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Handbook List | 聽錄音 Recordings: 黃鶯吟 Golden Oriole / 調意 modal preludes 首頁 |
Shilin Guangji
1
A Comprehensive Record of Affairs, compiled by Chen Yuanjing2 |
事林廣記
1269 |
A general introduction is below; here is
an annotated but partial translation
Pages 1 and 2 of Shilin Guangji are shown at right: The first column, at upper right, says, "New edition with edited added images and for Shilin Guangji Folio 4."3 |
pp. 1 & 2 of Shilin Guangji QQJC
I/17 :
above: title and two introductory essays below: qin diagram / Confucius at Xing Tan |
Next column (in large type) "文藝類、琴 Wen Yi Lei" (Literature and Arts Category [of the Shilin Guangji; 1269 CE]), Qin section"
(Next column:) 琴譜總說 General comments on Qin-related material
5
Here there are three short essays (the rest of the top half of the illustration at right plus the first three columns at the bottom; compare this with the same in Taiyin Daquanji, Folio 5, Part 1):
This is the method of making qin.
Use wood based on yin and yang, selecting it based on how (the pieces) complement each other, so that they provide harmony. Tong wood is yang so it should be used for the top board; zi is yin so it should be used for the bottom board. The top is round, like the sky, the bottom is flat, like the earth. The length is 3 chi and 6 cun, like the 360 days days (of the year). The 13 harmonic markers (hui) correspond to the (12) music tones and 12 months, with the middle marker as the master, much like an intercalary month. Of old the Qin had only five strings to correspond with the five tones.
The Zhou period added two strings, called the wen string and the wu string, thus making seven strings. As some people of Wu were burning wood for cooking,
Cai Yong heard the sound of fire crackling and knew (the wood) was good material, so he asked if he could use it to make a qin. The result was that had a beautiful sound though the tail was scorched. As a result it was called the "Scorched Tail Qin".
The rest of the page has the two illustrations at right (I/17, bottom)
This nine page qin section from Qinqu Jicheng (I/17-21) has been numbered here for convenient reference.
Whenever playing qin use harmony and expression as techniques, clarity and elegance as innate principles....
(Translation incomplete; the complete original text from here in Shilin Guangji, as given below, is almost the same as that of this passage in Taiyin Daquanji.)
Page 3 of Shilin Guangji:
finger technique explanations, as follows:11 (I/18)
(see upper half of image from QQJC I/18 at right) |
pp. 3 & 4 of Shilin Guangji, QQJC
I/18 :
above: finger techiques; below: qin tablature |
Page 4 (and 5-7) of Shilin Guangji: Tablature for the qin melodies12
(Shilin Guangji has one 開指 kaizhi and five 調意 diaoyi)
(see the lower half of image from QQJC I/18 at right)
First, here is an outline:
Details from pages 4 to 7 of Shilin Guangji
This concerns the bottom half of the previous image at right as well as the three pages directly at right. |
pp. 5 - 7 of Shilin Guangji, QQJC
I/19-20a :
Rest of the tablature for all melodies |
Golden Oriole and the Five Modal Preludes
These pages (4 to 7) contain the only tablature in this book. The full title of "Golden Oriole" is "開指黃鶯吟 Kaizhi Huang Ying Yin": "Opening Fingering Golden Oriole"; this marks it as a sort of melodic prelude. And although the titles of Section 4, Numbers 2 through 6 each gives only a mode name, clearly these are all modal preludes (diaoyi). Modal preludes generally served a group of melodies in that mode. This may be the only difference between them and kaizhi, which seem to have been preludes to specific melodies (as here with Golden Oriole). Unlike in Taiyin Daquanji, there are no lists here of melodies associated with the five diaoyi.
Tablature for Golden Oriole only survives from the present handbook, and the five modal preludes here are all quite different from those included in any other handbooks, including the other surviving Song dynasty collection, the five modal preludes found in the Qin tablature section of Taiyin Daquanji. All six melodies are short, especially Golden Oriole and there are recordings for all linked below,
'The swallow harmonises with the oriole' is a form of love-play, for which another metaphor is 'The oriole is randy and the butterfly plucks.' A 'floating oriole' (the Chinese word liu-ying suggests rather 'wandering oriole') is a prostitute: prostitutes were often singing girls into the bargain. A 'wild oriole' is a free-lance prostitute, i.e., non-registered. An 'oriole swallow' is a bar-maid, and 'oriole-flower-halls' are top-rank brothels.
The present melody survives only in Shilin Guangji (Zha Guide 1/---/4). Xu Jian discusses it briefly in QSCB, Chapter 6b1-8 (p.109), saying it "makes use of the song and dance of yellow orioles amongst flowering shrubs in order to express welcoming spring." "Song and dance" comes from the last line of the poem, perhaps suggesting it could have been a prelude to a melody for song and dance; if so, this would be very unusual for a qin melody.
Kaizhi are thought (there seems to be no available specific information on this) to have been preludes to specific melodies, in this way contrasting to diao yi, which more generally introduced modes (though some surviving ones seem to be attached to specific pieces). However, because none of the old qin melody lists includes a melody called Golden Oriole, it cannot be argued very strongly that this kaizhi was created for a specific melody.
