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42. Old Toper's Chant
1
- Shang mode, standard tuning:2 5 6 1 2 3 5 6, but played as 1 2 4 5 6 1 2 |
醉翁吟
Zui Weng Yin Calligraphy for Zui Weng Cao3 (details) |
Melodies with the titles Zui Weng Yin (Old Toper's Chant) and Zui Weng Cao (Old Toper's Melody), survive in at least six known versions.4 However, all these melodies are different from the one here in Fengxuan Xuanpin (1539). Fengxuan Xuanpin also has the earliest surviving musical setting of the lyrics found here. These lyrics are a poem attributed to Su Shi (Su Dongpo, 1037-1101).5 The Old Toper was Su Dongpo's mentor, the equally famous Ouyang Xiu (1007-1072). The poetic meter (ci pai) called Zui Weng Cao has the same structure as this poem.
Earlier, Ouyang Xiu had written first An Account of the Old Toper' Pavilion,6 then a poem called the Old Toper's Chant.7 The first referred to a pavilion at his estate by the Langya mountains, near Chuzhou in eastern Anhui province, about 100 km northwest of Nanjing.8
In the preface to Old Toper's Chant, Ouyang Xiu says that after he wrote An Account of the Old Toper' Pavilion, the scholar Shen Zun9 was inspired to go walking in the surrouding area. He loved the landscape there so much that when he returned he composed a qin melody in three sections describing it, called Old Toper's Chant. The following autumn Shen and Ouyang met again. Under the influence of wine Shen played the melody again and music so moved Ouyang that he then created lyrics for it.
Over thirty years later Su Shi wrote his own poem about the pavilion. From his preface (see below) it seems that the melody of Shen Zun was either lost or had changed, because Su Shi says the reason he wrote new lyrics was that the existing qin melody did not match Ouyang Xiu's lyrics. He adds that his version follows tablature written by a famous qin player from Lu Shan named Cui Xian.10
Su Shi's preface is as follows,11
Ten years later the marvel-loving scholar Shen Zun heard of it and traveled there. He used his qin to describe the sounds, and called the melody Zuiweng Cao. The rhythm was exceptional and the music from the fingering was splendid. Qin connoisseurs considered it incomparable. However, although there was now music, it had no words.
Although the Old (Toper) has written a song (of this title), it does not match (Shen Zun's) qin melody. In addition, using the model of the Chu Ci to write (lyrics for the Shen Zun's) Zuiweng Yin, well-meaning people have written melodies in accord with his lyrics; but although these roughly match the modal requirements, and the qin sounds are bound to the lyrics, they do not appear natural.
(Now), over 30 years later, the Old (Toper) has already passed on, and (Shen) Zun is also long deceased. (However), there is a Jade Torrent Daoist Cui Xian of Lu Shan who is especially good at the qin. Hating the fact that this melody has no lyrics, he has written down tablature for the sounds and asked me, Dongpo Jushi, to append (lyrics). These are as follows...."
(For the lyrics see Melody and Lyrics, below).
The second surviving melody with this title,12 the Zui Weng Yin in Longhu Qinpu (1571), is the only version with an introductory preface. It says that the melody expresses a joyful inebriation,13 and adds a few other poetic comments, but says nothing of the origin. It might be noted here that, although both the Fengxuan Xuanpin and the Longhu Qinpu versions are said to be in shang mode, the former actually seems to use jue mode, and to modern ears the latter melody seems more joyful.14
Qinyuan Yaolu, a collection of qin essays printed in the Yuan dynasty, includes Zuiweng Yin in its list of old melodies. It also has an intriguing essay on qin rhythm, describing for its example what it says is a melody for Su Dongpo's Zuiweng Cao.15 It is possible that this essay could be used to help reconstruct the rhythm of the melody originally applied to these lyrics.16 Unfortunately, the Qinyuan Yaolu article includes no music, and does not specifically identify the actual version of Zuiweng Cao under consideration. And I have not been able to apply its principles to any of the surviving qin versions of the melody.17
A poem by Huang Tingjian called Auspicious Crane Immortal (Rui He Xian), which also concerns the Old Toper's Pavilion, is set for qin in a handbook surviving in Japan.
