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TGYY ToC / Latter Red Cliff Rhapsody / Trace both / Battle of Red Cliff | 首頁 |
37. Former Red Cliff Rhapsody
- Standard tuning:2 5 6 1 2 3 5 6 played as 1 2 4 5 6 1 2 |
前赤壁賦
1
Qian Chibi Fu |
Wu Yuanzhi: Red Cliff 3 |
These rhapsodies are the subject of a number art works, both painting and calligraphy.7 Four examples are discussed on these pages,
As for settings of the lyrics for qin, they are all largely syllabic, following the common pairing method for almost all known qin songs. The present piece is a setting of the former fu; next (see next melody) is a setting of the latter one. These do not appear in the 1511 edition of Taigu Yiyin, but only its continuation, dated 1515.
Settings of the lyrics for the former fu survive in at least 11 later handbooks up to about 1802 (see chart); as for the latter fu, settings survive only in the first three of these 11 handbooks and then in an additional one dated 1828. It should be noted, though, that although the lyrics are all the same, the music all seems to be different.9
There have been a number of published translations of the poems into English.10 The translation here is largely indebted to these earlier ones, the emphasis here being on a word for word understanding to help someone trying to follow the lyrics while listening.
Original preface
11
According to Chao Buzhi's Preface to the Continuation of Li Sao,12 "the former and latter Red Cliff Rhapsodies were written by Master Su. (During a famous battle here in ancient times), Cao Cao with his world-conquering attitude floated large boats on the river, as far as the eyes could see there were no Wu (soldiers). Zhou Yu was a young man, Huang Gai his subordinate general, a torch was used to burn (Cao Cao's boats). (Centuries later) Master (Su), when demoted to a post at Huanggang, often traveled below Red Cliff, forgetting his worldy aims. Seeing the river waves rushing clean he naturally meditated on the past, and in accord with (Zhou) Yu's skills wrote this rhapsody, and so on.
Music and Lyrics: Ten sections
13
(followed by the Latter Red Cliff Rhapsody)
(Not divided in the 1511 tablature; divisions here generally follow
later versions, but these have inconsistencies)
The translation above is largely indebted to these earlier ones, the emphasis here being on a word for word understanding to help someone trying sing or even just follow the lyrics while listening.
Footnotes (Shorthand references are explained on a
separate page)
1. Former Red Cliff Rhapsody (Qian Chibi Fu 前赤壁賦) | In Su Dongpo's own calligraphy (beginning; expand) |
There are at least two Red Cliffs on the Yangzi river:
Neither area has landscape as dramatic as that shown in paintings such as the one above. See further in the footnotes below.
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2.
Tuning and Mode
Taigu Yiyin does not organize melodies by mode. The version in 1539 is grouped under zhi mode, but it seems actually to be in huangzhong (raise fifth string, lower first). In 1585 it is in shang mode, with still other modes mentioned elsewhere.
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3.
Red Cliff Image by Wu Yuanzhi (武元直赤壁)
The original of this painting, in the collection of the National Palace Museum, Taiwan, is dated ca. 1100 CE. Wu Yuanzhi was a Jin dynasty scholar-official known to have been active 1190–96. I have a copy from the Museum shop.
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Two Red Cliffs (Su Dongpo's is at upper right) |
5.
Location of Red Cliff battle
There is considerable argument about the actual location of this battle. The site most commonly named by historians is up the Yangzi River from Wuhan about midway between Wuhan and Yueyang, near the Hunan/Hubei border. It is not far from a township formerly named 蒲圻 Puqi; in 1998 the name was offially changed to Red Cliff Town (赤壁鎮 Chibi Zhen) to bolster its claims, and a tourist site has been built here. Available online photographs of the cliff here may suggest that this location has more in common with the paintings than does Dongpo's Chibi (see previous footnote), but more panoramic photographs would also show the paintings to have been very fanciful. (See, for example, the first image on
this website;
translation.)
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6.
