The lyrics and the melody itself show clearly that Caoman Yin is a predecessor of Xianweng Cao (Melody of the Transcendent Venerable One).⁴ "Transcendent Venerable One" was one of the nicknames for the 10th century recluse Chen Tuan (see footnote). Chen Tuan is thought of primarily as a Daoist, but he has also been connected to the development of neo-Confucianism. Early sources mention his ability to sleep. Later his reputed meditation practices led to him being associated with a with a number of "internal arts". However, there seem to be no stories that tell of him playing the qin, and it is not clear how this melody came to be associated with him.

Xianweng Cao is used today simply as a beginners' melody. It is quite likely that Caoman Yin also originated for the same purpose. The repetitious and straightforward nature of the melodies and lyrics make it well-suited for this, but these same characteristics also allow it to serve as a sort of warm up melody (or calming down) for more advanced players. The effect of playing it in a calm manner might be compared to the effect that making ink was intended to have on someone preparing to do calligraphy.⁵

The present essay focuses on the three earliest surviving versions of this melody, published in the following handbooks.

1. Taiyin Chuanxi (IV/3; 1552)
   Called Caoman Yin, this version was written using longhand tablature,⁶ generally thought to have been completely replaced by the current shorthand tablature some time in the Tang dynasty. It has a short preface followed by a melody in three sections⁷:
   1. Chu He (Begin Harmony)
   2. Da He (Great Harmony)
   3. Xiao He (Small Harmony).

   There are no lyrics and its preface, which does not mention Xianweng, is identical to the central part of the preface of the 1557 version.⁸

2. Taiyin Buyi (III/305; 1557)
   This version also has no lyrics, but it does have an extended general preface, plus separate prefaces for each of the three sections.⁹ The general preface clearly identifies this as a beginners' melody; it also mentions "xianweng", using it as an honorific for a Daoist encountered in the Jiuhua Mountains.¹⁰ Xianweng, as mentioned above, was one of the nicknames for the famous Song dynasty recluse Chen Tuan, and the lyrics of later versions all mention Chen Tuan along with Xianweng. Here, although the writer addresses the Daoist as "xianweng", the Daoist identifies himself as the "Woodcutter of Jiuhua Mountains". The woodcutter plays the melody there transcribed, attributing it to a Warring States period music master named Shi Cao;¹¹ according to tradition, when Shi Cao played the qin immortals would come to listen. Each section also has a statement attributed to this Woodcutter of Jiuhua Mountain. The titles of the three sections are the same as those in 1552 (see above):
   1. Chu He: Beginning Harmony
   2. Da He: Great Harmony
   3. Xiao He: Small Harmony

3. Chongxiu Zhenchuan Qinpu (IV/297; 1585)
   This is the first surviving version with lyrics. It has no overall title, but each of the three sections is titled and has a short commentary.¹² The short commentaries do not mention either name, but the lyrics invoke both Xianweng and Chen Tuan in a way that suggests they are the same person.¹³ Because in 1585 the lyrics are not in the melody section, Zha's Guide does not include them until 1596, where they are listed as three separate melodies. The sections/melodies are named:
   1. Tiaoxian Runong: Beginning Melody
   2. Fanyin Tiaonong: Harmonics Melody
   3. Wuhui Tiaonong: Fifth Position Melody

Later versions of Caoman Yin can be found in many early qin handbooks, under various titles.¹⁴ However, the only old handbook I have found mentioning Xianweng in the title is Qinxue Lianyao (1739),¹⁵ where it is called Tiao Xianweng Ge.¹⁶ This version has characteristics of both the original and the present versions.¹⁷

These melodies are almost always included with the essays at the beginning of the handbooks, rather than with the regular melodies. Perhaps this indicates they were considered only as meditations (or as introductory exercises).

The preface to the 1557 version suggests that unless one begins with simple melodies, one will never master the qin.¹⁸ My own teacher told me that the seemingly most simple pieces were the ones that required the greatest art.¹⁹ This still leaves open the question of whether this piece is more meditation or more fingering exercise.

 
Original Preface
The 1552 preface being only the central section of the 1557 General Preface, here are the more detailed 1557 prefaces ²⁰

 
Melody
The 1557 version has no lyrics.²⁵ Its melody can be described as follows:

1. The first section focuses on unisons played between an open string and a stopped sound in the 9th or 10th position, but does not do so in as systematic a way as the modern version does.
2. The second section, in harmonics, features unisons and fifths.
3. The third section is similar to the first except that it is has octaves played between an open string and a stopped sound in the 5th or below the 5th position.

 
Footnotes (Shorthand references are explained on a separate page)

1. Caoman Yin 操縵引
The title could also be translated as Adjust the Strings Prelude. The term Caoman is found it two ancient sources. In the Book of Rites it seems to mean "adjust the strings"; in other sources it seems to mean simply "play on the silk strings". Both translations suggest that this is an essential beginner's melody.

