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60. Zhuangzi's Butterfly Dream
- Shangjiao mode, standard tuning: 5 6 1 2 3 5 6, but played as 1 2 4 5 6 1 2 2 		莊周夢蝶
Zhuangzhou Meng Die 1
See 圖 full size 3    
The Butterfly Dream of Zhuangzi, like the other shangjiao mode piece, #59 Shenhua Yin, was one of the most popular qin pieces, the title being found in 43 surviving handbooks through 1946.4 The melodies are all related. However, the most noticeable characteristic of the opening harmonic passage, several harmonics played in the eighth position, was soon changed to play all the notes in more common positions. (The changed notes, 3, 4 and 5 [mi, fa so], have in this position a slightly different tuning from these notes played in the more common positions.5)

Early claims for associations between Zhuangzi6 and the qin include his association with the melody Zhuangzhou Duchu Yin,7 listed among the qin melodies of Cai Yong (Hejian Zage, #16).

The Shen Qi Mi Pu version has also been recorded by Chen Changlin.

 
Original Preface8

The Emaciated Immortal says

this piece existed in antiquity, but long ago transmission ceased. (The Song dynasty's) Mao Minzhong continued it.

The (first section of the) book Zhuangzi says,

"(I) Zhuangzi once dreamed I was a butterfly, a butterfly fluttering about..., not knowing about Zhuangzi. Suddenly I woke up, glad to find I was still Zhuangzi. (But) I didn't know whether I had dreamed that I was a butterfly, or was a butterfly dreaming of being Zhuangzi. There must be a difference between Zhuangzi and a butterfly, and this is what is called "material transformation."

Thus a gentleman who can attain the Dao shrinks that which has been created beyond objective existence, (instead) using his spirit to guide his life force, wandering pleasantly in a broad, quietly empty place, going along with all the changes in heaven and on earth, and being of one substance with the Universe. This pleasure is not the sort an ordinary bumpkin can know; (only) men of distinction attain it.

 
Music
Eight sections; titles are from Zheyin Shizi Qinpu 9

(00.00) 1. Prophetic dream
(00.27) 2. Changing into a butterfly
(01.32) 3. Zhuangzi (becomes) a butterfly
(02.04) 4. A butterfly (becomes) Zhuangzi
(02.41) 5. Pleasant wandering
(03.14) -- ("the above is different from Section 6; it should all show the idea of fluttering")
(03.42) 6. Guiding one's life force
(04.35) 7. Waking up and knowing the difference
(05.33) 8. Material transformation
(06.19) -- End of piece (no harmonics indicated)

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

 
Footnotes (Shorthand references are explained on a separate page)

1. Zhuangzi's Butterfly Dream (莊周夢蝶 Zhuangzhou Meng Die)
31795.65 Zhuangzhou zhi meng 莊周之夢 has Zhuangzi's dream; nothing about music. Other titles used include Hudie Meng 蝴蝶夢 38085.10 name of two operas, one Yuan, one Qing), Diemeng Yin (38086.51 diemeng, nothing on music) and Meng Die (5935.137 nothing on music); the alternate titles for Shenhua Yin can be very similar.
(Return)

2. Shangjiao Mode (商角調 shangjiao diao)
For further information see Shenpin Shangjiao Yi and Modality in Early Ming Qin Tablature.
(Return)

3. Image
See further.
(Return)

4. Tracing Zhuangzhou Meng Die
For 莊周夢蝶 Zhuang Zhou Meng Die, Zha's Guide (10/97/147) on p. 10 lists 39 handbooks, giving 蝴蝶夢 Hudie Meng and 夢蝶 Meng Die as alternate titles. One of the later occurences is the Zhuang Zhou Meng Die in Tianwen'ge Qinpu. That handbook also has a musically unrelated melody called 化蝶 Hua Die (Butterfly Transformation), attributed to Zhang Kongshan.
(Return)

5. It can be considered natural tuning as opposed to Pythagorean. See Qin Tunings with special reference to Shen Qi Mi Pu. (Return)

6. 莊子 Zhuangzi (莊周 Zhuang Zhou)
See Zhuangzi and the footnote below.
(Return)

7. Melody of Zhuangzi Staying Alone (莊周獨處吟 Zhuang Zhou Du Chu Yin)
The commentary on Zhuang Zhou Du Chu Yin (31795.xxx) in Qin Cao (see Hejian Zage, #16) says Zhuangzi disagreed with the military policies of 齊涽王 King Hun of Qi, and so became a recluse. However, commentaries on Du Chu Yin (21209.172) make no association with Zhuangzi. Neither does .173 獨處愁 Du Chu Chou (see YFSJ, Du Chu Yin and Folio 9, p. 1074, Du Chu Chou.)
(Return)

8. For the original text see 莊周夢蝶. (Return)

9. 一，夢占；二，蝶化；三，周蝶；四，蝶周；五，燕游； （「已上分開第六段全要見栩栩之意」）； 六，敘氣；七，覺分；八，物化。
(Return)

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