The 12 melodies that precede her composition were apparently selected as being good ones for developing the technique she needed to play her own composition. However, whereas her melody uses huangzhong tuning, the others all use standard tuning. In addition, hers is the only melody that includes lyrics (details).

The 12 pieces in the main section (see the Table of Contents) can be grouped as follows:

• The only known version of three melodies (the title of one of these can be found earlier but the melody is unrelated);
• The earliest known version of at least two further pieces, one of these being Oulu Wangji, still popular today;
• Versions of seven melodies that can be found in earlier handbooks.

After these melodies there is an afterword by "Ceremonial Companion" Liu Dongju.⁷ However, there is no specific commentary on any of the individual melodies.

The appendix begins with with a preface by Shen Yingwen.⁸ After this is Madame Zhong's own composition, mentioned above. Then the handbook ends with an afterword by Li Ledun⁹ of Wuxing (Zhejiang, north of Hangzhou?).

The handbook is well printed, and seems to have few errors in tablature.

 
Footnotes (Shorthand references are explained on a separate page)

1. 思齋堂琴譜 Sizhaitang Qinpu (QQJC IX/1-95)
10734.246 only 思齋 Sizhai: nickname of various people, none relevant.
(Return)

2. Image: Madame Zhong's Lament
The opening page of a song she is said to have written, called Heartfelt Words on Going Through Bitterness (歷苦衷言 Li Ku Zhong Yan; 22 verses)
(Return)

3. Madame Zhong, a concubine of Prince Zhao of Chong
The only personal information I have found about her other than that she was a widow of Prince Zhao of Chong is that her family name was 鍾 Zhong and she came from 董村 Dong Village (32204.xxx). She is not in the female players section of Qinshi Xu. Regarding the Prince Zhao of Chong (崇昭王妃 8330.xxx; Bio/xxx), he was apparently 朱常__ Zhu Chang__ (last character is water radical plus 水 over 聿), who died in 1602 (14779.xxx; a cousin in the same generation as .515 朱常淓 Zhu Changfang?) The preface in Qinqu Jicheng Vol. 9 makes no effort to identify either her or the prince.
(Return)

4. Qin handbooks attributed to women
Although Sizhaitang Qinpu is the only handbook in Zha's Guide attributed to a women, the later edition of Qinqu Jicheng includes at least one more, Meihuaxianguan Qinpu.
(Return)

5. Preface by Madame Zhong
The title seems to be 題重鐫琴譜引 Drawing on the theme of re-engraving this qin handbook.
(Return)

6. Heartfelt Words on Going Through Bitterness (歷苦衷言 Li Ku Zhong Yan)
According to the Zha Guide entry, this qin song by 崇昭王妃鍾氏 Ms. Zhong, a concubine of Prince Zhao of Chong (8330.xxx), survives only in her own handbook (1620; see QQJC IX/71). The autobiographical lyrics include a vow to be a chaste widow. The tuning/mode is 黃鐘調 huangzhong diao (1 3 5 6 1 2 3 ). It is probably not coincidental that this mode has also been used for other songs by women lamenting their fate, most famously Hujia Shibapai.

Lyrics not yet translated.
(Return)

7. "Ceremonial Companion" Liu Dongju
儀賓劉東聚 (Bio/xxx)
(Return)

8. 沈應聞 Shen Yingwen
(Bio/xxx)
(Return)

9. Afterword by Le Ledun
南京尚寶寺卿吳興李樂頓首謹跋 ; Li Ledun (Bio/xxx; 15829.xxx ;"李東 Li Dong"?; Bio/xxx.
(Return)

Table of Contents for Sizhaitang Qinpu

• Prefaces (IX/1)
• 指法要論 Important explanation of fingering (IX/4)
• 琴譜目錄 Table of Contents (IX/16)
  ToC does not include the last melody; all listed melodies are in standard tuning.

1. 洞天春曉 Dongtian Chunxiao (18 sections; from 1602; IX/17)
2. 圯橋進履 Yi Qiao Jin Lü (7; from 1539; IX/27)
3. 鷗鷺忘機 Oulu Wang Ji (3; earliest surviving example of the modern version; IX/29)
4. 秋思 Qiu Si (8; earliest of 3; IX/31)
5. 秋月昭茅亭 Qiu Yue Zhao Maoting (12; only here - unrelated to 1425; IX/34)
6. 靜樂吟 Jing Yue Yin (1; only here; IX/40)
7. 蒼梧怨 Cangwu Yuan (15; from 1525; IX/41)
8. 碧玉吟 Biyu Yin (5; only here - unrelated to Biyu Yi; IX/46)
9. 漁歌 Yu Ge (18; from 1525; IX/49)
10. 渭濱吟 Weibin Yin (14; from 1539; IX/57)
11. 漢宮秋 Han Gong Qiu (14; from 1589; IX/58)
12. 水龍吟 Shui Long Yin (4; from 1589; IX/64)

13. 歷苦衷言 Li Ku Zhong Yan (22; only here; IX/71)
    Madame Zhong's own composition (further details)

    Afterword (IX/93-95)

Return to the annotated handbook list or to the Guqin ToC.