Butterfly & Sword. 流星•蝴蝶•剑

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Something happened yesterday (Sunday) that made me wrote this instead of what I had intended. It had to do with the messy election of the Malaysian Chinese political party where the choices should have been who you wanted to vote out rather than in. The politicians involved were like the characters portrayed in 流星•蝴蝶•剑 liúxīng húdié jiàn (Shooting Star, Butterfly and Sword), a 1973 武侠小说 wǔxiá xiǎoshuō Wuxia or martial arts novel by Gu Long 古龙 gǔlóng, one of the two arguably most influential Wuxia novelists. Even the intrigues and betrayals of this complicated story pales in comparison with the actual events. What made it even more interesting was that after being betrayed by his trusted man and long-time friend (as also happened in the story), the politician affected quoted this very book.

This novel was made into a movie in 1976 with the unfortunate English title of “The Killer Clans”. It started my love for the world of Jianghu 江湖 jiānghú. (An imaginary Chinese martial arts world that intersects the real one. Literally, the term means rivers and lakes; real yet not solid like the ground you stood on. And on a misty morning, you are never really sure that the waters are real or just a figment of your imagination even though you have sailed it the night before.) It was remade in 1993 as “Butterfly & Sword” starring Michelle Yeoh but that adaptation was rubbish.

In the original movie, the leader of the 龙门 lóngmén Dragon Gate Society was forced to trust the assassin who was sent to kill him and when he was asked why, he gave this poignant reply “You are the only one whom I can trust for I know your true intention. You were sent to kill me.” Incidentaly, the politician concerned did not survive the election (but his ex-man did) but if I could vote, he would the last I voted out for he at least (too late) has the wisdom to see that the sword has no feeling.

This is the introduction to the tale of 流星•蝴蝶•剑 (truncated with apology).

流星的光芒虽短促,但天上还有什么星能比它更灿烂,辉煌
蝴蝶的生命比鲜艳的花还脆弱。它的生命虽短促却芬芳。

只有剑,才比较接近永恒。
一个剑客的光芒与生命,往往就在他手里握着的剑上,
但剑若也有情,它的光芒是否也就会变得和流星一样短促。

"The shooting star is brilliant although short-lived, but which star in the sky is more glorious.
The butterfly is more fragile than even the colorful flowers. Its life is short but beautiful.

Only the sword is more enduring.
The life and brilliance of the swordsman is that sword he held in his hand.
But should the sword have feeling, will its brilliance be as short as the shooting star?"

It is a pity that the characters in the tale and the politicians never realize that even if their swords are heartless, their glory will still be as brief as that flash of light, and less bright.