The melody Chun Si survives only in Xilutang Qintong (1549).² The title suggests both thoughts that come in spring, and imagining the nature of spring. The section titles indicate that the melody generally focuses on the beauty of spring; in this way the theme is rather similar to that of the more famous melody Yang Chun.

As well as the qin melodies, quite a few Chinese poems have this title. Often they concern love and separation.

Chen Changlin in Beijing has also done a reconstruction of this melody.³

 
Original Preface⁴

Knowledgeable men of elevated stature cherish living in solitude, feeling the harmony of a fragrant springtime. The stimulating scenery formed a song, and so here it is expressed on the qin, thereby displaying its effervescence. There are also the lingering sounds of living in harmony.

 
Music (12 sections⁵ )

1. Flitting butterflies settle on a cluster of flowers
2. Flying off to a hidden valley
3. Dappled carp splash in the fragrant pond
4. Mandarin ducks bathe in the warm water
5. Willow blossoms fly across bamboo
6. Weeping willows hang down into the green waters
7. Coming out of the forest a pair of cranes dance
8. Wind and duckweed move in the middle of the pond
9. Bees suck honey from flower blossoms, then return
10. A red sun revolves across the sky
11. In a bamboo grove partridges call out
12. Swallows return to the decorated beams (of wealthy homes)

 
Footnotes (Shorthand references are explained on a separate page)

1 春思﹕14146.217 (猶言春情 "refers in particular to feelings of spring") and 5/645 (same, plus 春日的思緒 "thoughts of spring"). Altogether there are four poetic references, none apparently related to music:

1. 沈佺期 Shen Quanqi, 送陸侍御餘慶北使詩
   朔途際遼海，春思繞轘轅。

2. 元稹 Yuan Zhen, 上楊白真人詩
   天寶年中花鳥使，撩花狎鳥含春思。

3. 曹唐 Cao Tang (9th c.; Bio/2127)， 小游仙詩 #59
   西妃少女多春思，斜倚彤雲盡日吟。

4. 歐陽修 Ouyang Xiu， 病中代書奉寄聖前二十五兄
   昔在洛陽年少時，春思每先花亂發。

In addition, a net search turned up two more poems entitled Spring Thoughts. Again, there seems no connection to the theme of the present poem.

1. Spring Thoughts by 皇甫冉 Huangfu Ran (715 - 768; Bio/1744); one of the 300 Poems of the Tang dynasty

2. Spring Thoughts by Li Bai
   (Return)

2 Zha's Guide 21/190/-- (Return)

3 The online video version skips sections 3 and 4 and most of 11 and 12. Perhaps the presented limited the amount of time Chen could use. The metal strings, close miking and recording levels combine to give the qin a rather odd sound. (Return)

4 The original preface in Chinese is:
達人高士懷寶幽棲。感芳春之和，觸景成曲，故被之徽絃，以宣其沖暢。亦考盤("drumming and dancing"; "enjoying virtue"? See 詩經 #56)之餘音也夫。
(Return)

5 The original section titles in Chinese are

1. 飛蝶下花叢
2. 遷鶯出幽谷
3. 錦鯉躍芳池
4. 水暖浴鴛鴦
5. 柳花飛度竹
6. 垂楊蘸綠水
7. 出林雙鶴舞
8. 風約半池萍
9. 蜂蜜採花歸
10. 紅日轉闌干
11. 竹林鷓鴣啼
12. 燕子歸畫梁
    (Return)

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