Tang Xianzu
Chinese (Ming Dynasty) · 1550–1616
The greatest dramatist of the Ming Dynasty, often called "China's Shakespeare," whose masterpiece The Peony Pavilion elevated kunqu opera with its lyrical exploration of love, dream, and death.
Wikipedia ↗Du Liniang
“原来姹紫嫣红开遍，似这般都付与断井颓垣。”
Chinese
“So it turns out that brilliant purples and reds bloom everywhere, yet all are given over to broken wells and crumbling walls.”
《牡丹亭·惊梦》 ↗ (1598)
The Peony Pavilion (Scene 10: The Dream)“情不知所起，一往而深，生者可以死，死可以生。”
Chinese
“In this world, is there anything more real than love? Love can bring the dead back to life, and make the living die.”
《牡丹亭·题词》 ↗ (1598)
The Peony Pavilion (Preface)