Da Hujia

The story of the abduction ca. 195 CE of Cai Wenji and her 12 years in captivity is told in her biography as well as here and in two other melodies with similar titles, Xiao Hujia (Short Version of Nomad Reed Pipe; #15 in Shen Qi Mi Pu Folio One) and Hujia Shibapai (18 Blasts of the Nomad Reed Pipes). The most significant melodies using this last title are the qin song Hujia Shibapai first surviving from 1589, and the instrumental version dating from 1689, still actively played today. These pages and the analyses in QSCB, Chapters 5b1 and 6b1-2, also discuss the titles and content of various other relevant artistic works in addition to the qin melodies.

In surviving Ming dynasty qin handbooks the most common titles of melodies on this theme are Xiao Hujia (Short Version of Nomad Reed Pipe; four occurrences) and the present Da Hujia (Long Version of Nomad Reed Pipe; seven occurrences).³

"Hujia Shibapai",⁴ (Eighteen Songs of a Nomad Reedpipe), by contrast, has been the most common title for the qin melodies on this theme only since around 1600.⁵ Of these, two are worthy of particular mention. The extended qin song of this title first published in Luqi Xinsheng (1589); it was reprinted in 1611, but apparently then disappeared until there was a modern reconstruction.⁶ And the instrumental Hujia Shibapai that survived into the modern repertoire; its earliest publication seems to have been in 1689.⁷

As for Hujia lyrics, from the Song dynasty or earlier there are at least three Hu Jia poems in 18 sections that relate this story. Two of these, one attributed to Cai Wenji herself,⁸ the other by Liu Shang (late 8th c.),⁹ are included in the Yuefu Shiji.¹⁰ The third is by Wang Anshi (1021-86).¹¹

As the Da Hujia and Xiao Hujia melodies apparently disappeared towards the end of the Ming dynasty, several new ones, unrelated musically except for the mode, were published. One of these, dating from 1597 has already been mentioned; it is set to the lyrics attributed to Cai Wenji herself. Those lyrics and portions of the melody from 1722 have been used for at least one Western-style modern opera (with Chinese melodic connections).¹²

Of course, the story was also related in various traditional Chinese operas.¹³

As for Hujia Shibapai in the modern repertoire, mention has already been made that its tablature can be traced back only to 1689, the Chenjiantang Qinpu. This version introduced a Hujia Shibapai that seems still to be related to Da Hujia but was so different that perhaps it should be considered a new melody.¹⁴ The most two identifiable musical characteristics of Da Hujia in Shen Qi Mi Pu are the opening phrase, also found in later versions, and the theme which begins Section 3 and then begins nine later sections.¹⁵ This later version keeps the opening phrase but not the repeated theme. Versions related to this one occur in over 25 further handbooks to the 20th century.

It should perhaps be noted that whatever the melody or the title or the lyrics, the music is often still credited to the great Tang dynasty qin player Dong Tinglan. Qinshi Chubian, Chapter 5b1, seems generally to agree in its argument that Da Hujia and Xiao Hujia can be considered Tang dynasty melodies. However, Chapter 6b1-2 argues that the modern Hujia Shibapai dates from the Song dynasty. One of its points is that during the Song dynasty the nationalistc sentiments of this story were particularly popular. However, this should also have been true at the beginning of the Qing dynasty, when China again had foreign rulers.¹⁶

Cai Wenji's abduction took place around the time of the death of her father Cai Yong (133-192). As for her ransom 12 years later by Cao Cao, it took place while he was still a Grand General supposedly loyal to the Han dynasty. The title given him in the preface below, Wei emperor Wu Di, is one postumously bestowed on him by his son, Cao Pi, who proclaimed himself Wei emperor Wen Di when his father died in 220.

