Han Huang / Han Gao
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Han Huang / Han Gao
- Qin Shi #123
韓滉、韓皋 1
琴史 #123 2

Han Huang and even more so his son Han Gao were important qin players in the 8th century.

Han Huang (723 - 787), style name Taichong, was from Chang An. He was a son of 韓休 Han Xiu, who had become Chief Minister in 733. Han Huang himself became chancellor; traditional history praises him as frugal and moral, but adds that he was also sometimes too harsh and cruel.

Han Gao (746 - 824), style name Zhongwen, son of Han Huang, has a long story told here about him in connection with the melody Guangling San. This is also discussed by Shen Gua; see QSDQ Folio 17, #23.

Rao Zongyi, Section 6, cites his Discussing Guangling Melody Taking a Rest (論廣陵散止息 Lun Guangling San Zhixi).

The original Qin Shi essay begins as follows.

Han Huang, style name Taichong, was a son of Han Xiu, (Chief Minister) during the Kaiyuan period. As a youth he was famous for his beauty, and all who hung out with him were gay and refined. He loved playing the qin and studied the calligraphy of Minister Zhang until he learned his brush techniques, painting with his fellow clansman 幹相埒 Gan Xiangle....(nothing more about him in connection to qin.

His son, Han Gao, style name Zhongwen, also had the skills of a great courtier, becoming Vice Director on the Left. He spent his life understanding musical sound and often said, after all these years.... (speaks of hearing Zhi Xi and sighing about its beauty, made by Xi Kang.)

Incomplete.

 
Footnotes (Shorthand references are explained on a separate page)

1. Father and son

44126.292 韓滉 Han Huang (723 - 787), style name 太沖 Taichong
See Wiki

44126.226 韓皋 Han Gao (746 - 824), style name 仲聞 Zhongwen;...
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2. Original Chinese
The original text, in 20 lines, is as follows (compare here):

"韓皋,字太沖,開元宰相休之子也。幼有美名。所與遊皆天下豪俊。好鼓琴,學張長史書,得其筆法。畫興宗人幹相垺。嘗言:「不能定筆,不可論書畫。」以非急務,故自晦其迹。人罕知也。晚以鎮海節度觀察二淛。強肄苛慘雖有功。不能掩其過云。
子(韓)皋,字仲聞。亦有大臣器,位至左僕射。生知音律。常曰:長年後,不願聽樂。以門內事多逆知之。聞鼓琴至止息,歎曰:美哉,嵇康之為是曲。其當晉魏之際乎。其音主商,商為秋。秋者,天將搖落肅殺。其歲之要乎。晉承金運。商又金聲。此所以知魏之季而晉將代也。緩其商弦與官同音。臣奪君之義。知司馬氏之將篡也。王陵母丘儉文欽諸葛誕繼為揚州都督。咸謀興復。皆為司馬懿父子所殺。康為揚州故廣陵地。陵等皆魏大臣。故名其曲曰《廣陵散》,言魏亡自廣陵始。上急者。晉雖暴興,終止息於此。哀憤躁蹙憯痛迫脅之音,盡在於是矣,永嘉之亂其應兆此乎。康避晉魏之禍,托以鬼神也。以傳後世知音耳。蓋廣陵之作。叔夜寓深意於其間。故其將死。猶恨不傳。後之人,雖粗得其音,而不知其意,更歷千載而後得韓皋。可以無憾矣。然叔夜知魏晉之禍,而不知身之禍,命矣夫!或云,叔夜傳廣陵於杜夔之子,蓋與論樂耳,非授此曲也。

Not yet translated.
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