As for Intonation of the Golden Oriole, intonations (吟 yin) are themselves often short melodies (see a list). And "Golden Oriole" itself seems to have been found in various artistic forms (I have not found any dance references). As for references:
48904.1347 also does not include the following, also said to be 黃峨(黃秀眉)的散曲黃鶯兒 Huang Ying'er. It is a sanqu written by Huang E (Huang Xiumei, 1498-1569; Wiki) to her husband.
The translation in The Red Brush, p.290, begins, "The ceaseless rain brews up a light chill...." As for its form (5; 3,3; 7; 4,4; 7; 5), it does not seem to be related to that of the lyrics of the existing qin melody, but it is also unrelated to poems included in Baidu to illustrate the structure of the cipai of this name.
There is also a poem almost exactly in the form of Huang E's included in the novel Jin Ping Mei (q.v.), as follows:
Translated in Roy, III/187-8.
These sanqu melodies still do not neatly fit with the suriving qin melody. However, they are closer in length than is the cipai. If the surviving melody can indeed be made to fit the longer lyrics what significance would that have? Could such creative explansion be considered as a valuable new creation based on Chinese tradition?
Music and lyrics for Huang Ying Yin
(see my transcription; listen to my recording) (QQJC I/18)
The melody is short and simple, with its lyrics applied one character for each note:
雙雙語,桃杏益深處。
Shuāng shuāng yǔ, táo xìng yì shēn chù.
As a pair they call out; peaches and almonds bring great benefit.
又隨煙外遊蜂去,
Yòu suí yān wàiyóu fēng qù,
And following beyond the mist where bees wander off,
恣狂歌舞。
Zì kuáng gē wǔ.
Wildly unrestrained we sing and dance.
There is another translation above.
Golden Oriole is followed by the five modal preludes:
The second half of this melody is quite similar to the latter half of the 1425 melody Zhao Yin. Perhaps this indicates that this Gong Diao was originally a prelude to Zhao Yin. Unlike the shorter Gong Yi in Taiyin Daquanji, Gong Diao has few phrases in common with the Shenpin Gong Yi of 1425. However, the modal characteristics are similar.
This melody is quite different from the Shang Yi in Taiyin Daquanji, as well as the
Shenpin Shang Yi of 1425. However, it shares with them similar modal characteristics, in particular the inclusion of both standard mi with flatted mi.
This melody is very similar to the second half of the melody Lienü Yin, suggesting that it perhaps was originally a prelude to that melody. Lienü Yin survives only in
Xilutang Qintong (1525), but this is perhaps evidence supporting suggestions that some or many of the melodies of Xilutang Qintong were copied from Song dynasty sources. Jue Diao seems unrelated to the modal preludes Jue Yi in
Taiyin Daquanji, and
Shenpin Jue Yi of 1425. Perhaps its modal characteristics are similar to those of Shenpin Jue Yi
Details from pages 8 and 9 of Shilin Guangji | pp. 8 & 9 of Shilin Guangji, QQJC I/20b-21 |
(彈琴宜忌 Things to avoid when playing qin)
15
In the present edition of Shilin Guangji there seems to be no title for this section, but this one is sometimes used elsewhere.
Whether or not there is an overall title for the content of these two pages, they consist of 13 sets of guidelines for playing qin, the title of each section highlighted in black. These are perhaps the earliest surviving version of rules that were often included in later handbooks. However, the fact that almost the same set of rules appear in another book from around the same time (see Taiyin Daquanji #s 10-21) suggests that such rules had been around for some time already. Here the titles are:
Here you can find the translation of a set of 10 rules with a similar intent, called 琴言十則 10 Rules, from Qin Talk. Attributed to 吳澄 Wu Cheng (1240-1331), they were translated by Van Gulik in Lore, pp. 73-76.
Addendum: Materials from the Taiding edition of Shilin Guangji | Another edition of Shilin Guangji, QQJC I/22 |
This page from the Taiding edition includes (see at far right of the lower half) what seems to be a more correct version of the tablature for Golden Oriole (Huang Ying Yin). The corrections in measures 3 and 12 of my transcription come from this other edition (listen).
Although there are also some other differences, the Taiding edition includes mostly material the same or very similar to that in the Chunzhuang edition. It ends with the 琴譜直解 explanation of clusters mentioned above (also see this closeup), but the most obvious difference is the addition of the illustration at right (closeup below; expand) of a gentleman playing the qin. For an unexplained reason this seems to have replaced (or been replaced by) the picture of Confucius playing for his students, just to the right of a diagram of the front and back of a qin (see above).16
Footnotes (Shorthand references are explained on a separate page) |
|
1.
Shilin Guangji 事林廣記 (QQJC I/15-22 [11-16 in earlier edition])
(244.xxx?) Zha Fuxi's preface says Chen Yuanjing (see next footnote) 編纂 compiled it. Zha does not discuss its possible relationship to another work attributed to Chen, 歲時廣記 Suishi Guangji.