The story of Cai Wenji's abduction, in addition to its presence in all performing art genres, is also of note in fine art. The best introduction to this is in the book Eighteen Songs of a Nomad Flute, by Robert A Rorex and Wen Fong. It was published by Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, following their acquisition of a 14th century scroll illustrating the cycle of 18 poems by Liu Shang. The fascinating illustrations bring the story very much to life. Each of the 18 section titles below is quoted from one of these 18 poems, in sequence, and so one can perform a fully-illustrated Da Hujia by combining the music with the scroll.¹⁷ In the last verse Wenji expresses her joy at being able to play the qin again.

Although most Chinese music has programmatic titles, in qin music the connection between the images and the melodies is rarely obvious. Da Hujia, however, has several very evocative passages, in particular one in Section 13 where Wenji must leave her children and return home.

Besides my own, there are recordings of the SQMP version by Guan Pinghu, Yao Bingyan, Chen Changlin and Gong Yi. There are also several recordings of Hujia Shibapai, which seems musically unconnected.

Original Preface¹⁸

The Emaciated Immortal, in accord with Qin History,¹⁹ says

the Official History of Han records:

Cai Yan, literary name Wenji, daughter of Cai Yong, had extensive learning and was a talented conversationalist; she was also very sensitive to music pitch. One night when her father was playing the qin a string broke. Hearing this she said, "That was the first string." Again hearing a string break she said, "That was the fourth string." This amazed her father. Later she was married to Wei Zhongdao of Hedong. When he died she returned home. During the great disorder at the end of the Han dynasty, Cai Yan was carried off by nomad cavalry, and in the frontier region she was a royal princess for 12 years. She bore two sons, and the chieftain greatly respected her. One spring while riding on a nomad cart she was emotionally moved by the reed pipes, and wrote a poem expressing her feelings. It said,

Nomad reed pipes are blowing;
Horses whinny on the frontier.
A solitary goose turns its head,
And its cry resounds, "Ying, ying."

Later Cao Cao, an old acquaintance of Cai Yong, ordered a great general to ransom Cai Wenji. She returned to Han, (but) her two sons remained with the nomads. Afterward, thinking longingly of Wenji, the nomads would roll up grass leaves for blowing as reed pipes, and play mournful sounds.

During the Tang dynasty Dong Tinglan, who was very good at the sounds of the Shen and Zhu schools, wrote down these sounds of the nomad reed pipe for the qin. This was his Long and Short versions of Nomad Reed Pipe.

Music
18 sections, titled;²⁰ timings from my CD set

(00.00) 01. The pretty woman (must) follow the nomads (into captivity)
(00.54) 02. Darkened skies extend for 10,000 li
(01.18) 03. (At a desert encampment) helplessly resenting her weakness
(01.51) 04. Dreams of returning home come and go
(02.39) 05. Sitting on the grass and sleeping by the water
(03.35) 06. (So far north) it is to the south one looks to see the Big Dipper
(04.25) 07. (Nomad music on) a cloudless night
(05.02) 08. (As dawn approaches) the stars of the Milky Way thin out
(05.39) 09. Pricking blood (from her finger) to write a letter (home)
(07.03) 10. Resenting the nomad skies (but finding love in the birth of a child)
(07.26) 11. Waters freeze over and the grass withers (marking the 12th year in captivity)
(08.10) 12. A (Han) envoy from afar is asking after her name
(08.47) 13. (As she prepares to leave) her (two) children pull at her clothing
(09.39) 14. Drifting around separated (from her family, not knowing if they are) alive or dead
(10.01) 15. (On the homeward journey) her heart and mind argue (at having to leave her husband)
(10.40) 16. The flat desert is everywhere one looks
(11.04) 17. White clouds rise (as they approach first Chinese garrison town)
(11.37) 18. The fields and gardens (of home) were half-neglected,
(but now she can play her qin again, expressing in music her sad story)..
(12.16) --- play harmonics of the wuyi mode
(12.04) --- Piece ends

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Footnotes (Shorthand references are explained on a separate page)

1. 5960.738 大胡笳 da hujia says only 樂器名 name of a music instrument, see 2741.174 十八拍 Shiba Pai (18 Sections)

十八拍﹕樂府，琴曲歌辭名。（樂府詩集，琴曲歌辭，胡笳十八拍）唐劉帝(!:商)胡笳曲序曰﹕蔡文姬善琴....
18 Sections: Music Bureau, name of Qin Melody Lyrics (YFSJ, p.860, beginning 3rd line from left) According to Liu Shang's Preface to Hujia Melody, Cai Wenji was skilled at qin.... (tells the story of her capture and later release, adding that "Mr. Dong [Tinglan] used qin to describe the reedpipe sounds....).

