The Hong Kong Metropolitan University on Friday launched a new online library that features English translations of classic Cantonese opera scripts.

The project started a year ago and the initial collection includes scripts from the renowned Cantonese opera “Forty Years of Cherished Love”, which tells the tragic love story of the poet Lu You and his wife Tang Wan in the Song dynasty.

Kelly Chan, director of the university’s Ina Ho Cantonese Opera Research Centre and head of the team, said she hopes the translations will bring Cantonese opera to a broader audience.

Chan – who is also a language and translation professor – noted that the team has also included explainers to certain translations to make it easier for English readers to understand.

“If you see the Chinese term ‘milky way', what does that mean, especially for westerners? Does it mean silver river? There's actually a love story behind, for the cowherd and the weaving girl, so that would be more beneficial for people who did not really know this tradition.”

Sheryl Zhang, who is part of the translation team, said one challenge is to balance language and cultural context.

“Their love story was so sorrowful and carries grief. In the translation, we had to pay so much attention to the emotions, the cultural, and particularly, historical phase behind the story.

The nine-member team is currently working on translating more works, including selections from the opera adaptation of “The Dream of the Red Chamber”.

Their full collection is currently only available to the university’s students and staff, though people who are interested in the works can reach out to the university to request full access to the library.