The melody Zhao Yin, as with other Folio I melodies such as the full version of Xuan Mei (#8; see its tracing chart), can be found in four handbooks from 1425 through 1670.³ The oldest Shen Qi Mi Pu melodies seem regularly to occur in just these four handbooks, all four versions then being related. The third, Chongxiu Zhenchuan Qinpu, always has lyrics and is usually somewhat different. However, in this case the melody seems to be completely different.⁴

The structure of Zhao Yin is very similar to that of the Song dynasty qin song Gu Yuan, which has music and lyrics by Jiang Kui (ca. 1155 - 1221).⁵ Neither composition has numbered sections in its earliest editions, but both can be divided into four, with the first section repeated and the melody of the second section very similar to that of the first, but in harmonics. The 1585 lyrics mentioned above can be sung with the Shen Qi Mi Pu melody, but they need so much adjustment that it leaves open the question of whether they appeared in what might have been the complete version, now lost, of Zheyin Shizi Qinpu. The lyrics also do not follow the pattern of Gu Yuan (which does not pair lyrics with the melody in the harmonic passage). So probably these Zhao Yin lyrics were added much later than the original music.

In addition, the latter part of what is here Section 4 of Zhao Yin is quite similar to the latter half of the Gong Diao (modal prelude) in Shilin Guangji. This could suggest that this Gong Diao was originally intended as a prelude to Zhao Yin, but at present one can say only that their similarity suggests they reflect the style of a similar time period.

As a poem Zhao Yin has a long history,⁵ beginning with the poem Summons for a Recluse⁶ in the Chu Ci⁷ (a collection of old poems first compiled in the 2nd c. CE.), where it is attributed to Liu An, Prince of Huainan. The title Huainan Wang Cao (Prince of Huainan's Melody), clearly associated with the Zhao Yin theme and perhaps once using the Chu Ci lyrics, is included on some ancient qin melody lists.⁸ However, no melody called Huainan Wang Cao has survived and so the original connection of the title Zhao Yin with the qin remains unclear.⁹

The title Zhao Yin does not seem to appear on any ancient melody lists.¹⁰ Perhaps the earliest surviving reference connecting Zhao Yin to the qin is in the melody title Jiangwai Zhao Yin¹¹ (Seeking Seclusion [or: a Recluse] Beyond the River), for which the 12th century poet and qin player Ye Mengde is said to have written lyrics.¹²

As for the two sets of lyrics included in the preface here, attempts have been made (see other recordings) to match these to the surviving Zhao Yin melody. However, if one uses the traditional formula for pairing words and qin music, none of the above poems can be made to fit the music. All surviving early qin songs have words paired to the tablature according to the fairly strict formula one word (character) for each qin stroking technique, with generally no character for slides or other ornaments. And while the lyrics of the 1585 melody fit this formula better with the Shen Qi Mi Pu melody than do earlier lyrics, it does require a number of adjustments to the traditional formula.¹³

The term zhao yin literally means "seeking seclusion". However, as found in most ancient sources it generally means "summoning a recluse", being short for zhao yinshi¹⁴. For this there are two images: finding a recluse who will return to society and cure its ills; or leaving society to live among other recluses. In the Chinese tradition, a hermit will usually live with his family or like-minded recluses, not all alone.¹⁵

The Summons for a Recluse, found in Chu Ci and mentioned above, is an example of the first type. Here the narrator, said to be the above-mentioned Liu An, Prince of Huai Nan, seeks a reclusive prince, and asks him to return to society.

What we have with the melody Zhao Yin, however, seems to concern the second theme. In fact, as the English title for this melody, Seeking Seclusion might be as good or better than "Seeking a Recluse", especially as Zhu Quan's commentary mentions both zhao yin and zhao yinshi, and because of the subject of the poems he includes. Here, in the traditional Chinese context, there is no real difference between the two: zhao yin is "seeking seclusion (with another recluse)", and zhao yinshi is "seeking a recluse (with whom to be secluded)".