琴集曰﹕大胡笳十八拍，小胡笳十九拍，並蔡琰作
Same quote as found in the Xiao Hujia footnote.

The poems on this theme attributed to Liu Shang and Cai Wenji, which are included in Yuefu Shiji, Folio 59, #3, are discussed further below. Qinshu Daquan (see QQJC, V, pp.261-268) also has these, plus one by Wang Anshi (1021-86; see below) and some additional material.
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2. For Wuyi (or Huangzhong) mode, slacken 1st, tighten 5th strings each a half step. For more details on this mode see Shenpin Wuyi Yi. For more on modes in general see Modality in Early Ming Qin Tablature.
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3. For Da Hujia see Zha Guide, 8/77/119. The early versions related to the 1425 Da Hujia, where they have sub-titles, are all connected to the story as told in Liu Shang's poem. They occur in six handbooks from 1425 to 1596. One of them is called simply Hujia; one is called Hujia Shibapai. For later versions see also next footnote. And for further details tracing the various long versions of Hujia see the Appendix below.
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4. 胡笳十八拍 Hujia Shibapai
Hujia Shibapai is included in Zha Fuxi's index under Da Hujia (see the Appendix below). The modern version of Hujia Shibapai (discussed below; it seems to have developed from the version published in 1689 but the 1722 version is the most famous one) does not seem connected to any particular poem or illustration.
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5. History of Hujia titles
In the earliest known melody list, dated to the 7th century or earlier, Hujia seems to be only a mode name. Song dynasty lists include both Da Hujia and Xiao Hujia; there is also a Da Hujia Shibapai.

Thus, although surviving melodies with this title are more recent than those with the titles Xiao Hujia and Da Hujia, the title Hujia Shibapai itself is not necessarily more recent.
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6. Hujia Shibapai as a Qin Song
The earliest Hujia Shipapai set to lyrics, dated 1597, is introduced separately. The modern reconstruction must have achieved some popularity as when I presented my own reconstruction to some friends they recognized the melody from having heard it earlier.

(The Da Hujia set to lyrics in <1491 uses the same melody as in 1425; the lyrics seem to be new and properly paired, but is not naturally adaptable for singing.)
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7. Hujia Shibapai of today: created ca. 1689 or dating from Song dynasty?
The Hujia Shibapai that survived into the modern repertoire was first published in 1689. In QSCB, Chapter 6b1-2, Xu Jian analyzes this version according to its publication in Wuzhizhai Qinpu (1722). He does not seem to mention the 1597 Hujia Shibapai.
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8. Hujia poem attributed to Cai Wenji (see original text)
There is an early poem on this theme attributed to Cai Wenji (蔡琰 Cai Yan) herself, called Song of Grief and Resentment (Bei Fen Shi; see its original text; it is translated in Paul Rouzer, Articulated Ladies, 2001). It is also briefly quoted in the SQMP preface, as follows,

「胡笳動兮邊馬鳴， Nomad reed pipes are blowing; horses whinny on the frontier.
孤雁歸兮聲嚶嚶。」 A solitary goose turns its head, its cry resounding "ying, ying."