Red Cliff Battle
(Wikipedia)
The battle was fought during the winter of 208-9 (i.e., 874 years before 1082, when Su Dongpo is thought to have written Chibi Fu), shortly after the Viceroy of Wu 周瑜 Zhou Yu (175-210) had married one of the daughters of Qiao Xuan
(Wiki). At the battle Zhou, with some assistance from the soon to be famous strategist Zhuge Liang of Shu, combined to stop an attack by Cao Cao of Wei. Most famously they used a ruse suggested by 黃蓋 Huang Gai: he would pretend to surrender, and sail several boats secretly filled with incendiary devices into Cao Cao's massed fleet, then set them ablaze. In the battle Zhou Yu was wounded by an arrow; he survived but his death the following year was apparently due to infection from the wound. There is quite a bit of information on the internet about this battle.
Red Cliff: the film score (and guqin "duet"; see also Qin in film)
The battle at Red Cliff was the focus of a 2008 film called Red Cliff (see, for example, Answers and Wikipedia; the original film is in two parts, each over 2 hours long, of which I have seen only the first). In the film, when
Zhou Yu and
Zhuge Liang together decide to oppose Cao Cao, they show their likemindedness by successfully playing a qin duet together. The music they play largely comes from repeating certain particularly flashy phrases from the melodies Guangling San and the modern Liu Shui apparently as played by 趙家珍 Zhao Jiazhen (at writing it can be seen here and elsewhere on YouTube). For this music the credits say only "中國古琴作曲唐建平 Chinese zither composer Tang Jianping", with no mention of the actual player, suggesting perhaps Tang recorded (or took existing recordings of) individual passages (on a single nylon/metal or composite string qin), then himself put the bits together electronically. The film also has a passage with eerie music played in Japanese noh flute style. Otherwise, although the film seems with its costumes and story to be trying to give a semblance of historical accuracy, the film score, by Taro Iwashiro, has virtually no Chinese flavor; even the qin is treated as though it would have been better off as a 19th century Western instrument. It is disconcerting to read some online comments on the score by people who clearly would find it odd if the characters wore Western clothing for a Chinese period movie, but seem to have no problem with the film's apparent allergy to Chinese music traditions.
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7.
Other famous Red Cliff paintings
For several examples in New York's Metropolitan Museum, including two from Japan, search the museum website for "red cliff". For the Latter Red Cliff Rhapsody see next footnote.
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8.
Nelson Atkins Scroll: 喬仲常 Qiao Zhongchang (n.d.), Latter Red Cliff Rhapsody (ca. 1123 CE)
This long scroll in the collection of the Nelson-Atkins Museum, Kansas City, specifically refers to the Latter Red Cliff Rhapsody, and so there is further discussion with this site's page about that melody.
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9.
Tracing various versions of Chibi Fu
(tracing chart)
The chart is based largely on three entries in Zha Guide, as indicated
below.
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10.
Translations of the Red Cliff Rhapsodies
There are many online translations, often not identifying the translator. Printed translations include:
See also this translation of the former rhapsody accompanying a calligraphy scroll.
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11.
Original preface
The Chinese original is as follows:
12.
晁補之 Chao Buzhi (1053-1110; Renditions; sometimes transliterated Zhao Buzhi)
14239.2 "宋鉅野人,字无咎...." Chao was a Song dynasty scholar-official from Juye (in Shandong), style name Wujiu. He was a friend and protégée of Su Dongpo. His writings included a 琴趣外篇 Qin Qu Waipian.
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13.
Original lyrics of Qian Chibi Fu (also see the accompanying melody
Hou Chibi Fu)
In Taigu Yiyin the Chinese lyrics, which pair Su Dongpo's original poem (including the introduction) to the qin tablature using the standard method, are not clearly divided into sections. However, later versions seem to suggest arranging them into varying numbers of sections. The following shows a 10 section division, as above, largely following the sectioning of 1585 and 1596):
See also the translation.
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14.
Poem about a bright moon
The phrase here, 「誦明月之詩, 歌窈窕之章。」 is generally said to be a reference to Shi Jing poem #143 陳風 Airs of Chen, The Moon Emerges, the first verse of which is:
The poem compares the beauty of the moon to that of a young lady. However, it uses neither the full expression 月明 nor 窈窕.