Although Zhu Quan quotes "Qin History" in attributing this piece to the 3rd century scholar/official Zuo Si, and his preface includes Zuo Si's poem on this subject, neither Zuo Si nor his poem is mentioned in the 12th century Qin History.¹⁶ Zuo Si himself was poet and official in the (Western) Jin dynasty (265 - 313). Famed for his ugliness, he was said to keep pens and paper everywhere in his house so that whenever he thought of something he could write it down. Though it took him a long time to complete his poems, eventually they became very popular in the capital city, Loyang.

The second poem Zhu Quan quotes, by Song dynasty poet Zhang Jingxiu,¹⁷ makes reference to Gui Qu Lai Xi Ci (Ballad of Returning Home), a famous 3rd century poem by Tao Yuanming which was itself made into the qin song Gui Qu Lai Ci.¹⁸ Casting aside a hairpin (see also the first poem) represents leaving public office.

Other recordings besides my own include recordings of the Zhao Yin from SQMP by both Dai Xiaolian and Zhang Tongxia.¹⁹ The latter makes it into a qin song by matching the Zuo Si poem to the notes in a manner not found in any of the ancient qin songs (see "as a poem" above).

 
Original preface²⁰

The Emaciated Immortal says Qin History²¹ states,

 
Music
Originally undivided; here divided into four sections
Sections are from 1670, section titles from 1585 (see list)²³

(00.00) 1. Wine accompanies the poet
(01.05) 2. Being humble and hiding oneself
(01.31) 3. Ploughing snow and using the (crescent) moon to fish (Daoist activities)
(02.18) 4. (Untitled)
(03.10) -- Piece ends

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Footnotes (Shorthand references are explained on a separate page)

1. 12212.156 and 6/520 招隱 (neither has 招陰) both give two meanings:

As is discussed here, the latter seems to be the intended meaning with this melody. Thus, "seeking a recluse" expresses the desire to join the recluse, not to bring him/her back to society. (See also the comment under Studio for Seeking Solitude.)
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2. For more on Gong mode see Shenpin Gong Yi. for more general information on mode see Modality in Early Ming Qin Tablature.
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3. Zha Fuxi's Guide 3/30/35 includes four occurrences of Zhao Yin. These are outlined in the appendix below.
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4. The Zhao Yin lyrics in Chongxiu Zhenchuan Qinpu (1585)
   These can be sung with the Shen Qi Mi Pu melody, but require some adjustments from the standard pairing method :

1. 第一段　酒伴詩徒

   杖策荒塗，馳騁此身軀，適驩虞。招那酒伴詩徒，
   快良圖。再邀漁父樵夫，雲夢澤，洞庭湖。

2. 第二段　隱跡藏蹤

   隱蹤藏跡，不動如如。是和非，鶯啼燕語無知。
   剖藩籬，野菜炊香飯，雲膏漲雪孟。

3. 第三段　雲耕月釣

   柴床土凳，石几圖書。樂無餘。買山栽藥，穿池引水那觀魚。
   雲耕月釣，聊自歡娛。
   冠冕懸蓬蓽，丹砂煉玉爐。堪落魄，可躊躕，
   老硯課童兒。識破虛名利，
   恢諧那天地，便是便宜。便宜。
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5. See Alan Berkowitz, Courting Disengagement: "Beckoning the Recluse" Poems of the Western Jin (Studies in Early Medieval Chinese Literature and Cultural History, In Honor of Richard B. Mather and Donald Holzman". Paul W. Kroll and David R. Knechtges, eds. Provo, Utah: T'ang Studies Society, 2003, pp. 81 - 115.

