According to this famous ancient story, a student hears that the sagely Liezi can ride the wind. The student is impatient to learn, but Liezi spurns him, saying he spent many years assiduously learning from his masters before he could relax and, losing his awareness of ordinary human distinctions, drift with the wind, not knowing whether he is riding the wind or the wind riding him. This is not something which can be learned quickly. The phrase "Liezi yu feng" is originally found in the book of Zhuangzi, which briefly tells of Liezi traveling by riding the wind. A passage in the book attributed to Liezi gives more detail.⁴

Once a very popular piece, Liezi Yu Feng has undergone various revisions but is still recognizable in the 40 handbooks through 1876 which include it,⁵ as well as in the 1950s recording of Le Ying⁶ playing it "from handcopied qin tablature", now available on CD.

The numerous revisions have not affected the attribution the the famous Song dynasty qin master Mao Minzhong (Mao Zhongweng). It is the first of several melodies in SQMP to be attributed to this famous Song dynasty qin player. The melody that precedes it, Lingxu Yin, seems to serve it as a prelude, and perhaps for this reason is also sometimes attributed to Mao Minzhong

 
Original Preface⁷

The Emaciated Immortal says,

as for this piece, Mao Zhongweng wrote it based on the account in the Yellow Emperor chapter of Liezi, in which (Liezi) rides the wind in such a way that his spirit roams throughout the universe.⁸ The flavor of the tune is the same as this story.

 
Music: 10 sections⁹

(00.00) 01. Relying on the air to ride the wind
(00.25) 02. Looking down on the earth
(01.04) 03. How vast is the universe!
(01.33) 04. Not aware whether the wind is riding me
(01.51) 05. Not aware whether I am riding the wind
(02.31) 06. Aiming for the silent heavens
(03.01) 07. His spirit roams in the stratosphere
(03.43) 08. Howling in the empty azure sky
(04.05) 09. Shaking out clothing in the celestial wind
(04.44) 10. Having enjoyed everything, (the rider) returns
(05.23) --- play harmonics of the modal prelude
(05.36) --- Piece ends

Return to the Shen Qi Mi Pu ToC or to the Guqin ToC.

 
Footnotes (Shorthand references are explained on a separate page)

1. 列子御風 1921.2 only 列子 the book; 10392.75 御風 quotes Zhuangzi Section 1: 列子御風而行. (Return)

2. For more information on jiao mode see Shenpin Jiao Yi. See also Modality in Early Ming Qin Tablature. (Return)

3. No illustration at present. (Return)

4. See Zhuangzi Chapter 1 (逍遙遊) and Liezi, Chapter 2 (黃帝 Yellow Emperor). (Return)

5. Zha Guide 5/56/80 (Return)

6. 樂瑛 Le Ying (Return)

7. See original Chinese text. (Return)

8. "御風擬神遊六合" (擬 determine, resemble, compare) See also Shen You Liu He . (Return)

9. See original Chinese section titles and the <1491 lyrics. (Return)

Return to the Shen Qi Mi Pu ToC or to the Guqin ToC.