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Qin Cao
By Cai Yong (133 - 192), with added comment on other Qin Cao 		琴操
蔡邕 1

The Qin Cao discussed here in the main text is the most famous one, attributed to Cai Yong, and as found in the Pingjin Guan edition. Other versions, as well as Qin Cao attributed to other writers, are generally referenced through links or in footnotes.2

Qin Cao has the basic meaning of qin melody or melodies. Cao can also mean lament. Both of these meanings can be found in the Qin Cao attributed to Cai Yong: it divides melodies into various types, one of which is the cao, or lament.

"Qin Cao" is quoted extensively in Yuefu Shiji, which never identifies the author. This suggests it should be the most famous version, by Cai Yong. However, the quotes there are not always the same as what is given in Qin Cao attributed to Cai Yong. This leaves open the question of differing editions as well as competing titles.

 
Contents of Qin Cao 3

Preface to the Revised Edition (琴操校本序)
By 馬瑞辰 Ma Ruichen, 18054

Preface Head
In the Pingjin edition this is as follows: 5

Fu Xi made a qin, whereby to restrain falsehood, to guard the heart against low desires, that man might be cultivated and his nature regulared, to make man return to what is truly heavenly in him (Van Gulik6).

The qin is 3 chi, 6 cun, 6 fen long, resembling the 360 days in a year. It is 6 cun wide, resembling the 6 harmonies. Above the (文?) is called a "pool"; below is called a "cliff". A pool is a pond; it speaks of being level. Below (this? is the area) called a "shoreline"; a shoreline is a guest, it speaks of being ready to serve. It is broad in front and narrow in back, (thus) resembling social rank. Above it is round, below it is square, (thus) following the plan of heaven and earth.

The five strings (are gong?.... elsewhere the words 宮也 are omitted; perhaps some other editions include the four names of what were considered the five original strings), resembling the five elements (metal, wood, water, fire, earth). The big (first) string is the master; it is broad-minded and genial. The small string (second string) is the servant, modest and not disorderly. Wen Wang and Wu Wang each added a string (see Zhu Quan comment); this was in order to draw together the affections of the master and vassal. Gong (string) is lord, shang (string) is servant, jiao (string) is the people, zhi (string) is affairs, yu (string) is objects.

Qin Cao had five melodies for Book of Songs poems. The first was (see list below); the 12 laments were (see list); the 9 preludes were (see list). There were 21 Hejian Zage (not listed in preface).

(Introductions to the melodies in Qin Cao
Not yet translated.7)

(Five Melodies for Book of Songs Poems 歌詩五曲)

  1. 鹿鳴 Lu Ming (Deer Call; Mao#161)8
  2. 伐檀 Fa Tan (Chop Sandalwood; Mao#112)9
  3. 騶虞 Zouyu (The Zouyu [a fabulous tiger]; Mao#25)10
  4. 鵲巢 Que Chao (Magpie's Nest; Mao#12)11
  5. 白駒 Bai Ju (White Colt; Mao#186)12

(Twelve Laments 十二操)

  1. 將歸操 Jiang Gui Cao (About to Return Melody)
  2. 猗蘭操 Yilan Cao (Esteemed Orchid Melody)
  3. 龜山操 Guishan Cao (Turtle Mountain Melody)
  4. 越裳操 Yueshang Cao (Yueshang Melody)
  5. 拘幽操 Juyou Cao (Gloomy-Detention Melody)
  6. 岐山操 Qishan Cao (Melody of Mount Qi)
  7. 履霜操 Lü Shuang Cao (Walking-in-the-Frost Melody)
  8. 朝飛操 Zhi Zhao Fei Cao (Melody of the Pheasant Flies in the Morning)
  9. 別鶴操 Bie He Cao, see Bie Gu Cao (Parting Snowgoose Melody)
  10. 殘形操 Canxing Cao (Melody of the Partial Form)
  11. 水仙操 Shuixian Cao, (Water Immortals' Melody); see Shuixian Qu (and text)
  12. 懷陵操 Huailing Cao (Cherished Mound Melody)13

(Nine Preludes 九引)

  1. 列女引 Lienü Yin
  2. 伯姬引 Boji Yin (see the Governess of Boji)
  3. 貞女引 Zhen Nü Yin (see the Woman of Lu)
  4. 思歸引 Sigui Yin (see also the Woman of Wei)
  5. 霹靂引 Pili Yin (see Fenglei Yin)
  6. 走馬引 Zouma Yin (see Shuli Mugong)
  7. 箜篌引 Konghou Yin (see Huoli Zigao)
  8. 琴引     Qin Yin (see Tumen Gao)
  9. 楚引     Chu Yin (see Longqiu Gao)

(21 Hejian Zage 河澗雜歌二十一章 ; compare Hejian Yage14)