As for the earliest known publication of the Hujia Shibapai poem attributed to her today, it cannot be found earlier than the Song dynasty, two early sources being the 12th century Yuefu Shiji, Folio 59, #3 (pp. 860-865), or in the Afterword to the Songs of Chu by Zhu Xi of the Southern Song dynasty (see QSCB, Chapter 6b1-2). YFSJ says its poem is the original one, later imitated by Liu Shang. However, the Liu Shang poem, also a first person narrative, is known to have had some popularity during the late Tang, so it could well be that the poem attributed to Cai Wenji herself was the imitation. See Idema and Grant, p. 121ff. It is translated there as well as in Chang and Saussy, pp.22-30.
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9. Hujia poem by Liu Shang (see original text
This poem by 劉商 Liu Shang is in Yuefu Shiji, Folio 59, #3. There is a translation in Robert A. Rorex and Wen Fong, Eighteen Songs of a Nomad Flute, A Fourteenth-Centry Handscroll in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, 1974. The scroll is discussed above. There is a copy of the scroll linked from another page, which also has the complete original text.
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10. Yuefu Shiji. See the page links above.
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11. Hujia poem by Wang Anshi (see original text)
王安石 Wang Anshi (1021-86) is discussed under Qinshi Chubian, Chapter 6. His Hujia poem apparently has not been translated.
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12. Hujia Shibapai: a new creation
An opera on this story by Bun-Ching Lam (Wenji: Eighteen Songs of a Nomad Flute, 2002) uses a libretto adapted from a different poem about the Cai Wenji story, the one by Liu Shang. Instead of using the 1597 version, with the lyrics attributed to Wenji herself, she composed some of her music by adapting material from sections 1, 6-7, 13-14 and 16-18 of a transcription of a performance of the 1722 version of Hujia Shibapai played by 吳景略 Wu Jinglue as published in 古琴曲集 Guqin Quji, Vol.1 [Beijing, 1962], pp.135-151. The rhythms are somewhat different from those in the performance by Wu on The Qin Repertoire of Wu Jing-lue, ROI RB-981014-2C, Hong Kong, 1998, so the transcription was presumably made from a different recording. The transcription, by 許健 Xu Jian, uses polyrhythmic meter to try to capture the nuances of Wu's free rhythms. Lam interprets these changing rhythms quite strictly. In her version some of these excerpts are played in a recognizable manner; others are quite altered, e.g., by playing them at about 1/4th the speed.
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13. Traditional Chinese operas on the Hujia theme
These include Wenji Goes to the Desert (文姬入塞 Wenji Ru Sai) and Wenji Returns to Han (文姬歸漢 Wenji Gui Han); both are discussed in LXS.
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14.
Xu Jian argues (see above) that this 1689 version actually originated in the Song dynasty; to the extent that it is sufficiently different from Da Hujia it is still a "new" melody, even if it dates from the Song dynasty.
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15. Described as 從卷至盧 "From Roll to Reed"; see sections 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12 and 15.
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16. Dating the Hujia melodies
For Xu Jian's commentary on Hujia in Qinshi Chubian, see Chapter 6a2 as well as Chapters 5b1 and 6b1-2. The biography of 董庭蘭 Dong Tinglan (not yet translated) also has relevant information.
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17. Hujia Scroll
I have shown this scroll at small gatherings, where someone can unroll the scroll as I play, and also as part of a stage performance where the images are projected using PowerPoint as I played the melody. I have not yet been had the opportunity to do this while someone recites Liu Shang's poem.

Some societies have a tradition of illustrated narrative storytelling. For example, in Rajasthan itinerant storytellers might as they go along point at a backdrop illustrating their story. Although a narrative series such as that in the Hujia scroll might seem ideally adapted for this sort of event, I am not aware of such a tradition in China.
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18. For the original Chinese text see 大胡笳.
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19. 琴史 Qin Shi: book name, or just the history of qin? Zhu Quan's sources are problematic. It is similar to but not directly from the version in Zhu Changwen's Qin History.
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20. The titles are all taken from the respective 18 poems by Liu Shang. The words added in brackets here are meant to help connect the section titles to the themes of Liu Shang's poems.
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Appendix: Chart Tracing Da Hujia (compare Xiao Hujia)
Based mainly on Zha Fuxi's Guide, 8/77/119.

