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16. Secondary Sage Melody
- Standard tuning:2 5 6 1 2 3 5 6 played as 1 2 4 5 6 1 2 |
亞聖操
1
Yasheng Cao Temple of Yan Hui in Qu Fu3 |
Ya Sheng Cao is a chant-like song in honor of
Yan Hui, by reputation the favorite student of Confucius. For this reason Yan Hui (Yan Ziyuan), was also known as Ya Sheng (Secondary Sage), and later as Fu Sheng (Alternate Sage). He was considered so important that in Qufu, Confucius' home town, there is a large temple to Yan Hui (see photo at right). At one time there were also temples to Yan Hui in other places, and most temples to Confucius should also include shrines to Yan Hui.4
The classical text have many references to Yan Hui. For example, the Analects of Confucius (Lun Yu) depict Yan Hui as someone who does not present himself in a clever way, but who is very contemplative and an ascetic. Then, according to the Shi Ji (Records of the Grand Historian),5
"Yan Hui was only 29 when his hair turned white. He died young. Confucius wailed bitterly, saying, "Ever since I have had Hui, my disciples have grown closer to me."
Many of the stories about Yan Hui have come from the third century CE Kongzi Jiayu.6 Also of note is a eulogy to Yan Hui by the Song emperor Gaozong.7
Classical texts also have Yan Hui (like Confucius himself) playing the qin.8 One example is in Zhuangzi Chapter 28 (Yielding Power). And the Qin Shi biography of Yan Hui, apparently drawing on Liezi, also has Yan Hui playing the qin.
The origins of the present Yan Hui melody are not known. At least one Qing dynasty handbook attributes it (or a version of it) to the well-known literati and artist Zhao Mengfu (1254 - 1322), but this seems rather doubtful.9 The earliest known surviving version is the present one, published in 1511, but versions of it seem to have been very popular at least through the rest of the Ming dynasty, occuring in almost 30 of the 35 handbooks published between 1511 and 1644, some handbooks having multiple versions; another 10 survive from the Qing dynasty. The most common title is Si Xian (Cao) ([Melody of] Recalling the Sage), others, in addition to Yasheng Cao, being Fusheng Cao (or Fu Sheng Cao: Melody of the Alternate Sage), Yi Yan Hui (Recalling Yan Hui), and Gu Yan Hui (Old [version of] Yan Hui).10 However, whereas these versions are all melodically related, the modern title Weep for Yan Hui (Qi Yan Hui) has a totally unrelated melody.11
The preface in Taigu Yiyin clearly identifies this melody as a beginner's piece. Later handbooks suggest that the melody, or at least the lyrics, are an important source for qin music, but they do not specifically call it a beginner's melody. Handbooks do not place it before or at the front of their melody section, as happens with versions of Cao Man Yin, but instead usually place it with shang mode melodies. Some of them specifically say they do so because the melody is bei: deeply emotional.12
None of the commentaries mentions the structure or the modal characteristics of the melody. A distinguishing characteristic (because unusual) of many versions is its having a refrain: the refrain is written out at the end of the first section, then instructions at the end of each of the other sections say to repeat the refrain.13 There are also many musical couplets, with either the first phrase ending on la and the second on so, or the first on re then the second on do.14 These couplets and the refrain help suggest that the melody should flow along rhythmically.