Original preface
None18
Melody and Lyrics (1539 & 1571;
transcriptions,
audio recording and two videos for students)
19
(1539 does not divide the piece, but later versions have two untitled sections, in accord with the lyrics. On the linked recordings, both the
audio recording and one of the two videos for students, I play and sing first the 1539 setting then play and sing the 1571 setting. With the 1539 setting the voice can closely follow the melody; with the 1571 setting the melody leaps around so I level the vocal line through octave transpositions.
無言，惟翁醉中知其天。
Wú yán, wéi wēng zuì zhōng zhī qí tiān.
There are no words, only an old man who when drunk knows of heaven.
月明，風露娟娟，人未眠。
Yuè míng, fēng lù juān juān, rén wèi mián.
The moon is bright, the wind (causes the) dew to shimmer, people are not yet asleep.
荷蕢過山前，
Hé kuì guò shān qián,
A carrier of baskets passing the front of the hill
曰﹕有心也哉此賢。
Yuē﹕yǒu xīn yě zāi cǐ xián.
Says, "He has great feelings, does this worthy person."
1.
Old Toper's Chant (醉翁吟 Zui Weng Yin
40778.64 醉翁吟 zui weng yin: "name of a qin song, by 沈遵
Shen Zun of the Song dynasty"
(lyrics below); it then quotes a passage in Dongpo Bieji describing it and giving the attribution to Shen Zun. "Zui Weng Yin" might also be translated as "Old Toper's Intonation".
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2.
Shang mode 商調
For more on shang mode see
Shenpin Shang Yi.
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3.
Old Toper's Melody (醉翁操 Zuiweng Cao)
"Zuiweng Cao" might also be translated as "Old Toper's Lament"; this is the title of the setting of these lyrics in Japan.
40778.68 醉翁操 zui weng cao: originally a qin melody, then later the name of a 詞牌 cipai poetic rhythm; it quotes the story given here. The calligraphy is discussed on a
separate page. The structure can be seen by examining the original lyrics, below.
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4.
Tracing Zui Weng Yin
Six distinct melodies listed on two entries in Zha's Guide: 16/--/362 (4 pieces that follow the ci structure) and 27/--/418 (2 pieces that do not). Page references are to Qinqu Jicheng.
An examination of these versions shows the following.
金徽一曲，響振林巒，
長空秋淨，一霎天風颯然。
泉細流兮娟娟，葉翻飛兮珊珊，
行雲兮不前。
淒淸悲啼猿，宛轉舞飛鸞，
但無知者惟自憐。
The melody is clearly a version of Liang Xiao Yin. However, it is just different enough (particularly during an expansion in the second half) that its lyrics cannot be sung either to the original 1614 version or to the version still played today.
(The Japanese handbooks have only qin songs. Japanese also studied the 松絃館琴譜 Songxianguan Qinpu (1614; QQJC, VIII), but that handbook has no melodies with lyrics.
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5.
See Melody and Lyrics.
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6.
An Account of the Old Toper's Pavilion (醉翁亭記 Zuiweng Ting Ji)
40778.66 醉翁亭記 Zuiweng Ting Ji describes the essay; compare Ouyang Xiu's Zuiweng Yin (next). Translations include those in Stephen Owen, An Anthology of Chinese Literature, p.613; and Victor Mair, The Columbia Anthology of Traditional Chinese Literature, p.590. Online translations include this one. The original text can be found
here and elsewhere.
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7.
Ouyang Xiu's poem Old Toper's Chant (醉翁吟 Zuiweng Yin)
For 40778.64 醉翁吟 see above. Also translated Old Toper's Intonation, this poem by Ouyang Xiu can be found in his complete works, as follows. Unlike with Zuiweng Ting Ji, I have not yet found a translation, so have had to attempt my own, as follows.