2. Chen Tuan (陳摶 906 [some sources say 871!] - 989)

Two images of Chen Tuan

Chen Tuan (42618.1012; also .1013) was style named 圖南 Tunan, self-nicknamed 扶搖子 Fu Yaozi; as mentioned in the lyrics here he was also called 陳希夷 Chen Xiyi, referring to the title Master of the Inaudible and Invisible, bestowed upon him in 984 (希夷先生 Xiyi Xiansheng; 9025.26 希夷 xiyi: 無聲曰希，無色曰夷，為道之本體也。 Xi is what cannot be heard; yi is what cannot be seen. The name thus refers to the basic structure of the Dao. It also suggests longevity, hence 希夷﹕靈芝也 a longevity plant, perhaps a phantasmagoric mushroom.) The most complete source of information I have found on Chen Tuan is Livia Kohn's online Chen Tuan: Discussions and Translations (Three Pines Press). There is a brief note on him in Wikipedia.

Chen Tuan's biography in Lie Xian Quan Zhuan is sometimes illustrated as at right. He is said to have been originally from 真源 Zhenyuan (now in eastern Henan province), also the reputed birthplace of Laozi. He may have studied to become an official during the Later Tang dynasty (923-935) but apparently spent much of this time wandering amongst various mountains, finally becoming a recluse at 華山 Hua Shan, a famous mountain range east of modern Xi'an. History records that at least three times, in 956, 976 and 984, he visited the Later Zhou and Song court in Kaifeng. During the 984 visit he was given the title mentioned above, Master of the Inaudible and Invisible. His writings are said to have been influential in the development of Neo-Confucianism, but he is most famously associated with Daoism. A poem attributed to him, Returning to My Retreat, is included in Red Pine (trans.), Poems of the Masters, Port Townsend, Copper Canyon Press, 2003; p.458.

Daoist legends about Chen Tuan were already forming during his lifetime. He was particularly famous for meditation and his ability to sleep. The sound of his sleeping was sometimes said to be a Huaxu melody. The image at right of him sleeping was taken in a grotto at the 玉泉廟 Jade Spring Temple at Hua Shan, dedicated to Chen Tuan. This temple also has a stone inscription of the text of Qingjing Jing, an illustration of Chen Tuan flying on a crane, and of Mao Nü playing the qin, but not of Chen Tuan playing the qin.

There is no information to show how Chen Tuan became connected with Caoman Yin or any of its variants. One other qin melody connected to him is a song in eight sections called 鳳凰吟 Fenghuang Yin (Phoenix Intonation). It survives only in Taiyin Xisheng (1620; IX/174), which says he composed it out of grief that there were no sages for their society in decline. The lyrics begin: 物之生於天地兮，何曾有盡藏。鱗之瑞兮，吾知其龍章....

Chen Tuan and Liuhe Bafa (六合八法)
Popular culture associates Chen Tuan (Chen Xiyi) with a number of Chinese internal arts (內功 neigong, see in Wikipedia). In particular, some stories say he founded an internal Chinese martial arts form called Liuhe Bafa (Six Harmonies Eight Methods), also known as Shui Quan (Water Boxing, see also in Wikipedia). Classical dictionary references do not give sources for either 六合八法 Liu He Ba Fa (1477.168 only 六合 liuhe) or Water Boxing (水拳 Shui Quan 17458.xxx). The connection with Chen Tuan is through a legend of uncertain origin that centuries after Chen's death a 李東風 Li Dongfeng (East-wind Li, Bio/xxx) learned Hua Mountain Taiji Quan (華岳太極拳 Hua-Yue Taijiquan) from now-lost texts Chen had left behind, then wrote down its principles in the form of a 134-line mnemonic formula (訣 jue, often rhymed). Each verse consists of five-characters, and this Liuhe Bafa Five-character Formula (六合八法五字訣 Liuhe Bafa Wuzi Jue, q.v.), with its teachings, are said then to have passed down through 宋元通 Song Yuantong, then various other people, spreading out and forming the basis of the modern 六合八法 Liuhe Bafa martial arts system. None of the early names other than Chen Tuan is in historical dictionaries, and from looking at the original verses and at modern translations, e.g., by Paul Dillon, with commentary, I have not found out a date or source for the story making the connection to Chen Xiyi, nor have I found any connection to guqin. (Thanks to K. Conor Foxx for advice; he has also done a translation.)
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3. 1=do, 2=re, etc.; in my transcription do is written as c, but the exact pitch depends on such things as the size and quality of the instrument and strings.
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4. The transition from Caoman Yin to Xianweng Cao seems to have taken place in the 19th century. The melodic relationship between the early Caoman Yin and the Xianweng Cao of today is clear. However, since very few of the 19th century handbooks have been re-printed, I do not have information that might allow more details on just how the transition took place.
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5. In former times, and sometimes still today, Chinese calligraphers would make their own ink. To do this they add water to the inkstone, then rub with another stone. To get in the right mood they might at times spend a considerably longer time than necessary doing this before beginning to write.
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6. There do not seem to be any studies of this version to determine whether its use of longhand tablature is evidence of antiquity, or evidence of attempts to forge antiquity. The only authenticated surviving melody using longhand tablature is Jieshidiao You Lan. The modern simplified tablature developed out of this long hand tablature, apparently during the Tang dynasty. Although this fact may suggest great antiquity for this melody, it could also simply be a modern imitation of that style.
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7. The section titles with the 1552 version are 初和 Chu He; 大和 Da He; 小和 Xiao He. The commentary is as follows:

