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03. Autumn River Evening Fishing
- (Shang mode: 1 2 4 5 6 1 2 ) 1 		秋江晚釣
Qiujiang Wandiao 3

This title survives in six handbooks, but two of these (1647 and the identical 1692) have a completely different melody. The first three (in the present handbook, 1585 and 1589) have lyrics. The sixth (in 1802) is said to be the same as 1589 (but perhaps without the lyrics).3

In addition, the melody of Qiu Jiang Wan Diao has some similarities with one called Chun Jiang (Spring River !), particularly in the longer versions of Chun Jiang such as those published in 1551 and 1557.4

On the other hand two melodies with somewhat similar names, Qiujiang Yebo (Autumn River Night Waves) and Qiujiang Songbie (Autumn River Sendoff), are melodically unrelated.5

A short note at the front of the version in Faming Qinpu says this melody is by Yan Ziling.6 Yan Ziling (ca. 40 BCE to ca 40 CE), one of the most famous examples of a scholar who declined public life in favor of honorable reclusion.7

As a youth Liu Xiu (5 BCE-57 CE; Han dynasty Guangwu emperor 25-57 CE) had studied in Chang'an together with Yan Ziling, then many years his senior. Several stories attest to a strong personal relationship between the two. While the usurper Wang Mang was in power (6-23) Yan Ziling went into retirement in the Shaoxing area. When Liu Xiu became emperor he was able to persuade Yan Ziling to visit him in the capital, but he could not persuade him to take office. Instead Yan Ziling went into retirement in a secluded spot up the Fu Chun River (or Fu Chun Mountain, overlooking the Qian Tang River) about 100 km. from Hangzhou, spending his time enjoying nature. A Yan Ziling Fishing Terrace still commemorates the supposed location, though even before a modern dam raised the level of the river, the terrace was far too high above the river to mark a fishing spot.

The versions of Qiujiang Wandiao dated 1585 and <1609 both have prefaces telling the Yan Ziling story. The lyrics are all related, but not identical. I have not been able to trace their source.8

My reconstruction and commentary are not yet completed.

 
Preface

None, but below the title are the words, "Shang mode, 8 sections, by Yan Ziling of the Han dynasty".

 
Music and Lyrics9
Eight Sections, untitled

1.
The bustle of worldly affairs: how can it compare with my beautiful clouds and waves,
riding in a boat, or setting up a tent?
Or letting out a fishing line, reddish jade in hand, and facing the slanting sunbeams?
Sigh at the floating clouds of riches and honor, the ties of fame and restrictions of gain,
soon what have they become? Days and months fly by like a shuttle.

2.
Pleasure, pleasure, who realizes it?
Down comes the mist and solitary ducks gather to fly.
Autumn waters and the vast heavens are one color,
Times like this allow one to forget obstructions (in the stream of life).
Discard kerchief exposing the hair, ramble off without restraint,
no restraints and no binds....(translation incomplete)

 
Footnotes (Shorthand references are explained on a separate page)

1 Faming Qinpu does not mention the mode, but later handbooks include it in the shang mode. (Return)

2 25505.69 秋江 Qiujiang "A river on an autumn day"; mentions no specific river with this name and does not mention Qiujiang Wandiao. (Return)

3 Zha Fuxi's Guide 15/156/333 has the following under Qiu Jiang Wan Diao:

  1. 1530 (I/325; different lyrics to above, but music similar to Chun Jiang of 1551, etc.; 8)
  2. 1585 (IV/359; lyrics and music similar to 1530; 8, titled)
  3. 1589 (VII/91; lyrics and music similar to 1530; 8, titled, +1)
  4. 1647 (X/92; different music, no lyrics)
  5. 1692 (identical to 1647)
  6. 1802 (shang yin; "same as [1589?] Taigu Yiyin"; 8 sections, titled; not seen)
    (Return)

4 The Guide 14/150/267 lists Chun Jiang in seven handbooks (it doesn't index 1551) from 1511; the relationship to Qiu Jiang Wan Diao is indicated below:

  1. 1511 (I/294; L; 1 section)
  2. 1539 (II/183; related; 3 sections)
  3. 1549 (III/86; music is unrelated; 10)
  4. 1551 (IV/81; related to 1511 but greatly expanded: 7+1; like Qiu Jiang Wan Diao)
  5. 1557 (III/333; similar to 1551; 8)
  6. 1561 (II/516; identical to 1553)
  7. 1585 (IV/375; L almost same as 1511; music related; 1)
  8. 1596 (VI/212; related; 6)
    (Return)

5 For more on these see:

秋江送別 Qiujiang Songbie (Autumn River Sendoff; 26/217/416)
秋江夜波 Qiujiang Yebo (Autumn River Night Waves; 30/236/--)
(Return)