Old Toper's Chant (with a preface dated first year of Jiayou)
(Preface)
It begins, "(After) I wrote Zuiweng Ting (Zuiweng Ting Ji?) in Chuzhou, the Erudite of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices Shen Zun, a quite remarkable person, heard of it and took a trip there. Loving its environs, he returned used his qin to describe it, writing Old Toper's Chant, three verses. Then last autumn...." (see summary)
(Lyrics)
When the Old (Dotard) first arrived, beasts saw him and deeply hid, birds saw him and high they flew.
The Old (Dotard) sober went out, drunk he returned.
At dawn he was sober, at sunset drunk; the four seasons were all the same.
Birds called, enjoying their forests; beasts came out, wandering in their streams.
"Yiying, zhaozha" (they call out) in front of the Old (Dotard).
When drunk he loses awareness that those with human emotions cannot be like those who have none.
When there is coming together there must also be separating.
The streams flow on: the Old (Toper) suddenly leaves without looking back.
The mountains provide solitude: the Old (Toper) will return when he can.
The breeze wafts gently: mountain trees lose their leaves.
Spring comes every year: mountain grass then flourishes.
Alas! I have no virtue among other people.
I have feelings for the mountain birds and wild deer.
Worthy indeed is Master Shen. He is the one who can describe my feelings and comfort our mutual longing.
Here is the original Chinese, first the preface then the poem:
醉翁吟（並序嘉祐元年）
餘作醉翁亭於滁州，太常博士沈遵，好奇之士也，聞而往遊焉。愛其山水，歸而以琴寫之，作《醉翁吟》三疊。去年秋，餘奉使契丹，沈君會余恩冀之間。
夜闌酒半，援琴而作之，有其聲而無其辭，乃為之辭以贈之。其辭曰：
始翁之來，獸見而深伏，鳥見而高飛。
8.
Old Toper's Pavilion (醉翁亭 Zuiweng Ting)
9.
沈遵 Shen Zun
10.
Cui Xian 崔閑
11.
From 蘇軾詩集合注 The Annotated Collected Poems of Su Shi, pp.2483-4:
12.
See footnote above.
13.
"龍湖曰按。 是曲沈酣醁醞 。放志林泉。鼓之令人（？）心勢利之私。猶懷憂世之意。"
14.
This is my own feeling and also the reaction of people who have heard me play these two versions.
15.
琴苑要彔 Qinyuan Yaolu. See the chapter 節奏 Rhythm, which begins on page 29b of the photocopy edition.
16.
Essay on Rhythm in Qinyuan Yaolu
v v v v v v v v v v (? I did not fully understand this)
This does seem to accord with a possible reading of the article, and Wells supported his interpretation as follows (see also the original text of the poem, below).
Unfortunately, the isorhythm goes completely against any possible grammatical phrasing of either poem, and in particular it ignores both the parallel structures in Ouyang Xiu's poem, and the fact that the structure he used was (or became) a ci pattern. It also does not accord with any rhythms naturally implied by the fingering of the version here in Fengxuan Xuanpin.
17.
See footnote 3 above. Perhaps an as yet undiscovered melody might fulfill these requirements. However, the rhythmic structures of the poems by Ouyang Xiu and Su Shi are so completely different that it would be extremely difficult to make one musical composition that could naturally accompany both.
18.
Preface
19.
歐陽修，醉翁吟歌詞 Original Chinese lyrics (English)
The original lyrics alone for both 1539 and 1571 are thus as follows (each line ends with a rhyme):
翁醒而往兮，醉而歸。
朝醒、暮醉兮，無有四時。
鳥鳴樂其林。獸出遊其溪。
咿嚶、啁哳，於翁前兮。
醉不知有情不能以無情兮，
有合必有離。
水潺潺兮，翁忽去而不顧。
山岑岑兮，翁復來而幾時？
煖爙鶪慼，山木落。
春年年兮，山草菲。
嗟！我無德於其人兮。
有情於山禽與野麋。
賢哉沈子兮。能寫我心而慰彼相思。
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40778.65 醉翁亭 Zuiweng Ting says the pavilion at 琅琊
Langya (also written 瑯琊 and 琅玡) southeast of 滁州 Chuzhou had been made for Ouyang Xiu by the monk 智遷 Zhi Qian. Today there is a park here, with a relatively recent pavilion with this name. Here I found a set of scrolls with Su Dongpo's poem.
