The complementary forms of Music Bureau songs and poems set to music reached their apogee during the Tang. During the Kaiyuan and Tianbao reigns, there was a certain Li Balang, who was the most talented singer in the entire empire. Once, when those who had just passed the jinshi examination were being fêted at Serpentine River, among the honored guests was a gentleman of renown who, before the feast, had summoned Li and told him to change his clothes and disguise his name. The clothes he wore that day were particularly tattered, and he affected a mournful and dispirited expression as he accompanied the gentleman of renown to the feast. The gentleman announced to the other guests, “My younger cousin wants to sit at the end of the table.” The others paid no attention to him. After the wine was passed around and music began, the singers entered. At the time, Cao Yuanqian and Niannu were the most celebrated singing girls in the capital. When they finished singing, the assembled guests all sighed with admiration and gave shouts of approval. The renowned gentleman suddenly pointed at Li and said, “Let’s have my cousin sing.” The guests looked at Li and sneered, and some even became angry. But Li cleared his throat and began to sing, and by the time he finished one song, the guests were all moved to tears. Gathering around him they bowed and exclaimed, “This must be Li Balang!”1 Thereafter the “music of Zheng and Wei” became more popular by the day, and ornate new musical tunes multiplied.2 These included the tunes “Bodhisattva Barbarian,” “The Spring Scene Is Lovely,” “The Katydid,” “The Waterclock,” “Sands of the Washing Stream,” “Dreaming of the Southland,” “The Fisherman,” and others, too many to fully list.
During the warfare of the Five Dynasties, the empire was sliced up like a melon and peeled apart like a bean, so that culture and learning were extinguished. Yet the Jiangnan kingdom ruled by the Li clan and its min- isters still prized literary elegance.3 They wrote songs that had such lines as “Played no more in the low tower, the jade flute is cold” and “Wind- blown ripples fill the whole pool of spring waters.” The language is cer- tainly marvelous; still, these are what are known as “the sorrowfully nos- talgic melodies of a realm going to ruin.”
When our present dynasty arose, the rites, music, literary learning, and military prowess were fully restored. After some one hundred years of beneficent influence, Liu Yong, the Military Farms officer, appeared. He rewrote old songs and composed new tunes, producing his Song Lyrics Collection, which was acclaimed by the age. Although his works meet the prosodic rules, his diction is down in the dirt. After him there was Zhang Ziye [Xian 先, 992–1039], Song Zijing [Qi 祁, 998–1061] and his brother, Shen Tang, Yuan Jiang, and Chao Ciying; and their kind ap- peared one after the other. Although here and there they too produced marvelous lines, yet their works are so fragmentary that they hardly could be considered major writers. Next came Yan Yuanxian [Shu 殊, 991– 1055], Ouyang Yongshu [Xiu], and Su Zizhan [Shi]. Their learning plumbed the extremes of heaven and humankind. When they composed little song lyrics, it was like adding a gourd-full of water to a great ocean.1 Still, what they wrote reads like nothing more than shi poetry that has not been properly polished, and frequently their lines violate the pro- sodic rules. Why is this? It is because while shi poetry distinguishes be- tween “level” and “oblique” tones, the song lyric distinguishes five notes. It also distinguishes five tones, six musical modes, and the difference be- tween “clear” and “turgid,” and “light” and “heavy” syllables. Moreover, the tunes known today as “Sound after Sound: Long Form,” “Blossoms in the Rain,” and “Enjoying the Darting Oriole” may, in addition to using the “level” tone rhyme, also use the “entering” tone rhyme. “Spring in the Jade Tower” originally required the “level” tone rhyme, but it may also use the “rising” or the “falling” tone rhymes, as well as the “entering” tone rhymes. Songs that require the “deflected” tone rhymes may accord with the rules if written to “rising” tone rhymes, but may become impos- sible to sing if a writer sets them to “entering” tone rhymes. The writ- ing of Wang Jiefu [Anshi 安石, 1021–1086] and Zeng Zigu [Gong 鞏, 1019–1083] resembles the style of the Western Han period. But when they write little song lyrics, people fall down laughing because their songs simply cannot be recited aloud. We can see, therefore, that this form of writing is a field unto itself, and those who understand it are few. Later, Yan Shuyuan [Jidao 幾道, 1038–1110], He Fanghui [Zhu 鑄, 1052– 1125], Qin Shaoyou [Guan], and Huang Luzhi [Tingjian 庭堅, 1045– 1105] appeared, and they were the first to truly understand the genre. But Yan’s works suffer from lack of narrative exposition, and He’s suffer from inadequate substance and classical style. Qin cares only about emo- tions and has too few literary references. His works are like a beautiful girl from a poor family. Although she may be gorgeous and radiant, she will never have the bearing of a lady from an affluent and high-ranking clan. As for Huang, although he prizes literary allusions, his works have many defects. They are like jade that has blemishes, reducing its value by half.