As for modal characteristics, in the 1511 version the main tonal centers overall seem to be sol (5; zhi) and re (2; shang), but the refrain, the whole melody, and all sections except the first all end on do (1; gong). There are many non-pentatonic notes and the refrain includes all seven notes of a diatonic scale plus a flatted 7.15
The version in Taigu Yiyin has seven unnumbered verses in praise of Yan Hui, each beginning "Da zai Yan Hui!" (Awesome Yan Hui) followed by the refrain, which begins "Xian zai Yan Hui" (Worthy Yan Hui). The lyrics are not in Yuefu Shiji. Some expressions, such as da zai and xian zai, can be found in Lun Yu, while two of the verses are quoted almost directly from it (see #3 and #5 below). I have not yet traced the source of the rest, and it should be noted that there is considerable variation in the lyrics throughout the various versions.16
Of particular note are the song lyrics paired to the melody comprising the second half of Verse 7; these identical lyrics ("Summer goes, winter comes....") are later found in several other melodies. But although the late Ming Shantang Sikao attributes them to Confucius himself, they have so far not been confirmed in any sources earlier than the present publication.17
As for this song, it is traditionally said that Confucius wrote it lamenting Yan Hui. Yan Hui had been a disciple of Confucius only a short period when he unfortunately died early at the age of 32. Confucius' lament grieved that there was no one left to carry on his methods. Its sounds called out sadly with heavy sobs, clearly cut off. Beginning study of qin should be from here. And for those at the beginning level, if they skip this and search for something else, the more their skills increase, the more distant it is from their understanding. As for this composition, it is like these sounds and is an allegory.
Music and Lyrics: Seven verses
19
A largely syllabic setting of the lyrics, which have irregular meter
(timings follow my recording 聽錄音)
(Refrain 00.20)
Worthy Yan Hui, worthy Yan Hui.
Worthy and approved, Heaven has destroyed me, Yan Hui.
Mourn Yan Hui, Yan Hui; Heaven has destroyed me, Yan Hui.
Mourn Heaven's destroying Yan Hui, 3000 students none his equal.
Study of the Way is destroyed, Yan Hui.
Recall Yan Hui, Yan Hui; Yan Hui, how can the Way survive?
Mourn that later generations don't have my Yan Hui,
Heaven destroyed Yan Hui, how can the Way survive?
(2. 01.08)
Awesome Yan Hui; awesome Yan Hui.
Yan Hui, Yan Hui, hear my song.
The sounds are only for Yan Hui mourning.
Heaven mourns Yan Hui, study of the Way is destroyed.
Painfully grieve Yan Hui, how urgent was Fate.
Pain, Yan Hui; pain, pain Yan Hui
Repeat Refrain
(3. 02.32) (quotes Lun Yu 6-3)
Awesome Yan Hui; awesome Yan Hui.
Doesn't vent anger, Yan Hui; won't repeat mistakes, Yan Hui.
Sadly a short fate and death; now I have no one,
I haven't heard of anyone eager to learn.
Repeat Refrain
(4. 03.41) (see Lun Yu 15-2)
(5. 04.56) (quotes Lun Yu 6-11)
(6. 06.05)
(7. 07.20)
(Harmonics 09.00)
Awesome Yan Hui; awesome Yan Hui.
Recall the past, in Chen (state) without food, Yan Hui.
recall the past in Chen without food, Yan Hui.
Painfully recall the past in Chen without food, Yan Hui;
Painfully recall the past in Chen without food, Yan Hui.
Repeat Refrain (see above)
Awesome Yan Hui; awesome Yan Hui.
One bowl for food, Yan Hui; one gourd for drink, Yan Hui.
On such mean streets others couldn't bear the grief;
But (Yan) Hui didn't turn from his joy.
Repeat Refrain
Awesome Yan Hui; awesome Yan Hui.
Painful, painful, fate killed young Yan Hui;
Bitter, bitter, fate killed young Yan Hui.
Three thousand students, none that equals Yan Hui;
Three thousand students, none that equals Yan Hui;
Repeat Refrain
Awesome Yan Hui; awesome Yan Hui.
Heaven and earth move along, waxing and waning.
Four seasons go round again and again.
Oft again oceans change to mulberry groves;
20
Oft it is that mulberry groves change to hills and valleys.
Summer goes, winter comes, spring turns to fall.
Sun and stars westward set, rivers flow east.
Generals fighting on horseback, where are they now?
Weeds block out flowers, filling the earth with gloom.
