Juyou Cao is the second of the ten Qin Cao² set to lyrics by Han Yu (766-824). The lyrics are in the voice of Wen Wang (Civil King), father of Wu Wang (Military King), who founded the Zhou dynasty in the 12th century BCE.

These lyrics are included with Juyou Cao in Yuefu Shiji together with lyrics attributed to Wen Wang himself. The introduction there consists of a quote from Qin Cao (seems to be an abbreviated version of the one in the Revised Edition), as follows,

Wen Wang (then called Chang) is said to have written Juyou Cao while detained at Youli by Zhou Xin, the last ruler of the Shang dynasty.³ As related in Chapter 3 of the Records of the Grand Historian,⁴ Chang's supporters were able to ransom him by sending to Zhou Xin beautiful women, valuable objects and fine horses. Zhou Xin then made Chang Lord of the West. From this position Chang and his son eventually ousted the wicked Zhou Xin and established the Zhou dynasty.

This title appears in three later handbooks, where the melodies differ to varying degrees.⁵

 
Original preface

According to history, Zhou Xin did not have the Dao. The viscount of Ji had remonstrated him without effect, then (to save himself had to) act crazy and became a slave. (Zhou Xin's uncle Prince) Bi'gan remonstrated and died (at the hands of Zhou Xin). When Chang (Wen Wang) heard of this he sighed, and so (Zhou Xin) imprisoned (Chang) in Youli. This melody was written by Wen Wang while detained in this gloomy place. According to the Qin Record (Qin Lu), "Wen Wang was detained in You Li. He was unhappy and dejected. He played his qin and sang this, so it was called Detained in Gloom."

 
Music and Lyrics: One section⁶ (Translation not completed)
The setting of Han Yu's lyrics is largely syllabic, following the structure of the lyrics:

 
Footnotes (Shorthand references are explained on a separate page)

¹ 12249.31 A qin melody written by Wen Wang while detained in Youli. YFSJ also has a Ju You Cao attributed to Wen Wang himself, but its lyrics are not set to music here. Zhu Changwen's biography of Wen Wang in Qin Shi says an alternate name is 離憂操 Liyou Cao and that Han Yu's poem was called Youli Melody. (Return)

² All ten are set to music in Taigu Yiyin. The various versions of 琴操 Qin Cao are all somewhat different. For example, the one in the Qin Cao in 琴苑要彔 Qinyuan Yaolu (Yuan dynasty; Beijing reprint) has a longer introduction to Juyou Cao than the one here, but it is still much shorter than the one in the Qin Cao of 琴學叢書 Qinxue Zongshu (1910; see 唐健垣，琴府 Tong Kin-Woon's Qin Fu, p. 742.). (Return)

³ 紂辛 Zhou Xin had his capital in what is today Henan province. 羑里 You Li is in northernmost Henan. The home of 昌 Chang and the 周 Zhou people was in Shaanxi. (Return)

⁴ See Nienhauser, The Grand Scribes Records, pp. 50 and 58. (Return)

⁵ See Zha Fuxi's index 13/130/238: 1585 (same lyrics, related music), 1618 (same lyrics, different music [5-string qin]); 1802 (same lyrics, different music). (Return)

⁶ The original lyrics are:

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