6 嚴光 Yan Guang (嚴子陵 Yan Ziling (ca. 40 BCE to ca 40 CE)
4689.47 嚴光 Yan Guang has basically the same information as in Giles, A Chinese Biographical Dictionary:

Yan Guang 嚴光 (Ziling 子陵). A friend in youth of the Emperor Guang Wu of the Han dynasty. When the latter came to the throne in A.D. 25, he sent to summon Yan Guang to court; but Yan Guang preferred a life in the country, devoted to fishing and agriculture. On one occasion when the old friends met, the Emperor insisted on their sleeping together; and during the night Yan Guang put his foot on His Majesty's stomach. Next morning the Grand Astrologer reported that a strange star had been seen occupying the Imperial place; at which the Emperor laughed and said, "It's only my old friend Yan Ziling, with whom I was sleeping last night."
The preface in 1585 重修真傳琴譜 says: 嚴子陵少與光武同學相友，心契相永。後孺子遇莽亂國，同光武征討除莽。興漢世治，遂棄功名隱於富春山，與樵漁為樂。後帝詔不任，志戀江山。清風意味，鷗鳥忘機，不聞勢慾，而作時曲焉。
The <1609 and 1647 versions have prefaces which tell essentially the same story, though 1647 is somewhat elaborated. (Return)

7 For more on this see Alan Berkowitz, Patterns of Disengagement, Stanford U. Press, 2000, pp. 102-104. (Return)

8 All three tablatures use the formula for pairing lyrics and tablature commonly used at the time: one character for each right hand stroke. Many of the differences in the <1609 version are due to the fact that it uses two characters for the left hand technique 對起 duiqi, in which the left ring finger remains pressed to the string while the left thumb plucks it. Zheyin Shizi Qinpu uses this pairing technique for duiqi, but Faming Qinpu has only one character with each duiqi. (Return)

9 The lyrics end with 一聲慳 yi sheng qian ("one sound spared" ?), followed by indications that either the last character or the last three characters are to be repeated. A repeat is also indicated for the lyrics of the coda, but it is not at all clear what is to be repeated. Yang Yun Taigu Yiyin has added lyrics to the coda, and these are given below. The whole lyrics in Chinese are as follows,

1.
茫茫塵世，怎如我渺廟煙波，
駕一葉扁舟，作箇行窩。
展絲綸，琅玕在手，對斜陽得趣多。
嘆浮雲富貴，名韁利鎖，
不久將如何，日月如梭。

2.
樂哉，樂哉，誰得知？
落霞與孤鶩齊飛。秋水共長天一色，
時對此，是忘磯，
脫巾露髮，散誕無拘，
無拘亦無繫，得其所止，
明月與清風之地，
不知人世有安危。

3.
斜陽古渡頭，
綠水青山，日暮雲收。
晚天涼，輕拂拂，只見滿目風颼颼。
萬物靜觀皆自得，悠然占斷中流。
傲百世，蔑王侯，
蘋蘩作伴，鷗鷺為儔。
無榮無辱無憂，
逍遙得自由。

4.
草木黃落兮，見鴻雁而南飛。
水天一色微茫，萬頃碧琉璃，
藹然心曠神怡，綠簑衣，
斜風細雨不須歸。
人間的是無波處，
看他一日風波十二時，
多少的驚疑。
惟我在水雲鄉，一生忘嗜愈，遠輕肥。
玄真子即我友，天隨子非我師，
棄羊裘胡令物色來江湖。

5.
魚躍鳶飛，徘徊共天光雲影，
碧澄澄，萬里水波不興，
靜心悄悄，灘瀨無聲。
綠絪縕，縠紋輕。
嘆逝者如斯，光涵萬象，
猶得聖之清，好下絲綸。

6.
相對蘆花白，蓼花又紅，
芙蓉綻，澄點秋容。
兩岸丹楓與黃葉，
一天玉露金風，長江浩渺無窮。
唱一曲太平歌，不知南北與西東。
起居無時適所足，笑人毋誰我相從，
真個此江山不換與三公。
侶魚蝦，友鷗鷺，嗟夫，
萬物不干，其志恬然，
得一食，勝千鍾。

7.
潦水盡，寒潭清，煙光凝，暮山紫。
一彎新月掛銀鉤，
晚來蕩漾江湖，洞徹馮夷府。
涼飆四起，奪炎熱，凡襟一點俱無。
足粗衣，甘淡飯，
任他懸紫綬，帶金魚。
鬧業裏喧囂早不聞，
名場內聲利心何有。
臥紅輪直道西斜，
得魚時便沽酒，
醉來把長竿持在手。
一聲慳慳慳慳....

泛音
慳慳慳...(?)

（或【見楊倫太古遺音】
秋江如練，作個煙波釣叟。
落輝照絲綸，真個不羨王侯。）
(Return)

Return to Faming Qinpu or to the Guqin ToC.