The Works of Li Qingzhao, Prose 2.1 through 2.5

[x_los]

After a delay in which I came down with various interesting illnesses, we return to The Works of Li Qingzhao, freely available via De Gruyter's Library of Chinese Humanities in Mandarin and English and via several publication formats, including two open access options (the pdf appears to be better formatted than the ebook). This week we're reading the prose chapter: 2.1 through 2.5, inclusive.

This collection uses footnotes and end notes to explicate the work. A few of this week's poems have footnotes, so look out for that.

CLP has an episode on Li Qingzhao you might find relevant.

Comments

2.4 打馬圖經序 Preface to a Handbook for Capture the Horse

[x_los]

打馬圖經序

慧則通，通即無所不達;專則精，精即無所不妙。故庖丁
之解牛，郢人之運斤，師曠之聽，離婁之視，大至於堯舜
之仁，桀紂之惡，小至於擲豆起蠅，巾角拂棋，皆臻至理

者何?妙而已。後世之人，不惟學聖人之道不到聖處，雖
嬉戲之事，亦不得其依稀彷佛而遂止者多矣。夫博者，無
他，爭先術耳，故專者能之。予性喜博，凡所謂博者皆耽
之，晝夜每忘寢食。且平生多寡未嘗不進者何?精而巳。

自南渡來，流離遷徙，盡散博具，故罕為之，然實未
嘗忘於胸中也。今年冬十月朔，聞淮上警報，江浙之人，
自東走西，自南走北，居山林者謀入城市，居城市者謀入
山林，旁午絡繹，莫不失所。易安居士亦自臨安泝流，涉
嚴灘之險，抵金華，卜居陳氏第。乍釋舟楫而見軒窗，意
頗適然。更長燭明，奈此良夜何。於是博奕之事講矣。

且長行、葉子、博塞、彈棋，近世無傳。若打揭、
大小豬窩、族鬼、胡畫、數倉、賭快之類，皆鄙俚不經
見。藏酒、摴蒲、雙蹙融，近漸廢絕。選仙、加減、插關
火，質魯任命，無所施人智巧。大小象戲、奕棋，又惟可
容二人。獨采選、打馬，特為閨房雅戲。嘗恨采選叢繁，
勞於檢閱，故能通者少，難遇勍敵。打馬簡要，而苦無
文采。

按打馬世有二種:一種一將十馬者，謂之「關西 馬」;一種無將二十馬者，謂之「依經馬。」流行既久， 各有圖經凡例可考;行移賞罰，互有同異。又宣和間人取 二種馬，參雜加減，大約交加僥倖，古意盡矣。所謂「宣 和馬」者是也。予獨愛「依經馬」因取其賞罰互度，每事 作數語，隨事附見，使兒輩圖之。不獨施之博徒，實足貽 諸好事，使千萬世後知命辭打馬，始自易安居士也。

時紹興四年十一月二十四日，易安室序。

Preface to a Handbook for Capture the Horse

“Insight leads to penetrating understanding, and with penetrating under- standing there is nothing to which the mind cannot reach”; concentration leads to refined skill, and with refined skill everything one does will be at a level of marvelous excellence. Therefore, whether it be Cook Ding’s carving of oxen, the man of Ying’s wielding of the ax, the hearing of Musician Kuang, the eyesight of Lilou, matters of such great import as the humaneness of Yao and Shun or the wickedness of Jie and Zhou, or matters of such little import as throwing beans and catching flies or mov- ing chess pieces with the corner of a handkerchief, they all arrived at the ultimate principle of things.1 Why? Because each attained marvelous ex- cellence at what he did. But as for people of later ages, not only did they fail to reach the level of the sages in their learning of the sagely Way, even in amusements and games, most of them gave up their cultivation before ever achieving even a semblance of what earlier men had achieved. Now, board games can be reduced to this: techniques for striving to win. Any- one who gives them his concentration can master them. By nature I am fond of board games. I can lose myself in any of them so that I can play all night long without thought of food or sleep. My whole life I have won most of the contests I have played. Why? Because my level of refined skill.

