玉簪記 The Jade Pin
玉簪記
《玉簪記》為明代戲曲家高濂所撰，，取材自《古今女史》，寫書生潘必正和女尼陳妙常曲折離奇的愛情故事。
南宋書生潘必正幼時由父母做主，與少女陳嬌蓮訂為夫婦。以後兩方消息隔絕。嬌蓮父親亡故後，家道中落，又遭金兵南侵之亂，與母親在逃難時分散，孤苦無依，不得已入金陵城外女貞觀為女道士，並改名陳妙常。必正赴試落第，自覺無顏返鄉，寄居在姑母所主持的女貞觀，因而得識妙常，二人惺惺相惜，互生愛慕之心。姑母發覺之後，恐事張揚，命必正即刻離觀赴考。妙常匆忙從後趕上，二人贈信盟誓，灑淚而别。其後必正考中進士，迎娶妙常，回家拜見父母，才知妙常竟是從小訂親，以玉簪為聘，但卻長久下落不明的妻子陳嬌蓮。
折子戲: 琴挑
〈琴挑〉是《玉簪記》中最精彩的一折，描寫寄居在女貞觀中的必正，一晚循琴聲至妙常住所，於是藉彈琴表達愛慕之意。妙常對必正雖亦心存愛慕，但礙於身份，不得不假意拒絕。必正告辭後，妙常禁不住自吐心聲，被躲在花蔭下的必正聽到，得知妙常的心意。
折子戲: 偷詩
〈偷詩〉描寫必正得識妙常之後前訪妙常，適妙常假寐，必正偷閱妙常所作詩稿，才知妙常芳心早已默許。於是二人對天盟誓，私訂終身。
The Jade Pin
The Jade Pin, written by Lian Gao (1527-1609?), depicts a secret love affair between Pan Bizheng, a scholar, and Chen Miaochang, a young maiden cloistered in a nunnery, and the consequences that ensue when it becomes known.
In childhood Bizheng was arranged by his parents to marry a girl named Jiaolian Chen. Due to political upheavals, the two families lost contact and Jiaolian, after her father’s death, was further separated from her mother while fleeing from warring disturbances. Left with no support, Jiaolian sought shelter and protection in a nunnery as a nun-to-be and changed her name to Miaochang. Bizheng, ashamed to return home after failing a civil examination, is granted permission by the abbess, his aunt, to temporarily stay in the nunnery where he meets and falls in love with Miaochang. After discovering their love affair, the abbess forces Bizheng to promptly depart and a tearful separation of the lovers ensues. Later Bizheng passes the exam and marries Miaochang. He brings her to meet his parents and finds out that Miaochang is actually Jiaolian, whom he was supposed to and is destined to marry.
Scene: The Zither
The Zither depicts Pan’s first encounter with Chen one night while taking a walk under the moon. He hears someone, who turns out to be Chen, playing a zither. Through the encounter Bizheng hints at his admiration of her and learns of Chen’s feelings for him.
Scene: Love Through a Poem
Love Through a Poem portrays Bizheng’s unexpected visit to Miaochang’s chamber, where he chances upon her napping by her desk. Bizheng manages to steal the poem Miaochang had just composed from under her elbow and learns of her affection for him. When Miaochang awakens, Bizheng uses the poem to force her to confess her love. With the poem as witness, they vow to become husband and wife.
