total defeat, they spent their intimate moments together and Lady Yu performed the last sword dance for her king…

Next post: The Song of Gaixia.

Former post: – I Am A Painted Face But Not A Clown!

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Pipa master Pui-Yuen Lui "Ambushed from Ten Sides", Los Angeles, California 2000 琵琶演奏家呂培原"十面埋伏", 加州洛杉磯 2000

Beijing Opera #1 – I Am A Painted Face But Not A Clown.

I've had just enough time to...   be touched by the tragedy of Xiang Yu

Taken of the dressing of Xiang Yu before his Beijing Opera performance

I am a painted face

But not a clown

Who moves you with laughter

I move you to tears

With tragedies

Of my own

And that of others

The world is

A greater comedy

Than that

Played by the clown

Will you laugh

Or cry

Along with me?

Xiang Yu项羽, the “Overlord of Western Chu” is a proud and complex man. He would save his horse when all is lost but not himself because he is too proud to face his people in defeat when not one of his 8,000 loyal soldiers who followed him to overthrow the Qin Dynasty survived. A brilliant strategist who won battles after battles but rushed into a trap he knew was set up for him to save his concubine. A caring leader who ordered his 28 remaining soldiers to take the last boat to safety while he stood to meet his end but a tyrant who buried alive 200,000 enemy soldiers who surrendered. He was honorable enough not to kill his nemesis Liu Bang by deceit when he had the chance yet there was no honor when he killed his own commander Song Yi for not listening to his advice. This was the King that bade farewell to his concubine.