The earliest surviving version of this title is in Mei An Qin Pu (1931). The theme is a story related in Folio 42 of the Yuefu Shiji. Three sources are given there: Han Wu Di Gushi,³ Han Shu⁴ and Yuefu Jieti.⁵

Yuefu Shiji includes poems on this title by 20 different poets.⁶

The preface in Mei An Qin Pu says the composition was written by Sima Xiangru during the reign of Han emperor Wudi. In it he described the misery of Empress Chen, who had been confined to Changmen Palace.

Further details not yet online. See Lieberman, A Chinese Zither Tutor, pp. 106 - 111.

 
Footnotes (Shorthand references are explained on a separate page)

1 (Return)

2 (Return)

3 Not yet translated; does not mention Sima Xiangru. (Return)

4 Not yet translated; does not mention Sima Xiangru. (Return)

5 Not yet translated. Says that the empress gave Sima Xiangru 100 斤 catties of gold to write an essay describing her grief, resulting in his poetical essay called 長門賦 Changmen Fu. (Return)

6 The poets include: (details not yet added) (Return)

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