琴譜
(year; QQJC Vol/page) Further information
(QQJC = 琴曲集成 Qinqu Jicheng; QF = 琴府 Qin Fu)

1. 神奇秘譜
(1425; I/149) 18T; Da Hujia (also has XHJ); "Dong Tinglan"
Related versions below are #2,3,4,5,& 9

2. 浙音釋字琴譜
(<1491; I/239) 18TL; Da Hujia; = 1425 but adds lyrics (also has XHJ)
"Dong Tinglan"

3. 風宣玄品
(1539; II/358) 18T; Da Hujia; same as 1425 (also has XHJ)
No preface

4. 西麓堂琴統
(1549; III/210) 18T; Hujia; differences, but basically follows 1425
"Dong Tinglan"

. 琴書大全
(1590; V/--) No music, but see pp.261-7 and 267-8 for extensive commentary and three poems,
18 sections each, by Wenji herself, Liu Shang, and Wang Anshi

5. 文會堂琴譜
(1596; VI/264) 18T; HJ18P, but basically same as above
No commentary

6. 綠綺新聲
(1597; VII/31) HJ18P; lyrics; fugu mode (same)
Music completely different (attribution?); see comments above and elsewhere.

7. 琴適
(1611; VIII/44) HJ18P (1st page missing); music and lyrics same as 1597;
Lyrics also placed at front of each section

8. 理性元雅
(1618; VIII/325) HJ18P; lyrics; 9 string qin; no attribution
lyrics same as 1597, but melody again different

9. 古音正宗
(1634; IX/372) Da Hujia; same as 1425
no commentary

10. 澄鑒堂琴譜
(1689; XIV/336) Hujia; hints at 1425 on 1st line, then seems almost completely different; no commentary;
This version became the standard one for the next two centuries

11. 琴譜析微
(1692; XIII/128) HJ18P; almost same as 1689
No attribution

12. 嚮山堂琴譜
(<1700?; XIV/118) Hujia; 18 sections related to 1689
No commentary

13. 蓼懷堂琴譜
(1702; XIII/289) 18 Pai; almost same as 1689
No attribution

14. 五知齋琴譜
(1722; XIV/550) HJ18P; the version most commonly played today, but almost same as 1689; attributed to Cai Yan
The complete Cai Yan lyrics (see source) are copied after the tablature

15. 臥雲樓琴譜
(1722; XV?) HJ18P;

16. 存古堂琴譜
(1726; XV?) HJ18P;

17. 琴書千古
(1738; ?) HJ18P;

18. 春草堂琴譜
(1744; ?) Hujia

19. 蘭田館琴譜
(1760; XVI/282) HJ18P; compare 1689
(Sections sometimes divided differently

20. 琴香堂琴譜
(1760; XVII/175) HJ18P; like 1689

21. 自遠堂琴譜
(1802; XVII/476) Hujia; like 1689

22. 裛露軒琴譜
(>1802; ?) HJ18P;

23. 琴譜諧聲
(1820; ?) HJ18P;

24. 琴學軔端
(1828; ?) HJ18P;

25. 二香琴譜
(1833) HJ18P;

26. 悟雪山房琴譜
(1836) Hujia

27. 稚雲琴譜
(1849) 18 Pai

28. 琴學尊聞
(1864) HJ18P; "same as 1738"

29. 蕉庵琴譜
(1868) HJ18P;
same commentary as 1722

30. 天聞閣琴譜
(1876) HJ18P; 16 Sections?
"Same as 1738">

31. 天籟閣琴譜
(1876) Hujia

32. 響雪齋琴譜
(1876) Hujia

33. 希韶閣琴譜
(1878) HJ18P;

34. 枯木禪琴譜
(1893) Hujia

35. 琴學初津
(1894) HJ18P+1

36. 琴學叢書
(1910; 琴府11) HJ18P;