Since crossing the Yangzi River southward, I have been separated from loved ones and forced to wander here and there. I have seen my board games lost and scattered, and so seldom have I had any chance to play. But in my heart I have never forgotten them. This year on the first day of the tenth month, winter, we heard that military emergencies were re- ported on the Huai River. Those who lived in the Yangzi River and Zhe River regions fled westward from the east and northward from the south. Those who live in the hills and forests made plans to flee into cities, while those who live in cities made plans to flee to hills and forests. In this protracted flight, with everyone hurrying this way and that, ultimately there was no one who was not displaced. I myself, the Resident Scholar of Yi’an, traveled upstream from Lin’an. I crossed the river amid the high terrain of Yan Rapids and proceeded to Jinhua, where I found a place to live in the home of the Chen family. Having recently exchanged the comforts of verandas and windows for the hardships of boat and oar, I feel quite content. But “the night watches are slow and the lamp burns bright”2—how can I pass the long night? So I resolved to write an account of board games.

Now, Long Walk, Leaves, Borderlands, and Pellets, these games are no longer known. Strike and Lift, Big and Little Pigpen, Ghost Clans, Bar- barian Drawings, Storehouse of Numbers, and Fast Bets, these kinds of game are vulgar and not often seen. Storing Ale, Clutch the Reed, and Double Alert have been abandoned and forgotten in recent times. Pick the Immortal, Add and Take Away, and Insert the Flame are simple, dull games that depend on luck and leave no room for people to apply their knowledge or ingenuity. Large and Small Ivories and Weiqi can only be played by two persons at a time. It is only Selecting Colors and Capture the Horse that can be considered elegant games of the women’s inner quarters. But I dislike how complicated Selecting Colors is, requiring so much looking up. Few people can really master it, and so it is difficult to find an able opponent. Capture the Horse, by contrast, is simple and straightforward, although it is somewhat lacking in color and style.

I note that there are two versions of Capture the Horse. One version uses one general and ten horses. It is known as Horses West of the Passes. The other version has no general but uses twenty horses. This one is known as Horses By the Handbook. Having been around for a long time, both versions have handbooks and rules that can be consulted. The two have some different moves, rewards, and punishments. There is also another version developed during the Xuanhe reign period [1119–25] that uses two types of horses in different quantities. This version depends more on luck, and the ancient flavor of the game is completely lost. It is known as Xuanhe Horses. The version I like is Horses By the Handbook. Here, I have made estimates of some scenarios for reward and punish- ment, and have composed a few lines on each one, which are appended to each of the named arrangement of the pieces on the board. And I have had a youngster draw a diagram of each. This work may be transmitted not only to players of the game, but also to other interested persons so that a million generations hence everyone who hears of Capture the Horse will know that writings about the game began with the Recluse Scholar Yi’an.

The twenty-fourth day of the eleventh month of the fourth year of the Shaoxing period [1134], by Lady Yi’an.

Re: 2.4 打馬圖經序 Preface to a Handbook for Capture the Horse

[x_los]

“My whole life I have won most of the contests I have played. Why? Because my level of refined skill.” the balls on her

“the Resident Scholar of Yi’an” is this any kind of real post?

It’s interesting that there seems to be a kind of developed game culture, she rattles off a score of titles.

Re: 2.4 打馬圖經序 Preface to a Handbook for Capture the Horse

[superborb]

Baike has what seems like some basic instructions that have been reconstructed. It honestly from the description seems more like a modern board game than I'd expect -- a board with locations, different pieces that have different functions in those locations, and movements/actions constrained by dice throw results. Also is played 2-5, with 2 being best.

Re: 2.4 打馬圖經序 Preface to a Handbook for Capture the Horse

[x_los]

Hmm, I wonder if one can play it.