  1. 箕山操         Jishan Cao (see under Dunshi Cao)
  2. 周太伯         Zhou Taibo (= Aishang zhi Ge?)
  3. 文王受命     Wen Wang Shou Ming (see Wen Wang)
  4. 文王思士     Wen Wang Si Shi (see Wen Wang)
  5. 思親操         Si Qin Cao (see in 1511)
  6. 周金縢         Zhou Jin Teng (see under Feng Lei Yin)
  7. 儀鳳歌         Yi Feng Ge (see Xiaoshao Jiucheng, Fenghuang Laiyi)
  8. 龍蛇歌         Long She Ge (see Shi Shi Zhi Cao)
  9. 芑梁妻歎     Qi Liang Qi Tan (by the Wife of Qi Liang)
  10. 崔子渡河操 Cuizi Du He Cao ("by Minzi")
  11. 楚明光         Chu Ming Guang (see Chu Ming Guang)
  12. 信立退怨歌 Xin Li Tui Yuan Ge (see Bian He)
  13. 曾子歸耕     Zengzi Gui Geng (see under Zengzi)
  14. 梁山操         Liangshan Cao (also see under Zengzi)
  15. 諫不違歌     Jian Bu Wei Ge (see Shi Yu)
  16. 莊周獨處吟 Zhuangzhou Du Chu Yin (details)
  17. 孔子厄         Kongzi E (see Confucius)
  18. 三士窮         San Shi Qiong (see Three Gentlemen)
  19. 聶正刺韓王 Nie Zheng Ci Hanwang (see under Guangling San)
  20. 霍將軍歌     Huo Jiangjun Ge
  21. 怨曠思惟歌 Yuankuang Siwei Ge (concerns Wang Zhaojun)

  22. 處女吟         Chu Nü Yin (commentary missing; see YFSJ)
  23. 流澌咽         Liu Si Yin (commentary missing; see YFSJ)
  24. 雙燕離         Shuang Yan Li (commentary missing; see YFSJ)
 
Qin Cao Afterword 琴操補遺
By...

 
Footnotes (Shorthand references are explained on a separate page)

1. Qinshu Cunmu says it can be found in the following sources:

平津館校本 Pingjin Guanjiao (this is the one I have seen)
惠氏校錄本 Huishi Jiaolu
漢魏遺書輯本 Han Wei Yishuji
玉函山房輯本 Yuhan Shanfangji
讀畫齋本 Duhuazhai
(Return)

2. The various 琴操 Qin Cao
In the materials on this website there are many references without further qualification to "Qin Cao". The reference is not always clear. Since the most famous Qin Cao is the one by Cai Yong, there is a tendency to want to ascribe these references to him. However, the versions assigned to him do not all have the same content, and there were also some early Qin Cao written by others.

Thus, for quotations simply attributed to a Qin Cao that don't seem to refer to any of Cai Yong's versions (one must consider that they are from one of the other books of that name, all apparently lost. These include,

  1. Qin Cao by Huan Tan (ca. 43 BCE - 28 CE; QSCM, #10)
  2. Qin Cao by 孔衍 Kong Yan (268 - 320; QSCM, #17)
  3. Qin Cao by two anonymous authors (QSCM, #18

In addition there are a number of collections of poetry or lyrics called Qin Cao. These include,

  1. Qin Cao by Han Yu (all set to music in (Taigu Yiyin)
  2. Qin Cao by various writers, collected in Qinshu Daquan, Folio 13, Part I.
    (Return)

3. I have seen two editions of the Qin Cao based on the Pingjin Guan edition:

  1. In Qinxue Congshu (1910), Folios 1 and 2
    Reprinted Tong Kin-Woon's Qin Fu, Taiwan, 1971 & 1981, pp. 739 -753.

  2. In 叢書集成初編 Congshu Jicheng Chubian, 中華書局, 1985, Vol. 1671.
    This edition has punctuation and some commentary (double-column) added.
Although Cai Yong's Qin Cao apparently survives only in an 18th century copy, it was quoted enough in early sources that it is considered quite authentic. However, as can be seen from the above, there are inconsistencies both in the titles and in the accompanying explanations (or lack thereof).
(Return)

4. 馬瑞辰 Ma Ruichen 1775 - 1853; Bio/82 (Return)

5. Original Chinese of Qin Cao preface head (琴操，平津館校本，序首):

"昔伏羲氏作琴所以禦邪僻防心淫以修身理性，反其天真也。琴長三尺六寸六分，象三百六十日也。廣六寸，象六合也。文上曰池，下曰巖。池水也，言其平。下曰濱。濱賓也，言其服也。前廣，後狹，象尊卑也。上圓，下方，法天地也。五絃（宮也），象五行也。大絃者君也，寬和而溫。小絃者臣也，清廉而不亂。文王、武王加二絃，合君臣恩也。宮為君，商為臣，角為民，徵為事，羽為物。古琴曲有歌詩五曲，一曰（見上）。。。。又有一十二操，一曰。。。。又九引，一曰。。。。又有河間雜歌二十一章。
(Return)