Repeat Refrain
Mourn that man's life still is rough. (end: 09.16)
Footnotes (Shorthand references are explained on a
separate page)
1.
References
276.132 has only 亞聖 Ya Sheng, nothing about music. It identifies four people with this as a nickname:
The longest commentary is on Mencius.
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2.
Mode
Taigu Yiyin does not directly indicate mode. Other handbooks tend to put it in shang mode (see Shenpin Shang Yi). Its tonal centers on so and re, with sections ending on do, also suggest shang is the most likely mode.
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3.
Temple of Yan Hui in Qu Fu
Photograph copied from an old tourist brochure.
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4.
Other Yan Hui Temples
Temples to Confucius generally also have altars to Yan Hui near their altar to Confucius, but details on this and on separate Yan Hui temples have not yet been researched.
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5.
Yan Hui in the Shi Ji
See the translation by W.H. Nienhauser, et.al., The Grand Scribe's Records, Vol.VII, p.65. In The Analects, Book XI, Section 7, Confucius says that Yan Hui was eager to learn, but that unfortunately he had died young, and now there was no one.
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6.
Kongzi Jiayu references
For Kongzi Jiayu see China Knowledge and the original text in the China Text Project.
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7.
Song Gaozong eulogy
The Song Gaozong emperor (1127-1163) composed a eulogy for Yan Hui. I have not seen yet this.
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8.
Yan Hui playing the qin
Whereas Confucius is often seen playing the qin while teaching, Yan Hui seems to do it for relaxation or self-cultivation. (The Zhuangzi passage, from the chapter 讓王 Rang Wang (Legge: Kings who have wished to resign the Throne), can be found in online in the
China Text Project.
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9.
The Yan Hui melody and
Zhao Mengfu (1254 - 1322)
In front of the Yasheng Cao in the 1634 handbook Guyin Zhengzong there is the statement "趙氏遺珍 Bequeathed gem of the Zhao family"; at the end it says, "子昂颜回操五段终 End of Zi'ang's Yan Hui Cao" in 5 sections" (QQJC IX/306-8). There is no further explanation, but then in the handbook Songfengge Qinpu (1677) the preface to Si Xian Cao begins,
Still later, an introduction to the unrelated later melody Qi Yan Hui suggests that Si Xian Cao was just one of several qin melodies passed down by Zhao Mengfu. As yet I have no further details on this.
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10.
Tracing versions of the present melody (further details in the
appendix)
The following list is based largely on Zha Fuxi's index:
In addition the complete edition of Buxuxuan Qinpu (1556; surviving only in Taiwan) has a related 古顏回 Gu Yan Hui.
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11.
Weep for Yan Hui (泣顏回 Qi Yan Hui)
(Zha Guide)
17613.23 says 泣顏回，曲牌名 Qi Yan Hui is the name of a qupai, adding that it was originally called 杏壇三操 Xing Tan San Cao (Confucius is said to have taught from a Xing Tan in Qufu); although for a while in the Ming dynasty the character 泣 was apparently 諱 forbidden in this context, eventually this title came into use. This suggests that perhaps some time in the Yuan or Ming dynasties there was a song structure using this title; however, there is no way to know what this was, and the dictionary entry does not mention any associated lyrics. At least one old melody list (published in 1590) does include a title that
may be related. However, according to Zha Guide 44/281/--, as a qin melody this title can be found only in
Jinyu Qinkan (1937); see Tong Kin-Woon, Qin Fu, p.1377.
The Qi Yan Hui tablature published in 1937, in three untitled sections with no lyrics (also here?), is attributed to Xu Yuanbai (1893—1957). The lengthy afterword does not seem to say anything about the theme of the melody, only that it came from an old melody in the 簫管 wind instrument repertoire, was later adapted into the 琵琶 pipa repertoire by 嚴月秋 Yan Yueqiu, and from there it was made into a qin melody by Xu Yuanbai. There is a transcription of this 1937 version in Guqin Quji, Volume 1, pp.280-1. The introduction there (p.10, #31) begins by saying that Zhao Mengfu (1254 - 1322; see above) "passed down some guqin melodies such as Si Xian Cao", but there was no mention of this in the Jinyu Qinkan commentary and, in any case, this version has no apparent musical relationship to any of the earlier Si Xian Cao melodies.
