This melody first survives from 1589 (reprinted in 1611, where the handbook is called Qinpu Hebi). The preface there, repeated in a number of later editions (either verbatim or in paraphrase) even when the music is quite different, says that the melody was written lamenting guarding the borders, thus making the theme similar to that of Huang Yun Qiu Sai.⁴

Some of the later handbooks also comment on the melody itself, which is quite notable for its many non-pentatonic notes. This may well be related to the borderland theme.⁵

After 1611, tablature for this piece was not printed again until handbooks published in 1647⁶ and then 1670.⁷ However, it subsequently became very popular, found in at least 33 handbooks to 1914.⁸ The 1647 version and the first one in 1670 are both quite different from the 1589 tablature, but the 1670 handbook also has a second version, which is very similar to 1589.⁹

At the front of the tablature for the 1589 edition is the statement "Revised by Zheng Yangju of Jinling (Nanjing) and transmitted".¹⁰ The 1611 edition changes "transmitted" to four smaller characters that mean "transmitted from Korea".¹¹ This statement is also made in 1833, with added commentary.¹² Zha Fuxi in his Guide expresses skepticism about this association with Korea.¹³

 
Original Preface¹⁴
(not yet translated)

 
Footnotes (Shorthand references are explained on a separate page)

1. Saishang Hong 塞上鴻 (VII/165)
The Chinese does not specify number, so the title could also be translated as "Wild Goose on the Frontier", or "Wild Frontier Goose". This would be particularly appropriate if the thought is of a goose taking a message home.

2. 徵音 zhi yin; for more on this see Shenpin Zhi Yi.
(Return)

3. Appropriate illustration not found yet
(Return)

4. In addition to the preface below, see also the footnote above, which suggests that "sai hong" can also evokes the image of a bird carrying a message home from the frontier.
(Return)

5. Modality of Saishang Hong
The first notice of the odd modality seems to be the brief note under the title with the first tablature of 1670 (see QQJC XI/383), where there is the statement "忌散五絃 Avoid the open 5th string." That version does so throughout. The 1589 version does so as well, although the short closing coda specifies three times playing a harmonic in the seventh position on the fifth string.

The most extensive comment on the melody itself seems to be that in 1833.
(Return)

6. The 1647 handbook, 徽言秘旨 Huiyan Mizhi, has no commentary.
(Return)

7. The 1670 handbook, 琴苑新傳全編 Qinyuan Xinchuan Quanbian, has two versions, see XI/383 and XI/497. The first one says that its tablature is "據梧堂藏本 based on a volume in the Wutang collection" (last character unclear, but see Zha). Under Section 1 it says, "濟南王譧亨猶龍校 revised by Wang Lianheng Youlong of Ji'nan". The second one is identified as the "周本 Zhou volume"; it is also said to have been revised by Wang Youlong. However, the versions are very different, with the latter one resembling very closely the 1589 version.
(Return)

8. Zha Guide 29/232/--; this does not include Bei Saishang Hong and Nan Saishang Hong, related melodies found only in 1760.
(Return)

9. See QQJC XI/497 (#1 is on p. 383). The table of contents (XI/九) says it is from "周本 the Zhou volume", while under the "Section 1" is written "濟南王猶龍校 revised by Wang Youlong of Ji'nan" (compare p. 383).
(Return)

10. Zheng Yangju 鄭養居
No further information other than that he was from 金陵 Jinling (Nanjing); the actual inscription is "金陵鄭養居校傳".
(Return)

11. "傳自朝鮮".
(Return)

12. See Zha Guide [477]233.
(Return)

13. Korean connection
In 1592 豊臣秀吉 Toyotomi Hideyoshi (see in Wikipedia) sent troops into Korea in an avowed attempt to conquer China. Chinese troops were then sent to Korea. Many remained stationed there during a truce that lasted until 1597, when the Japanese renewed the attack. More Chinese troops were sent, and casualties were high. The war ended after Hideyoshi's death in 1598. Since the melody appears first in Yang Lun's handbook of 1589, a direct Korean connection seems rather unlikely: that the comment was added only for the 1611 edition perhaps suggests simply that this was the most important frontier region on people's minds.

Zha Fuxi's actual commentary, see his Guide [477]233, is as follows,
"按鴈門紫塞，征人懷鄉，中華戎邊，歷代不免。而朝鮮一國，遠在海島，與鴈門絕無干涉(relation),何以亦作是曲？此琴家以為得自異城，欲神奇其譜，故有傳自朝鮮之說，內有疑竇數則，列載於後﹕" (referring to a further comment in 1833 which, after mentioning Korea, says 具崑腔之體例，此其疑竇一也....
(Return)

14. The original preface is as follows:
按斯曲，蓋傷戎邊而作也。彼黃雲秋塞，千里肅條，極目煙塵，西風砭骨；景物淒涼，于斯極矣。顧瞻鴻鴈，翱翔于青霄之上。嘹嚦于紫塞之鄉；聲嘹嚦而語哀哀，“王事靡鹽(SJ/121)，不遑歸處。”感懷者，倍為腸斷；聞之者，涕淚交頤。是曲聲律慘悽，音韻悲傷，為出一段征人懷鄉憂國之音，真虞絃中之白眉者也。同志者細聽察焉。
(Return)

15. Reconstruction of this melody is incomplete.
(Return)

 
Return to the Zhenchuan Zhengzong Qinpu intro, to the annotated handbook list or to the Guqin ToC.