8. Although the 1557 handbook seems to have been published later, there is no clear indication proving that the text of the 1552 preface is older.
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9. See translation above. The titles are the same as those of the 1552 version, but each section also has a subtitle.
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10. Woodcutter of Jiuhua Mountains 九華山樵
173.469 identifies 九華 Jiuhua as the name of mountains in Anhui and near the coast in Fujian. The more famous of these is the 九華山 Jiuhua Mountains west of Huangshan in Anhui province. I have found nothing to link this name or these places with Chen Tuan, who is instead associated with 華山 Hua Shan (31910.7/6 makes no mention of the number 9).
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11. 衛人師曹 9129.xxx. Shi Cao's qin biography, 琴史琴補 Qin Shi Bu #16 says he was a music master in the court of Duke Ling of Wei. It does not mention Xianweng Cao, but says that whenever Shi Cao played many immortals would gather. Shi Cao is also mentioned in some of the later prefaces to Caoman Yin.
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12. The section titles and commentary with the 1585 version are as follows:

1. 調絃入弄 Introductory Melody
   西峰曰，其法今只知云和琴而是不知法則也。子法定音和畢再從容於七絃從順鼓撫聲音次第輪環發揮自然入妙喜音者聽吾和聲美亦無窮矣。
2. 泛音調弄 Harmonics Melody
   法從七徽起(?走+尺)順輪鼓撫下九徽亦接順撫又下十十二次第依法和弄是也。
3. 五徽調弄 Melody at the Fifth Position
   No commentary at the beginning, but the end suggests that one should use the above to fix the mind and calm the spirit:
   已前隨應循環調撫音定心靜神清而起意。
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13. The lyrics are mostly as follows:

However, the third section of this handbook also inserts the lyrics of a song beginning "Summer goes, winter comes, spring turns to autumn....". These lyrics also accompany one section of the qin melody Xing Tan (#34 of Xilutang Qintong, 1549).
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14. Zha Fuxi's Guide 39/--/552 操縵 Cao Man mentions only the version in the Japanese Toko Kinpu, giving 仙翁操 Xianweng Cao as an alternate name. He has separate entries, each with several references, for Tiaoxian Runong, Fanyin Runong, and Wuhui Tiaonong. I assume the fact that they generally were not included in the melody sections is the reason that he did not properly index them. I have found 15 versions up to 1751. Since the reproduction of old handbooks in Qinqu Jicheng goes only up to 1802 I have only been able to look at a few handbooks after that date. And because Zha's index looks only at the melody section, I can only say that if a version of this melody is included after 1802, it is still included with the introductions, not with the melodies.
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15. 琴學練要 Qinxue Lianyao is not in Qinqu Jicheng, but in 1996 it was reprinted in Beijing in a facsimile edition.
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16. 調仙翁歌 Tiao Xianweng Ge (Playing the Xianweng Song; see Folio I, p.23) begins like the end of the version I learned, then has some phrases from the earlier versions.
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17. There are two versions of Xianweng Cao in 愔愔室琴譜 Yinyinshi Qinpu (2000), the handbook of 蔡德允 Tsar Teh-yun (Cai Deyun). The first version there is quite like the one I learned from my teacher, 孫毓芹 Sun Yü-ch'in, missing only a short section in the middle; it has lyrics. second has no lyrics, but it has some phrases from the earlier versions.

Sun Yü-ch'in did not sing the lyrics when he taught Xianweng Cao, but I remember seeing them at that time. He did give me some tablature, but always said we should copy him, not look at tablature. The tablature of Xianweng Cao I have from Taiwan has number notation underneath but no lyrics. It is very similar to the version in Yinyinshi Qinpu, but it has no lyrics. For my own transcription into staff notation I added the lyrics from memory, then later checked it with the version in Yinyinshi Qinpu.
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18. The preface in this 1557 version says this as follows.