2.1 詞論 On Song Lyrics
樂府聲詩並著，最盛于唐。開元，天寶間，有李八郎者，
能歌擅天下。時新及第進士開宴曲江，榜中一名士先召
李，使易服隱名姓，衣冠故敝，精神慘沮，與同之宴所，
曰「表弟願與座末。」眾皆不顧。既酒行樂作，歌者進。
時曹元謙，念奴為冠，歌罷，眾皆咨嗟稱賞。名士忽指李
曰「請表弟歌。」眾皆哂，或有怒者。及轉喉發聲，歌一
曲，眾皆泣下，羅拜，曰:「此李八郎也。」自後鄭衛之
聲日熾，流靡之變日煩，已有《菩薩蠻》，《春光好》，
《莎雞子》，《更漏子》，《浣溪沙》，《夢江南》，
《漁父》等詞，不可遍舉。
五代干戈，四海瓜分豆剖，斯文道熄，獨江南李氏君
臣尚文雅，故有「小樓吹徹玉笙寒，」「吹皺一池春水」
之詞，語雖奇甚，所謂「亡國之音哀以思」也。
逮至本朝，禮樂文武大備，又涵養百餘年，始有柳屯
田永者，變舊聲，作新聲，出《樂章集》，大得聲稱於
世，雖協音律，而詞語塵下。又有張子野，宋子京兄弟，
沈唐，元絳，晁次膺輩繼出，雖時時有妙語，而破碎何足
名家。至晏元獻，歐陽永叔，蘇子瞻，學際天人，作為小
歌詞，直如酌蠡水於大海，然皆句讀不葺之詩爾，又往往
不協音律者。何耶?蓋詩文分平側，而歌詞分五音，又分
五聲，又分六律，又分清濁輕重。且如近世所謂《聲聲
慢》，《雨中花》，《喜遷鶯》，既押平聲韻，又押入聲
韻;《玉樓春》本押平聲韻，又押上去聲韻，又押入聲。
本押仄聲韻，如押上聲則協，如押入聲則不可歌矣。王介
甫、曾子固，文章似西漢，若作一小歌詞，則人必絕倒，
不可讀也。乃知別是一家，知之者少。後晏叔原，賀方
回，秦少游，黃魯直出，始能知之。又晏苦無鋪敘，賀苦
少典重。秦即專主情致，而少故實，譬如貧家美女，雖極
妍麗豐逸，而終乏富貴態。黃即尚故實，而多疵病，譬如
良玉有瑕，價自減半矣。
On Song Lyrics
The complementary forms of Music Bureau songs and poems set to music reached their apogee during the Tang. During the Kaiyuan and Tianbao reigns, there was a certain Li Balang, who was the most talented singer in the entire empire. Once, when those who had just passed the jinshi examination were being fêted at Serpentine River, among the honored guests was a gentleman of renown who, before the feast, had summoned Li and told him to change his clothes and disguise his name. The clothes he wore that day were particularly tattered, and he affected a mournful and dispirited expression as he accompanied the gentleman of renown to the feast. The gentleman announced to the other guests, “My younger cousin wants to sit at the end of the table.” The others paid no attention to him. After the wine was passed around and music began, the singers entered. At the time, Cao Yuanqian and Niannu were the most celebrated singing girls in the capital. When they finished singing, the assembled guests all sighed with admiration and gave shouts of approval. The renowned gentleman suddenly pointed at Li and said, “Let’s have my cousin sing.” The guests looked at Li and sneered, and some even became angry. But Li cleared his throat and began to sing, and by the time he finished one song, the guests were all moved to tears. Gathering around him they bowed and exclaimed, “This must be Li Balang!”1 Thereafter the “music of Zheng and Wei” became more popular by the day, and ornate new musical tunes multiplied.2 These included the tunes “Bodhisattva Barbarian,” “The Spring Scene Is Lovely,” “The Katydid,” “The Waterclock,” “Sands of the Washing Stream,” “Dreaming of the Southland,” “The Fisherman,” and others, too many to fully list.
