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10. Yueshang Melody
- Standard tuning: 5 6 1 2 3 5 6 played as 1 2 4 5 6 1 2		 越裳操
Yueshang Cao 1

Yueshang Cao is an ancient title. It is one of the melodies in the Qin Cao list attributed to Cai Yong (133-192).2 And the Song dynasty's Monk Ju Yue (Seng Juyue) includes a Yueshang Cao 3 in his list of earliest qin tablature.

As for surviving qin tablature, there are several melodies on the Yueshang theme,4 all attributed to the Duke of Zhou (Zhou Gong), the younger brother of the Civil King (Wu Wang), the first ruler of the Zhou dynasty (1122-249) and later regent for King Cheng (Cheng Wang), Wu Wang's son.5

The Yueshang are said to have been a people living in an area called Jiao Zhi,6 identified as a part of what is today Vietnam. According to the History of the Latter Han dynasty, during the six years that the Duke of Zhou was regent for King Cheng he acted properly and made music; the world was at peace, (so) the Yueshang sent tribute.

The version here in Taigu Yiyin is set to lyrics by Han Yu (768-824) in the voice of the Duke of Zhou. The same lyrics are also used for the settings in handbooks dated 1539, 1585 and 1802 (see guide). And they are found under the same title in the Yuefu Shiji, which quotes two sources in its introduction:

Qin Cao says, Yueshang Cao was created by Zhou Gong."7

Music Records Old and New says, "The Yueshang presented a white pheasant, so Zhou Gong created a song. According to tradition it was called Yueshang Cao.8

Both stories suggest that if the Han rulers are virtuous, then all the countries around will pay homage. Peace and prosperity will ensue.

Yuefu Shiji then includes two poems of this title. First is a very brief one, which it says Qin Cao attributes to Zhou Gong himself.9

Alas and alack,
not the strength of Dan (Duke of Zhou),
but the virtue of King Wen.

After this come the Han Yu lyrics set to music in Taigu Yiyin and the three later handbooks with a related melody. The melody of this title in Xilutang Qintong (1549) has no lyrics and is musically unrelated; it also has a prelude called Yueshang Yin.10

 
Original preface (translation not finalized)

According to history,11 the Duke of Zhou helped King Cheng, educating him very correctly. The Yueshang people south of Jiaozhi said, "The skies have no evil winds or bad rain, and the seas have not been rough for three years. This must mean that the Central Kingdom has a virtuous man. Why don't we go visit him?" The Duke of Zhou gave them five double-horse chariots equipped with compasses, so that they would not lose their way. He wrote this melody to show that there was no place that the king's civilizing influences could not reach. See the sages, "no daring not to come enjoy, no daring not to come the kin's word." This can be used to think about seeing these times.

 
Music and lyrics (by Han Yu): One section12
The setting is largely syllabic, following the structure of the lyrics: (3+3+6) x 1, then (4+4) x 6

Rain has bestowed, and living things can grow,
      how can I think that?
Beginning with the Zhou dynasty,
      its difficulties, its labor.
In order to have border regions,
      privately for my descendents.
My ancestors are above,
      the four directions are below.
His approaching great awe,
      dare play in order to ridicule.
What is barren at the gate,
      what is controlled in the fields?
The four seas are equal,
      the Yueshang are vassals.

 
Footnotes (Shorthand references are explained on a separate page)

1. 越裳操
37943.130 Yueshang says it is in southern Vietnam and quotes the History of the Latter Han as though it is the earliest reference. 37943.131 Yueshang Cao says this is a poem in the qin melody section of Yuefu. This and Hanyu Dacidian, IX, P.1115 give no mention of Yueshang outside of the context of the Zhou Gong story. Keith Weller Taylor, The Birth of Vietnam (Berkeley, U. California Press, 1983), mentions the story on p.186. Sometimes the Yue people are called 越常 Yue Chang, as in the 文選 Wen Xuan poem 東京 賦 Eastern Metropolis Rhapsody by 張衡 Zhang Heng. Knechtges' translation, Vol. 1, p.178, refers to a translation by Hightower of 韓詩外傳 Han Shi Wai Zhuan.
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2. 蔡邕琴操 Cai Yong's Qin Cao does not survive directly. The versions in 琴苑要彔 Qinyuan Yaolu (Yuan dynasty, Beijing reprint), where it is called 越嘗操 Yuechang Cao (37943.xx; chang = taste), and in 琴學叢書 Qinxue Congshu (1910; see Tong Kin-Woon's Qin Fu, pp.741-2) have almost identical introductions which quote the short poem attributed to Zhou Gong.
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3. 僧居月，越操 Yue Cao; the Han History mentions a 越歌 Yue Song.
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4. Zha Guide has three Yueshang entries:

  1. 13/134/241 越裳操 Yueshang Cao (1511, 1539, 1549, 1585, 1802, 1840 [no lyrics; not available for examination])
    All but 1549 are in one section; 1549 has 10 (see Yueshang Yin)
  2. 22/-/- 越裳吟 Yueshang Yin (only 1549)
    Prelude to Yueshang Cao
  3. 39/-/- 越裳歌 Yueshang Ge (only 1745)
    This one may or may not be related; it is also attributed to Zhou Gong.
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5. 周公 Zhou Gong is also mentioned in #4 Qishan Cao and #9 Wen Wang Qu.
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6. 244.165 交趾 says it is in the Tongkin area, which is in the north of Vietnam; it has nothing about Yueshang. Keith Taylor, op.cit., p.26, says the term (in Vietnamese Giao-chi) means "intertwined feet", referring to a group sleeping custom of some peoples of the region, but not the Vietnamese.
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7. "琴操曰，越裳操，周公所作也。"
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8. "古今樂錄 曰﹕越裳獻白雉，周公作歌。"
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9. Perhaps it is a fragment. The original is: "於戲嗟嗟，非旦之力，乃文王之德。".
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10. See Qinqu Jicheng, Vol. 3, pp.220-222.
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11. ?
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12. Lyrics
The original lyrics are as follows:

雨之施，物以孳。
      我何意於彼為？
自周之先，
      其艱其勤，
以有疆宇，
      私我後人。
我祖在上，
      四方在下，
厥臨孔威，
      敢戲以侮。
孰荒于門，
      孰治于田。
四海既均，
      越裳是臣。
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