This melody and its modal prelude survive only in Xilutang Qintong (1549). Its story was apparently well-known in ancient times.³ However, there seems to be no further information on Jiaofu of Zheng other than that he lived during the Zhou dynasty.⁴

River nymphs seem to have been a popular theme. Besides these two Han river nymphs there are the two famous nymphs of the Xiang river (wives of Shun), as well as those of the Luo River.

 
Original preface

 
Four sections⁵
(titled)

1. Cold ripples, doubled image
2. At the river's edge an unexpected meeting
3. Attentively bestow a present
4. On the horizon a solitary cloud
     harmonics
     end

 
Footnotes (Shorthand references are explained on a separate page)

1 仙珮迎風 391.xxx (Return)

2 玉女意. Lower the first and third strings. See separate entry. (Return)

3 Xi Zhuochi's 4th century local history of the Xiangyang area, along the Han River in northern Hubei, tries to give prominence to this local area by claiming this event took place there. (Unpublished paper by Andrew Chittick, 2000). (Return)

4 40513.107 鄭交甫 Zheng Jiaofu gives no information about Jiao Fu himself, adding only that he was traveling from Chu to Han, and that the two nymphs traveled with him for about 10 paces before disappearing with the jewels. It gives as its source 尚友錄 Shang You Lu, #20. Bio/1579 has the same story, citing 列仙傳 Liexian Zhuan, adding only that Jiaofu lived during the Western Zhou. (Return)

5 The original titles are:

1. 凌波雙影
2. 江濱邂逅
3. 慇勤解贈
4. 天際孤雲
   (Return)

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