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15.
The northern sky
The phrase here, 「鬥、牛之間。 Between the bean and the ox」, names stars or constellations roughly corresponding to the Big Dipper and Capricorn, both in the north.
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16.
A poem by Cao Mengde
Cao Mengde is 曹操 Cao Cao, 155 - 220). These lines can be found in the first of two ballads called 短歌行 Duan Ge Xing he is said to have written after the Red Cliff battle; the following lines seem to be from another poem, but their source has not been identified.
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Appendix:
There is further comment above. Here the chart is based mainly on the first two of the three related entries in
Guide:
The comments about relationships between the melodies are tentative based on brief examinations; note also that pieces with different tunings sometimes are still related melodically.
Chart Tracing 前、後赤壁賦 Qian and Hou Chibi Fu
前赤壁賦 Qian Chibi Fu
14/152/283
後赤壁賦 Hou Chibi Fu
14/153/285
赤壁賦 Chibi Fu
28/--/--
The third of these does not list any not already listed in the first two.
琴譜
(year; QQJC Vol/page) |
Further information
(QQJC = 琴曲集成 Qinqu Jicheng; QF = 琴府 Qin Fu) |
1a. 黃士達太古遺音
(1515; I/328) |
1; Qian Chibi Fu (details); not in
1511
Standard tuning but no mode name given |
1b. 黃士達太古遺音
(1515; I/330) |
1; Hou Chibi Fu (further); not in 1511
Standard tuning but no mode name given |
2a. 風宣玄品
(1539; II/265) |
1; Qian Chibi Fu; same lyrics but different music from 1511;
Grouped with zhi mode but tuning seems to be huangzhong, as in 1589 |
2b. 風宣玄品
(1539; II/269) |
1; Hou Chibi Fu; same lyrics but different music from 1511;
Grouped with zhi mode but tuning seems to be huangzhong (not in 1589) |
3a. 重修真傳琴譜
(1585; IV/372) |
8T; Qian Chibi Fu; grouped with shang mode
Same lyrics, different music from previous |
3b. 重修真傳琴譜
(1585; IV/374) |
6T; Hou Chibi Fu; grouped with shang mode
Same lyrics, different music from previous |
4. 玉梧琴譜
(1589; VI/83) |
7; "Chibi Fu", only Former; ruibin mode;
Another new melody |
5.
真傳正宗琴譜
(1589; VII/130) |
11T; Qian Chibi Fu; Huangzhong mode (1 3 5 6 1 2 3); no Hou Chibi Fu
Almost same as 1539 (散抹六,勾五,跳七,大九勾四....") but divides into sections |
. 真傳正宗琴譜
(1609; Fac/) |
Should be same as 1589
|
6. 文會堂琴譜
(1596; VI/210) |
10; Qian Chibi Fu; grouped with shang mode
|
7. 藏春塢琴譜
(1602; VI/425) |
7; "Chibi Fu" but only Former; ruibin: copy of 1589
|
8. 陽春堂琴譜
(1611; VII/--) |
11TL; Qian Chibi Fu; Raise 5th, lower 1st tuning;
missing;
Compare 1589 (lyrics same; adds section titles) (太古正音欽佩) |
9.
理性元雅
(1618; VIII/261) |
11; Qian Chibi Fu; Huangzhong; related to
1589
|
10. 自遠堂琴譜
(1802; XVII/538) |
8; Qian Chibi Fu; zhi diao gong yin but raise 5th, lower 1st;
Related to 1589 |
11. 裛露軒琴譜
(>1802; XIX/119) |
11T; Qian Chibi Fu; Huangzhong;
"1589", but without the lyrics |
12. 琴學軔端
(1828; XX/437) |
5, unnumbered; Hou Chibi Fu; huangzhong mode; difficult to read;
section 1-4 breaks as 1585 but different music; Seems to start, "泛起,大七勾三,勾四,抹跳五,中七勾一,大七托五...." |