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Qinyuan Xinchuan Quanbian Complete Edition of Transmitted Qin Legacy 1 Compiled during 1637-1668

琴苑心傳全編二十卷 First published 1670 First page: preface by "孔興爕" 2

The original Qinyuan Xinchuan Quanbian had 20 folios, the first eight folios having various essays while folios 9-20 had the qin melodies. To make the QQJC edition five known copies were consulted:

• 渝圖本（重慶市圖書館藏本）Yu Volume, from the Chongqing Library)
• 趙本（無錫趙鴻雪藏本）Zhao Volume, then owned by Zha Hongxue of Wuxi
• 吳本（紹興吳振平藏本）Wu Volume, then owned by Wu Zhenping of Shaoxing
• 周本（上海周子沐藏本）Zhou Volume, then owned by Zhou Zimu of Shanghai
• 音研本（中國藝術研究院音樂研究所藏本）Music Research Volume, in the collection of what was then called the Music Research Bureau of the Chinese Arts Research Institute.

Of these the Yu (Chongqing) Volume ("main edition") was the most complete, so it was printed as is in QQJC (XI 211-460). To this (461-527) is then added an appendix with parts they had that were not in the main edition.

The result is that the main edition has 78 melodies, but the appendix then has 27 additional melodies from the four other editions. Of these, 20 appear in the main edition, thus adding seven additional titles to give the handbook 85 different melody titles in all. It shoudl be noted, though, that some of the 20 repeated titles have tablatures quite different from those in the main section.

Almost of all of the 85 melody titles can be found in earlier handbooks, the three new titles being:

• 松下觀濤 Songxia Guan Tao (XI/372)
      Here, 1677, 1705, 1766, 1802, 1876 & 1899
• 來鳳引 Lai Feng Yin (XI/374)
      Here and 1876
• 萬壑松濤 Wanhuo Song Tao (XI/404)
      Here, 1739 & 1876

Although these three titles appear here first, they may actually have once been included in earlier handbooks that are now lost.

The general attribution of this work is to 孔興誘 Kong Xingyou of Shandong; this is the name as written in Qinshi Xu, Qinshu Cunmu and in various places in the handbook (see image with the Table of Contents).

In Qinqu Jicheng, however, his name is given as 孔興爕 Kong Xingxie, the name of the person who wrote the preface in the image here, and he is said to be a 66th generation descendant of Confucius. The middle name 興 Xing suggests that these are two members of the same generation. However, both names are connected to the same style name, 起正 Qizheng, and nickname 秀子 Xiuzi, suggesting they are one and the same person.³

Zha adds that Kong and his group collected many old melodies. The differing versions of some melodies, mentioned above, points to the complexity of the task they had undertaken. The wide differences between the same piece as copied in two editions, plus this comment on how it apparently copied Shen Qi Mi Pu melodies, both suggest that differences come from using different editions rather than from editing the ones they found. The work is said to have begun in 1637 and continued until 1668.

Zha's commentary says that at first this work had a different title, 琴苑大雅全編 Qinyuan Daya Quanbian. Later it was quite well-known and highly respected, often referred to simply as 琴苑 Qin Yuan. Seventeen of its versions were included in Tianwen Ge Qinpu.

 
Footnotes (Shorthand references are explained on a separate page)

1. Complete Edition of Transmitted Qin Legacy (Qinyuan Xinchuan Quanbian 琴苑心傳全編) (QQJC XI/209-527))
The QQJC edition was compiled from various sources. One of the editions is is included online with the World Digital Classics (tablature begins on p.194 of 372; compare XI/319).
(Return)

2. First page: preface by 孔興爕 Kong Xingxie (expand)
Copied from QQJC XI/211. Compare commentary by 孔興誘 Kong Xingyou with the first melody,
(Return)

3. 孔興誘 Kong Xingyou and 孔興爕 Kong Xingxie
7077.314 only 孔興泰xxx
(Return)

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