Berkowitz mentions the Chu Ci poem and says Zuo Si's poem (quoted in the Shen Qi Mi Pu preface, is "but one of ten late Western Jin poems now bearing the title 'Beckoning the Recluse' 趙隱詩 (as well as a goodly number of poems lacking the title but having similar content or phraseology)". He identifies and discusses such poems, translating three from Wen Xuan.
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6. 12212.159 招隱詩 does not mention the Chu Ci poem, instead quoting the one by Zuo Si (see the translation) first found in Wen Xuan, Folio 22. Wen Xuan follows this with another Zhao Yin poem by Zuo Si then one by 陸機 Lu Ji (261 - 301). Folio 33 has the Chu Ci poem by 淮南子劉安 Huai Nan prince Liu An.
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7. See David Hawkes, trans., Songs of the South, London, Penguin, 1985, p.243ff., Summons for a Recluse.
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8. Commentary concerning the 淮南王操 Melody of the Prince of Huainan is included in Qinshu Daquan, Folio 12 (QQJC V. p.256). In connection with this it also introduces a melody called Zhao Yin. However, there is no tablature.
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9. Qinshu Daquan, Folio 12, #32, has some earlier quotes, but it is not clear they refer to a qin melody.
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10. The closest I have found is Zhao Xian in the You Lan list.
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11. Jiangwai Zhao Yin 江外招隱 17496.77xxx. See Xu Jian, Outline History, 6a2. There is no surviving qin tablature with this title.
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12. I have not been able to locate any actual Zhao Yin lyrics attributed to Ye Mengde.
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13. The following is an attempt to find an underlying structure that could be used to find lyrics to apply to Zhao Yin. Apparently Zhao Yin, as with other melodies in the first folio of Shen Qi Mi Pu, originally had no punctuation (the second edition of SQMP added some). This causes some problems in determining the original phrasing, but also allows flexibility in the approach. I have found that by re-adjusting the phrasing one could fit very well lyrics which had a character count (6 + 6) x 3 and (7 + 7) x 2, followed by a coda. The phrase by phrase melody structure would then be as follows:

However, as yet I have found no relevant lyrics using this pattern to try out here.
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14. 招隱士 Zhao Yinshi
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15. See Alan Berkowitz, Patterns of Disengagement, Stanford U. Press, 2000. His index includes both Zhao yin shi and Zhao Yinshi. These issues are also discussed in Aat Vervoorn, Men of the Cliffs and Caves; Hong Kong, Chinese University of HK Press, 1990.
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16. It is, however, included in Folio 22 of the 7th century compilation Wen Xuan; see footnote above.
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17. Zhang Jingxiu 張景修
Zhang Jingxiu (10026.1038 張景修，字敏叔；〔宋〕常州人), style name Minshu, was from Changzhou. Qinshu Daquan, Folio 12 (see Qinqu Jicheng, Vol. V, p.257), quotes this second poem, calling it 招隱辭 Zhaoyin Ci; Zhu Quan doesn't identify Zhang as author of the poem. (He is also mentioned in an essay by Cheng Yujian.)
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18. 歸去來辭 Gui Qu Lai Ci (1511)
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19. The arrangement by 張銅霞 Zhang Tongxia is on the CD The Art of Qin Music (Vol. 3), Hugo HRP 7138-2.
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20. The original preface, including the poems by Zuo Si and Zhang Jingshou, is as follows.

臞仙按《琴史》曰，

21. 琴史 Qin Shi: book name, or just the history of qin? Zhu Quan's sources are problematic. It is not from Zhu Changwen's Qin History.
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20. 10.xxx 三徑 san jing "three paths"; this is an allusion to Tao Yuanming, who used this expression to mean a lovely place where there only a few seldom-traveled old paths.
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23. The original sections in Chongxiu Zhenchuan Qinpu are:

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Appendix: Chart Tracing Zhao Yin.
Based mainly on Zha Fuxi's Guide, 3/30/35

1.  神奇秘譜       (1425; I/114)	not divided into sections; only 2nd edition has some phrasing indicated
.  浙音釋字琴譜       (<1491; I.8)	Lyrics of 1585 fit 1425, so perhaps it was once included here
2. 風宣玄品       (1539; II/94)	Not divided into sections; same as 1425
3.   重修真傳琴譜       (1585; IV/322)	3 sections, titled, lyrics [see above] fit the 1425 melody, but the actual melody seems completely different
4. 琴苑新傳全編       (1670; XI/325)	4 sections, otherwise virtually the same as 1425

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