6. Van Gulik translated the beginning of this preface in Lore, p. 42.
(Return)

7. Follow links or footnotes for further details of each. (Return)

8. 鹿鳴 Lu Ming: Deer Call; Mao#161; Seng, Most ancient
Zha's Index 30/237/444; 6 handbooks from 1618; recording (Return)

9. 伐檀 Fa Tan: Chop Sandalwood; Mao#112; Seng, Most ancient
Zha's Index 39/267/553; 4 handbooks from 1744; recording (Return)

10. 騶虞 Zouyu: The Zouyu (a fabulous tiger); Mao#25; Seng, Most ancient
Not in Zha's index (Return)

11. 鵲巢 Que Chao: Magpie's Nest; Mao#12; Seng, Most ancient
Zha's Index 39/--/555; two handbooks, 1745 and 1835
The Shi Jing poem has an allegory to a magpie raising a 鳩 cuckoo. The Qin Cao preface is missing.
No connection to Magpie Bridge (鵲橋 Que Qiao: see lyrics for Qing Ping Yue). (Return)

12. 白駒 Bai Ju (White Colt; Mao#186; not in Seng
Not in Zha's index (Return)

13. Huailing Cao
This lament from Qin Cao, attributed here to Bo Ya (see under Gao Shan), may no longer exist, but the Song dynasty melody list Qin Shu: Qu Ming has the second version below as an alternate title for Gao Shan. Huai Ling has been written two ways.

  1. 壞陵(操) Ruined Mound (Lament). 5709.xxx, but 2/1241 壞陵 (no "cao") says it is the 12th of Cai Yong's Qin Cao. This title can be found, e.g., in Nandu Xinshu and Feng Ru Song Ge.

  2. 懷陵操 Cherished Mound Lament. Taiyin Daquanji and Qinxue Congshu (TKW, QF, p.739) both write Huai Ling Cao in this way. 7/790 has no 懷陵 huailing but 11716.117 huai ling says it is a grave name; this and the above-mentioned connection to Gao Shan lead one to speculate that the title refers to the grave of Bo Ya's qin friend Ziqi. However, the is no mention of a melody. Neither name is in Zha Fuxi's index of melodies in existing handbooks.
    (Return)

14. Hejian Yage (compare Hejian Zage)
17634 has only .153 河閒樂 Hejian Yue. The titles here present a problem in studying Qin Cao. Taiyin Daquanji, Folio 4, instead of 河澗雜歌 Hejian Zage, has a list of 21 河間雅歌 Hejian Yage titles it says are part of Qin Cao (no mention of Cai Yong and no accounts of the melodies). But the titles are completely different from those of the 河澗雜歌 Hejian Zage listed above from Qinxue Congshu (see Qin Fu, p. 739ff). In addition, the 1549 commentary on You Lan (see #6 below) says it is included among 21 "雜弄 Zanong", not Yage.

    Taiyin Daquanji, Folio 4 (QQJC I, pp. 70 - 71) names the 21 河澗雅歌 Hejian Yage titles as follows
    (上古, 中古 and 下古 refer to the list of Seng Juyue).

  1. 蔡氏五弄 Cai Shi Wunong (Five melodies of Mr. Cai; see in 1511)
  2. 雙鳳     Shuang Feng (Paired Phoenixes; see Zhang Anshi [or Qing Anshi])
  3. 離鸞     Li Luan (Parting of the Fabulous Luan; see Zhang Anshi [or Qing Anshi])
  4. 歸鳳     Gui Feng (Returning Phoenix; should be 歸風 Returning Wind? see Zhao Feiyan)
  5. 送遠     Song Yuan (Seen off to a Distant Place; see Zhao Feiyan)
  6. 幽蘭     You Lan (Solitary Orchid; 上古 ; in Jieshi mode?)
  7. 白雪     Bai Xue (White Snow; 上古 ; see in 1425; no Yang Chun!)
  8. 長清     Chang Qing (Long Clarity, 下古 ; see in 1425)
  9. 短清     Duan Qing (Short Clarity, 下古 ; see in 1425)
  10. 長側     Chang Ce (Long Slant; see in 1549)
  11. 短側     Duan Ce (Short Slant; 下古 see in 1549 )
  12. 清調     Qing Diao (Clear Tune; a YFSJ, melody type?)
  13. 大遁     Da Dun (Great Concealment; 5960.xxx)
  14. 小遊     Xiao You (Short Ramble; 7632.xxx)
  15. 明君     Ming Jun (see in YFSJ)
  16. 胡笳     Hu Jia (Barbarian Reedpipe; 中古 ; see in Da Hujia, etc.)
  17. 廣陵散 Guangling San (Guangling Melody; 下古 ; see in 1425)
  18. 白魚歎 Bai Yu Tan (White Fish Elegy; 23191.709xxx)
  19. 楚妃歎 Chu Fei Tan (Chu Concubine Elegy; 上古 ; see Fan Ji)
  20. 風入松 Feng Ru Song (Wind Enters the Pines; see in 1511)
  21. 烏夜啼 Wu Ye Ti (Evening Call of the Raven; 下古 ; see in 1425)
    (Return)

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