37. 虞山吳氏琴譜
(2001/216) Da Hujia; from 1425

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琴譜 (year; QQJC Vol/page)	Further information (QQJC = 琴曲集成 Qinqu Jicheng; QF = 琴府 Qin Fu)
1. 神奇秘譜 (1425; I/149)	18T; Da Hujia (also has XHJ); "Dong Tinglan" Related versions below are #2,3,4,5,& 9
2. 浙音釋字琴譜 (<1491; I/239)	18TL; Da Hujia; = 1425 but adds lyrics (also has XHJ) "Dong Tinglan"
3. 風宣玄品 (1539; II/358)	18T; Da Hujia; same as 1425 (also has XHJ) No preface
4. 西麓堂琴統 (1549; III/210)	18T; Hujia; differences, but basically follows 1425 "Dong Tinglan"
. 琴書大全 (1590; V/--)	No music, but see pp.261-7 and 267-8 for extensive commentary and three poems, 18 sections each, by Wenji herself, Liu Shang, and Wang Anshi
5. 文會堂琴譜 (1596; VI/264)	18T; HJ18P, but basically same as above No commentary
6. 綠綺新聲 (1597; VII/31)	HJ18P; lyrics; fugu mode (same) Music completely different (attribution?); see comments above and elsewhere.
7. 琴適 (1611; VIII/44)	HJ18P (1st page missing); music and lyrics same as 1597; Lyrics also placed at front of each section
8. 理性元雅 (1618; VIII/325)	HJ18P; lyrics; 9 string qin; no attribution lyrics same as 1597, but melody again different
9. 古音正宗 (1634; IX/372)	Da Hujia; same as 1425 no commentary
10. 澄鑒堂琴譜 (1689; XIV/336)	Hujia; hints at 1425 on 1st line, then seems almost completely different; no commentary; This version became the standard one for the next two centuries
11. 琴譜析微 (1692; XIII/128)	HJ18P; almost same as 1689 No attribution
12. 嚮山堂琴譜 (<1700?; XIV/118)	Hujia; 18 sections related to 1689 No commentary
13. 蓼懷堂琴譜 (1702; XIII/289)	18 Pai; almost same as 1689 No attribution
14. 五知齋琴譜 (1722; XIV/550)	HJ18P; the version most commonly played today, but almost same as 1689; attributed to Cai Yan The complete Cai Yan lyrics (see source) are copied after the tablature
15. 臥雲樓琴譜 (1722; XV?)	HJ18P;
16. 存古堂琴譜 (1726; XV?)	HJ18P;
17. 琴書千古 (1738; ?)	HJ18P;
18. 春草堂琴譜 (1744; ?)	Hujia
19. 蘭田館琴譜 (1760; XVI/282)	HJ18P; compare 1689 (Sections sometimes divided differently
20. 琴香堂琴譜 (1760; XVII/175)	HJ18P; like 1689
21. 自遠堂琴譜 (1802; XVII/476)	Hujia; like 1689
22. 裛露軒琴譜 (>1802; ?)	HJ18P;
23. 琴譜諧聲 (1820; ?)	HJ18P;
24. 琴學軔端 (1828; ?)	HJ18P;
25. 二香琴譜 (1833)	HJ18P;
26. 悟雪山房琴譜 (1836)	Hujia
27. 稚雲琴譜 (1849)	18 Pai
28. 琴學尊聞 (1864)	HJ18P; "same as 1738"
29. 蕉庵琴譜 (1868)	HJ18P; same commentary as 1722
30. 天聞閣琴譜 (1876)	HJ18P; 16 Sections? "Same as 1738">
31. 天籟閣琴譜 (1876)	Hujia
32. 響雪齋琴譜 (1876)	Hujia
33. 希韶閣琴譜 (1878)	HJ18P;
34. 枯木禪琴譜 (1893)	Hujia
35. 琴學初津 (1894)	HJ18P+1
36. 琴學叢書 (1910; 琴府11)	HJ18P;
37. 虞山吳氏琴譜 (2001/216)	Da Hujia; from 1425