19. He actually said this in connection with the melody Xiang Fei Yuan, played today very much as it is written in Taigu Yiyin (1511). Taigu Yiyin has many simple songs. At that time there was apparently debate about singing style vs. purely instrumental style, but I haven't found specific details about this. One can imagine that the debate involved the relative value of a simple style vs. a complex one, but again I have not found the details.

Xianweng Cao, one to two minutes long, begins and ends on the same two notes. This naturally allows one to play the melody over and over. Such repetition can be settling. It also allows the player to focus on the subtle tones that can be produced by a silk string qin when played well. This is the essence of qin play.

This technique for settling down before playing is also in some ways comparable to the old custom of Chinese calligraphers rubbing their own ink. To do this they add water to the inkstone, then rub with another stone. To get in the right mood they might at times spend a considerably longer time than necessary doing this before beginning to write.

The repetitions of the modern Xianweng Cao seem more orderly than those of the old versions of Caoman Yin, making this meditative approach easier.
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20. 1557 is Xingzhuang Taiyin Buyi, attributed to 蕭鸞 Xiao Luan, who called himself 杏莊老人 the Old Man of Apricot Village.
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21. The original General Preface of the 1557 version was undivided. Here it is divided into three paragraphs. The 1552 preface consists of only the middle paragraph (minus the first character, 然). The original Chinese from 1557 is as follows:

22. (I.) 初和，宮商定位 (Beginning Harmony; the notes are fixed)
The original Chinese is as follows:

23. (II.) 大和，君臣合德 (Great Harmony, Master and vassal have virtues in harmony)
The original Chinese is as follows:

24. (III.) 小和，律呂和平 (Small Harmony, The notes are harmonious)
The original Chinese is as follows:

25. The lyrics of the version played today are included under Xianweng Cao. The lyrics there and in other versions include the following names or expressions:

 
Appendex
Liuhe Bafa Five-character Formula (六合八法五字訣 Liuhe Bafa Wuzi Jue

心意本無法，包羅小天地，要學心意功，無象亦無意，視不能如能，乘勢擊與顧，步步占先機，剛柔互參就，虛靈含有物，原來自我始，
兩腿似弓彎，彷彿臨大敵，形動如浴水，有法是虛無，釋家為圓覺，先從八法起，收放勿露形，生疏莫臨敵，剛在他力前，時時要留意，
調息坎離交，窈窈溟溟趣，雙單可分明，伸縮腰著力，目光如流電，若履雲霧霽，虛無得自然，道家說無為，養我浩然氣，鬆緊要自主，
動時把得固，柔乘他力後，蓄力如弓圓，上下中和氣，忽隱又忽現，陰陽見虛實，臂脊須圓抱，精神顧四隅，飄飄乎欲仙，無法不容恕，
有象求無象，遍身皆彈力，策應宜守默，一發未深入，彼忙我靜待，發勁似箭直，守默如卧禪，息息任自然，虛引敵落空，内外混元氣，
前四後佔六，浩浩乎清虛，放之彌六合，不期自然至，見首不見尾，不偏亦不倚，審機得其勢，攻守任君鬥，悟透陰陽理，動似蟄龍起，
避免敵重力，欲收放更急，息念要集神，掌握三與七，意動似懼虎，氣靜如處子，顯隱無與有，道理極微細，元根築基法，世間無難事，
神意要集中，欲緊未著力，見形尋破綻，處處無乘隙，法術二而一，形似游龍戲，舒筋活血脈，水火得相見，奇正得相生，犯者敵即仆，
凝神尋真諦，欲動似非動，蘊藏皆珠玉，欲學果有誠，推動轉輪器，運使求均衡，絲毫不相讓，呼吸細綿綿，缺一不能立，縱橫與起伏，
榮衛得適宜，精研内外功，動靜隨心欲，五總九節力，妙法有和合，靜中還有意，說難亦非難，久恒與智慧，一觸力即發，螺旋循環氣，
腕肘肩胯膝，升降緩而急，兩手輕輕起，陰陽運行數，一吸氣便提，心虛腹要實，麤成五字訣，欲學持有恒，離塵空虛寂，息念氣自平，
看易本非易，華嶽希夷門，使敵難迴避，逢敵莫惶張，足踏手脚齊，得法可應變，曲伸無斷續，意動氣相隨，氣氣可歸臍，率然取其勢，
後學莫輕視，升堂可入室，拳拳得服膺，默默守太虛，有志事竟成，力行最為貴，欲鬆似非鬆，開闔收與放，節節力貫串，有術方為奇，
轉移有曲折，關節含蓄力，一提氣便咽，首尾不相離。 （奇正得相生，動靜隨心欲，粗成五字訣，後學莫輕視。）

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