Taigu Yiyin
 T of C 
Home 		My
Work		 Hand-
books		 Qin as
Object		 Qin in
Art		 Poetry
/ Song		 Hear,
Watch		 Play
Qin		 Analysis History Ideo-
logy		 Miscel-
lanea		 More
Info		 Personal email me search me
Handbook List   /   Various Editions   /   1511 Taigu Yiyin 首頁
Taigu Yiyin 1 / 2 太古遺音
Sound Bequeathed from Antiquity 3
 		 Song dynasty (960-1280)
Stringing a qin (three editions)5    
This work apparently originated in the Song dynasty but it survives only through various later editions beginning in the Ming. There is more detail under Taiyi Daquanji

Meanwhile the opening section of this handbook is rather similar to the opening essay of Taiyin Daquanji Folio 4 (QQJC I/26b: compare with I/).

群書要語
琴者禁也。禁上於邪，以正人心也。出《白虎通》，琴者 樂之統也。君子所當御也。出《風俗通》，琴長三尺六 寸六分，廣六寸。上曰池，下曰賓。前廣後狹。象尊卑 也。上圓下方，法天地也。五絃象五行。大絃為君。小 絃為臣。文王、武王加二絃，以合君臣之恩。出《琴操》， 凡琴曲和樂而作，名之曰：曲。憂愁而作，命之曰操。 出《風俗通》平和之人，聽箏、笛、琵琶則形躁而志，越 聞琴瑟之音則体靜而琴閑。出嵇康船論琴，第一絃 為宮，次絃為商，次為角，此為徵，此為羽，次為少宮， 此為少商。出《三禮圖》黃帝琴名《清角》，齊威公名《號 鍾》，楚莊王名《統梁》，司馬相如名《綠綺》，蔡邕名《蕉尾》， 趙飛燕名《鳳凰》。梁武帝纂要五曲。一曰《鹿鳴》。二日《伐檀》， 三曰《騶虞》，四曰《鵲巢》，五曰《白駒》。十二操，一曰 《將歸操》；二曰《猗蘭》；三曰《龜山》，並孔子作；四《越裳》，周公 作；五曰《拘幽》，文王作；六《岐山》，周人為文王作；七《履霜》，尹伯奇作；八曰《雉朝飛》，牧犢子作；九《別鶴》，商陵牧子；十曰《殘形操》；十一曰《水仙操》；十二曰《懷陵操》。 並伯牙作九引:一日《列女引》；二日伯妃引三真女引四思歸 引五霹麗引六走馬引七篮痰引八琴引九楚引 河間雅歌二十一童蔡氏五弄雙鳳離鸞歸鳳送 遠幽龍白雪長清短清長側短側清調大適小遊明右胡茄廣陵散白魚歎楚犯歎風入松烏夜啼。 並…替操 琴者禁也。禁止於邪以正人心也。出白虎通， 琴者樂之統也。寸六分廣六寸上日池下曰賓前廣後狭象算早也上圓下方法天地也。五 参五行大 為煮小絃為臣文王武王加二紘以合君臣之恩出麥操 凡琴曲和樂而作名之日曲憂愁而作命之日操出風俗通平和之人聽筝笛語琶則形躁而志越 《琴上 開琴瑟之音則体隸而心開出粉康論琴第一欲為宫次絃為商次為角次為徵次為羽次為少宫. 次為沙商出三 種圖黃帝琴名清角齊威公名

 
Footnotes (Shorthand references are explained on a separate page)

1. 太古遺音 Taigu Yiyin
Compare the modern preface.
(Return)

2. 太古遺音 Taigu Yiyin
Although the work discussed here is sometimes called Taigu Yiyin (as in the version introduced here), this page mostly concerns the version published as Taiyin Daquanji. The related Taigu Yiyin is not to be confused with the Taigu Yiyin dated 1511/1515, which has music with lyrics but virtually no commentary other than introductions to the individual melodies themselves.
(Return)

3. Taiyin Daquanji: Great Collection of Superlative Sound (or Superlative Music);
  Taigu Yiyin: Sound (or Music) Bequeathed from Antiquity. (Compare Taigu Shenpin.)
(Return)

4. Available editions of this work (compare list of available and lost editions)
There are four available editions of the early Taigu Yiyin / Taiyin Daquanji:

  Taigu Yiyin ("YJZTGYY") Qinqu Jicheng, New Series, Vol. 1, pp. 17-33 (2010 reprint pp. 27-43; not examined by TKW)
 Taigu Yiyin ("QFTGYY") in Tong Kin-Woon's Qin Fu, pp. 29-107 (original in Taiwan [image])
  Taiyin Daquanji ("Yuan volume") in Qinqu Jicheng, New Series, Vol. 1, pp. 35-93 (2010 reprint pp. 45-103)
  Xinkan Taiyin Daquanji ("Zhu volume") in Qinqu Jicheng Original Series (1963), Vol. 1, pp. 31-68

An edition of Taiyin Daquanji with corrections by Wang Mengshu was published in the 2013 Valued Writings of Qin Studies by Mr. Wang Mengshu of Old Wu.

As discussed in the introduction to Taigu Yiyin by Dr. Tong Kin-Woon, these works all included detailed information about qin, but virtually no tablature. The original title was apparently Taigu Yiyin but it was also published as Qinyuan Xuzhi as well as Taiyin Daquanji. One edition is thought to have been edited by Zhu Quan, the compiler of Shen Qi Mi Pu.
(Return)

5. Images: Stringing a qin, three editions (compare the first two)
The three editions are:

  1. Taigu Yiyin (top)
    Copied from an original edition in the Central Library, Taibei
  2. Taigu Yiyin (middle)
    The edition in Qin Fu, handcopied by Dr. Tong Kin-Woon from the Central Library edition (plus additions)
  3. Xinkan Taiyin Daquanji (bottom)
    Copied from Qinqu Jicheng, Original Series (compare the same in Taiyin Daquanji.)

Note that the text with the bottom image ("臞仙曰：抱琴之法以面為陽....") actually belongs with the next image: the correct text (上絃法：凡上絃....) was by itself on the previous page.
(Return)

6. Regarding the edition used here for online translation
This is now the Taiyin Daquanji published in Qinqu Jicheng, Vol. 1 (New Series), called by Tong Kin-Woon (TKW) the "Yuan volume". In 1975, when I was studying guqin in Taiwan with Sun Yu-ch'in, I began making a rough translation of the version of the Taigu Yiyin then available to me, the copy of Taigu Yiyin (QFTGYY) preserved in Taiwan and included by TKW in his Qin Fu, pp. 29 - 107. I had assistance on this from Mr. Sun (particularly with regard to the details of making qins) as well as from my classical Chinese teacher 方慕廉 Fang Mulian at 台灣師範大學國語中心 the Mandarin Training Institute of Taiwan Normal University.

After moving to Hong Kong in 1976 I had further assistance on this translation from TKW himself. In addition, I was then able to see the reprint from the 1963 Qinqu Jicheng that TKW refers to as the "Zhu volume". However, I soon became more involved with my Shen Qi Mi Pu project and stopped working on this translation.

When I later decided to put some of this translation online I also decided that it should follow Taiyin Daquanji (the Yuan volume): this is one of the most complete editions, and also seemed one of the most readily available. Those who would like to consult the original can consult either the QQJC reprint or the reprint in 中國古代版畫叢刊第五函 Zhongguo Gudai Banhua Congkan, a collection of illustrated Chinese books reprinted in a facsimile edition dated Shanghai 1961 (in the fifth box), then in 1988 in modern binding, again in Shanghai.

While doing this re-arrangement I made a number of corrections, and also copied out more of the original text (see especially Folios 4-6). Copying it out often gave me only a general understanding of the text, but it has also turned out to be fortunate since the development of AI translations. Now everyone can benefit from easy access to the machine copies of the original text. In many cases I have also retained most of the endnotes TKW added in his Qin Fu edition (see pp. 10 - 21 of the appendix after p. 2056 of his second volume). These are marked [TKW #_:], with #_ indicating the original number of TKW's endnote.
(Return)

7. I have translated a few of these, but now the Chinese text can easily translated with AI, though here caution should be used.
(Return)

8. The division into 15 sections follows the table of contents provided in Qinqu Jicheng, Vol. 1, opening section, pp. 2 - 3. Also, Discerning the Significance of Qin Melodies, signed by the editor/compiler Yuan Junzhe, seems to be commentary for the tablature and melody lists that follow it.
(Return)

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