In the qin repertoire this melody survives only from Xilutang Qintong. However, the story of a man separated from his wife when he becomes successful is popular in Chinese opera, and in the Ming dynasty chuanqi (miracle tale) repertoire there were at least two operas, called Doorbar Tale, about Baili Xi.⁴ One was by Duan Ao, active during the Wanli period (1573-1620), the other by Zhang Fengji (1528-1614).

Baili Xi was a famous prime minister in the state of Qin during the 7th c. BCE. The qin melody section of Yuefu Shi Ji⁵ has three one-stanza poems attributed to his wife. The Yue Fu preface is almost the same as the one here, adding that the source of the story is Fengsu Tong.⁶ The title is simply Three Qin Songs. The first of the three poems has lyrics almost identical to the lyrics of the present piece, which are:⁷

In Yanyi Ge these lyrics are repeated six times, comprising the first half of each of the six sections of the melody.

The biography of Baili Xi's wife, Qin Shi #53,⁸ quotes the second poem, which is very similar to the first; the third is slightly longer.⁹ Burning the doorbar showed how poor they had been when he had to flee without her: the only way to cook dinner had been to burn part of the door frame. She was also impoverished, so she made her way to Qin, where she became a washerwoman and was eventually reconciled with her husband.

Baili Xi's wife is not mentioned in pre-Han sources or the Shi Ji,¹⁰ according to which Baili Xi was born of a poor family in the state of Yu.¹¹ He traveled around offering his services to many rulers but was unsuccessful, finally returning to serve his home state. However, the Duke of Yu did not follow Baili Xi's advice and Yu was destroyed by Jin. Baili Xi was taken to Jin as a captive, but he escaped and tried to get to Qin. However, he was captured in Chu. Duke Mu of Qin (reigned 659-621)¹² offered five ramskins as ransom for Baili Xi, fearing that if he offered more the people of Chu would realize how valuable Baili Xi was. The ruse was successful and Baili Xi brought great success to Qin through his policies as Prime Minister. He was also known as a man of the people, who did not put on airs, and so was greatly mourned when he died.

 
Original preface:

Baili Xi had been selected, but the Duke of Yu did not use him, sending him to Qin. Duke Mu of Qin raised him up to be minister. Because of a banquest music was presented. A woman responsible for the wash said she understood music, and called (for permission to) enter the hall, where she took out a qin and sang . The meaning of the lyrics was grievous and pitiful. When asked, she said she was his legal wife, and they returned to being husband and wife. This melody was created later in accordance with the story.

 
Six sections (untitled)

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
end

 
Footnotes (Shorthand references are explained on a separate page)

1 12030.1 Yan Yi; the character yi (戶 with _多 in it) is not in my computer program; 12030.1 says that it can also be written 剡移 (2066.15). The definition of  ^戶_多 is 牧所以止扉也 something used by a shepherd to close his door. It also says 門閂 men shuan, a bar for keeping a door closed. (Return)

2 12030.4 yanyi ge says "qin melody" and relates Fengsu Tong story; 23192.190 百里奚 Baili Xi adds nothing new; 262.218 五羊 wuyang says this is Baili Xi; 262.631 五羖大夫 Wugu Daifu (Five Ramskin Grandee) says this is also a name for Baili Xi. (Return)

3 Shang Ge 商歌
3834.149 商歌 says "sad song", but connects it only to a 飯牛歌 Fan Niu Ge by 晉甯戚 Ning Qi of Jin (or Wei?), who was singing sadly by his cart when 齊桓公 Duke Huan of Qi heard then hired him. (Return)

4 扊^戶_多記 Yanyi Ji, was a 傳奇 composed by 端鏊 and 張鳳冀. See 戲曲辭典 Xiqu Cidian by 王沛 Wang Pei, pp. 458, 519 and 353. Reference is made to 舍北行飯 North of my Cottage Travel Rice (?), a poem by 陸遊 Lu You (1125-1210). (Return)

5 pp.880-1; the first is almost the same as the version given here. (Return)

6 Penetrating Popular Ways; attributed to 應劭 Ying Shao, ca. 200 CE. (Return)

7 百里奚，五羊皮，臨別時，烹伏雌，炊剡移，今富貴兮，忘我為。 （六次） The characters yanyi given here are an alternative form given in the dictionary and used here because the yi of yanyi is not in my computer program. (Return)

8 Qin History, a collection of biographies by (Song) Zhu Changwen. Entry 53 (Folio II) (Return)

9 37 characters as opposed to 22. (Return)

10 See Chapter 5. Translated by W. H. Nienhauser, Vol. I, p.94ff (Return)

11 For an argument that the Five Ramskin Grandee was not Baili Xi but 孟明視 Meng Mingshi, see Melvin Thatcher, The Case of the Five Sheepskins Grandee, in Journal of the American Oriental Society, 108 (1988), pp.27-49. Thatcher agrees that Baili may be a place name, but is not convinced by an argument that Xi means "slave". (Return)

12 秦穆公 Qin Mu Gong
Duke Mu of Qin is also mentioned in connection with the melody Fenghuang Taishang Yi Chui Xiao. There is a biography of his wife in Lienü Zhuan. (Return)

Return to the annotated handbook list or to the Guqin ToC.