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12.
Meaning of "bei"
More on this under Mozi Bei Ge.
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13.
Refrain
I have not examined the various versions closely enough to know whether any actually has a refrain that is written out each time.
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14.
Couplets
This does not seem to be as common in later versions, but I have not examined them carefully.
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15.
Non-pentatonic notes
It could be instructive to see whether/how this changes in later versions.
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16.
Tracing the sources
Some passages, such as "in Chen with no food" (Verse 4), and "oceans change to mulberry groves" (Verse 7), have no apparent connection with Yan Hui.
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17.
"Summer goes, winter comes"
The melody (in harmonics) of the second half of Section 7 repeats that of the first half, but one octave higher. Other places these lyrics occur include:
There is as yet no information on the source of the lyrics in the first half of Section 7.
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18.
Original preface
Chinese original not yet online.
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19.
Original lyrics
These are as follows:
1.
大哉顏回，大哉顏回；
思憶顏回，思思憶憶顏回，
天喪顏回，慟顏回顏回。
（後皆接此：）
賢哉顏回，賢哉顏回，賢哉若哉，天喪予顏回。
慟顏回顏回，天喪予顏回。
慟天喪顏回，弟子三千盡不如，
道學喪也顏回。
思憶顏回顏回，顏回道何存？
嘆後世無也，予顏回，
天喪顏回，道何存？
2.
大哉顏回，大哉顏回；
顏回，顏回，聽吾歌。
聲聲只為顏回喪。
天喪顏回，道學喪。
痛惜顏回，命何促。
痛哉顏回，痛哉痛哉顏回。
（接前）賢哉....
3. (論語 6-3)
大哉顏回，大哉顏回。
不遷怒，顏回；不貳過，顏回。
不幸短命死矣；今也，則忘。
未聞好學顏回。
（接前）賢哉....
4. (見論語 15-2)
5. (見論語 6-11)
6.
7.
（泛音）嘆人生再會難。
大哉顏回，大哉顏回。
憶昔當初，在陳絕糧顏回。
憶昔當初，在陳絕糧顏回。
痛念憶昔當初，在陳絕糧顏回。
痛念憶昔當初，在陳絕糧顏回。
（接前）賢哉....
大哉顏回，大哉顏回。
一簞食，顏回；一瓢飲，顏回。
在陋巷人不堪其憂。
回也，不改其樂。
（接前）賢哉....
大哉顏回，大哉顏回。
傷哉，傷哉，命夭顏回。
苦哉，苦哉，命夭顏回。
弟子三千盡不如顏回；
弟子三千盡不如顏回；
（接前）賢哉....
大哉顏回，大哉顏回。
天地推遷有榮辱，
四序循環多反復。
幾迴滄海變桑田，
幾度桑田變陵谷。
暑往寒來春復秋，
夕陽西下水東流。
將軍戰馬今何在？
野草閑花滿地愁。
（接前）賢哉....
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20.
Oceans to mulberry groves
18460.32 滄海桑田 refers to 神仙傳 Shenxian Zhuan by 葛洪 Ge Hong (283-343): affairs of the world constantly change. The lyrics of this quatrain thus have a similar meaning as that of the more famous one that follows.
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Appendix
This chart is based largely on Zha Fuxi's Guide
Tracing versions of the present melody
13/140/243 亞聖 Ya Sheng
15/155/310 思賢操 Si Xian Cao
19/181/370 憶顏回 Yi Yan Hui
All the melodies have lyrics unless otherwise indicated
(IX/201; 5 sections, quite diff but still musically related; "天道何知....")