During the warfare of the Five Dynasties, the empire was sliced up like a melon and peeled apart like a bean, so that culture and learning were extinguished. Yet the Jiangnan kingdom ruled by the Li clan and its min- isters still prized literary elegance.3 They wrote songs that had such lines as “Played no more in the low tower, the jade flute is cold” and “Wind- blown ripples fill the whole pool of spring waters.” The language is cer- tainly marvelous; still, these are what are known as “the sorrowfully nos- talgic melodies of a realm going to ruin.”
When our present dynasty arose, the rites, music, literary learning, and military prowess were fully restored. After some one hundred years of beneficent influence, Liu Yong, the Military Farms officer, appeared. He rewrote old songs and composed new tunes, producing his Song Lyrics Collection, which was acclaimed by the age. Although his works meet the prosodic rules, his diction is down in the dirt. After him there was Zhang Ziye [Xian 先, 992–1039], Song Zijing [Qi 祁, 998–1061] and his brother, Shen Tang, Yuan Jiang, and Chao Ciying; and their kind ap- peared one after the other. Although here and there they too produced marvelous lines, yet their works are so fragmentary that they hardly could be considered major writers. Next came Yan Yuanxian [Shu 殊, 991– 1055], Ouyang Yongshu [Xiu], and Su Zizhan [Shi]. Their learning plumbed the extremes of heaven and humankind. When they composed little song lyrics, it was like adding a gourd-full of water to a great ocean.1 Still, what they wrote reads like nothing more than shi poetry that has not been properly polished, and frequently their lines violate the pro- sodic rules. Why is this? It is because while shi poetry distinguishes be- tween “level” and “oblique” tones, the song lyric distinguishes five notes. It also distinguishes five tones, six musical modes, and the difference be- tween “clear” and “turgid,” and “light” and “heavy” syllables. Moreover, the tunes known today as “Sound after Sound: Long Form,” “Blossoms in the Rain,” and “Enjoying the Darting Oriole” may, in addition to using the “level” tone rhyme, also use the “entering” tone rhyme. “Spring in the Jade Tower” originally required the “level” tone rhyme, but it may also use the “rising” or the “falling” tone rhymes, as well as the “entering” tone rhymes. Songs that require the “deflected” tone rhymes may accord with the rules if written to “rising” tone rhymes, but may become impos- sible to sing if a writer sets them to “entering” tone rhymes. The writ- ing of Wang Jiefu [Anshi 安石, 1021–1086] and Zeng Zigu [Gong 鞏, 1019–1083] resembles the style of the Western Han period. But when they write little song lyrics, people fall down laughing because their songs simply cannot be recited aloud. We can see, therefore, that this form of writing is a field unto itself, and those who understand it are few. Later, Yan Shuyuan [Jidao 幾道, 1038–1110], He Fanghui [Zhu 鑄, 1052– 1125], Qin Shaoyou [Guan], and Huang Luzhi [Tingjian 庭堅, 1045– 1105] appeared, and they were the first to truly understand the genre. But Yan’s works suffer from lack of narrative exposition, and He’s suffer from inadequate substance and classical style. Qin cares only about emo- tions and has too few literary references. His works are like a beautiful girl from a poor family. Although she may be gorgeous and radiant, she will never have the bearing of a lady from an affluent and high-ranking clan. As for Huang, although he prizes literary allusions, his works have many defects. They are like jade that has blemishes, reducing its value by half.