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bio.xxx; but see biographical notes in Qinshi Bu
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Cui Xian, the Jade Torrent Daoist, is discussed in Xu Jian,
Chapter 6A (p.87). Xu Jian says he played over 30 qin melodies and also wrote (transcribed?) Zuiweng Yin.
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At the 1998 CHIME conference in Prague Marnix Wells presented a paper trying to connect the poems by Ouyang Xiu and later Su Dongpo, discussed above. Wells suggested that comments by Yi Hai in the Qinyuan Yaolu essay prescribed an isorhythm of 13 beats:
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None of the surviving qin melodies has a preface.
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For both the tablature and lyrics, the first line in 1539 (II/168) and all of 1571 (QF/232) have no punctuation. After the first line the 1539 punctuation follows that of the standard ci structure for Zuiweng Cao, but my understanding of the melodic phrasing in the first line required me to change one punctuation mark from that standard ci structure; the changed punctuation is from after "山" to two characters earlier, after "響".
| 琅然清圓，誰彈響空山？ | 4,5 | ( 9 [ci: 4,3]) | |
| 無言，惟翁醉中知其天。 | 2,7 | ( 9 [ci: 4,7]) | |
| 月明，風露娟娟，人未眠。 | 2,4,3 | ( 9) | |
| 荷蕢過山前， | 5 | ( 5) | |
| 曰﹕有心也哉此賢。 | 7 | ( 7; total for verse: 39) | |
| 醉翁嘯詠，聲和流泉。 | 4,4 | ( 8) | |
| 醉翁去後，空有朝禽、夜猿。 | 4,6 | (10) | |
| 山有時而童顛，水有時而回川， | 6,6 | (12) | |
| 思翁無歲年。 | 5 | ( 5) | |
| 翁今為飛仙，此意在人間﹕ | 5,5 | (10) | |
| 試聽徽外三兩絃。 | 7 | ( 7; total for verse: 52; total for poem: 91) |
The result gives music that flows freely, following a pattern that complements the meaning of the lyrics very well.
By contrast, the 1676 setting from Japan has the same lyrics but punctuates them following the normal standard; it also adds an extra verse at the end. For this version I have made a transcription, I have so far failed to be able to give the lyrics a rhythm that similarly fits the ci pattern and also complements the meaning.
As for the later versions (1682 and 1687) that set different lyrics to this ci pattern, this one from 1686 has the same word count, and each line still ends with a rhyme, but the count in the first two lines is again different. The original is as follows:
| 曾傳成連淸彈，淼千年難言， | 6,5 | (11 [ci: 4,3]) | |
| 誰畱此曲於人間。 | 7 | ( 7 [ci: 4,7]) | |
| 惟君能繼前賢，風月間， | 6,3 | ( 9) | |
| 荷蕢過山前， | 5 | ( 5) | |
| 便時時抱琴往還。 | 7 | ( 7; total for verse: 39) | |
| 金徽一曲，響振林巒， | 4,4 | ( 8) | |
| 長空秋淨，一霎天風颯然。 | 4,6 | (10) | |
| 泉細流兮娟娟，葉翻飛兮珊珊， | 6,6 | (12) | |
| 行雲兮不前。 | 5 | ( 5) | |
| 淒淸悲啼猿，宛轉舞飛鸞， | 5,5 | (10) | |
| 但無知者惟自憐。 | 7 | ( 7; total for verse: 52; total for poem: 91) |
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