According to the introduction by Zha Fuxi, Shilin Guangji was compiled by Chen Yuanjing during the Southern Song dynasty, then was revised several times during the Yuan dynasty. Three editions are known to have survived:
The third edition (Zhengshi edition) is identical to the second, so Qinqu Jicheng prints only the first two (though see this footnote with one folio page from the Zhengshi edition). QQJC I/17-21 has 9 folio pages from the Chunzhuang Shuyuan edition; I/22 has 2 folio pages from the Taiding edition.
Perhaps because much of the surviving editions of Shilin Guangji were added during later editions, Zha spends some time describing characteristics of the tablature in Shilin Guangji, to show they do date from the Song dynasty.
An essay (.html from .pdf) by Wang Chenghua, Art and Daily Life: Knowledge and Social Space in Late-Ming: Riyong Leishu, says,
A preliminary essay by Lowell Skar, "Charting a New Itinerary of Perfection in Medieval China: The Formation and Uses of the Diagram on Cultivating Perfection (Xiuzhen tu" (2000), says as follows,
A backgammon website has an illustration from Shilin Guangji showing two backgammon players.
The FIFA website says that Shilin Guangji "gives details of the technical elements of conventional football", including a woodblock illustration.
Pian's Sonq Dynasty Musical Sources and their Interpretation transcribes, in addition to these qin melodies, the
Seven melodies on popular notation from Shilin Guangui.
2.
Chen Yuanjing 陳元靚 (1200 - 1266)
3.
First line of the illustration
5.
Shilin Guangji, General Comments on Qin Tablature 事林廣記,琴譜緫說
6.
(Confucius') Household Sayings (孔子) 家語 (Kongzi) Jia Yu
Translation above. Note that many of its details are also elsewhere. Regarding the added passage, for example, elsewhere (e.g., in 高濂 Gao Lian?) the information about yin and yang wood is the same, but placed at the front, "琴取桐為陽木、梓為陰木。是以造琴之法。...." Regading the type of wood, translating 桐 tong and 梓 zi is problematic as they are uniquely ancient Chinese; the important factor is heavy (dense) wood vs light wood.
7.
Chen Zhuo Canjun, Qin Shuo 陳拙參軍琴說
8.
《帝王世紀》曰 Diwang Shi Ji says,
(Return)
Chen (42618.105; Bio/1364; N.D.), according to the afterword by 劉純 Liu Chun (Bio/622? early Ming) to Chen's 歲時廣記 Suishi Guangji, was a reclusive gentleman. He signed himself 廣寒仙裔 Guanghan Xianyi (Lunar Descendant of Immortals?). 16686.67 歲時廣記 says Suishi Guangji had four sections divided according to four time periods. It is not clear how much of the book still exists, or whether Shilin Guangji was a part of it.
(Return)
The original says, 新編纂圖增類書類要事林廣記卷之四
(Return)
Consists of the essays discussed in the following three footnotes. Compare this with Taiyin Daquanji, Folio 5, Part 1.
(Return)
The original text here in Shilin Guangji is as follows (see also
here):
(Return)
The original text is as follows
(Taiyin Daquanji has an almost identical passage, changing its text after the * added near the end):
(The original text is as follows:
(Return)
9.
Illustration 圖: top and bottom of a qin
The names for the parts of the qin are translated
elsewhere on this site.
(Return)
10.
Illustration of Confucius at the Apricot Pavilion (Xing Tan
This is where Confucius is said to have taught his disciples. This site also has other illustrations of Confucius playing qin for his students. Sometimes it seems that Xing Tan could also be translated as Gingko Tree Pavilion (further).
(Return)
11.
Finger technique explanations
There is no general title for this part, which has the three sections only titles for each of the three subsections, left, right and clusters. A more complete example of such explanations can be seen in such resources as
Taiyin Daquanji, for example, here
and here.
(Return)
12.
Tablature for the 琴譜 qin melodies (QQJC I/12-14)
The recording for the Kai Zhi is linked here while those for the five modal preldues are linked here.
(Return)
13.
Kaizhi (Prelude): Golden Oriole (QQJC I/19)
The specific commentary begins above.
(Return)
14.
詞牌黃鶯兒 Ci structure: Huang Ying Er
Not yet studied carefully. Two typical patterns, 95 and 97 characters each, are outlined in Baidu. The two patterns outlined there are:
and
97: 50+47
7.6,6,6.
6,5.6,4,4.
2,5,5.4,4,6.
5,5.6,5.
(Something is wrong with the count.)
(Return)
15.
彈琴宜忌 Things to avoid when playing qin
13 sets of rules for playing qin (original text)
These rules are found in a number of early handbooks (see, for example, in
Taiyin Daquanji, Folio 6, which seems verbatim but for some reason does not include #13). The entries are numbered here for convenience.
16. Materials from the 泰定本 Taiding and 鄭氏 Zhengshi editions of Shilin Guangji (QQJC I/22 and Yang/297-300) | Compare above and at top |
Return to the annotated handbook list or to the Guqin ToC.