Complete Yuan Qu 111

Feng Xueli / 薛鸿鹏The Commercial Press · ChinaJan 2021

3.4

Word count: 13K words
Chapters: 9

Summary

全元曲 is an emerging literary form, generally divided into zaju and sanqu. It produced great writers and many outstanding works and has had a profound influence on literary history. Sanqu grew out of the popular songs and folk tunes of the Jin dynasty; the great majority belong to the northern qu and include xiaoling and taoshu. More than 3,800 xiaoling and over 450 taoshu survive today. There are more than 214 named authors, among them, in the early period, Guan Hanqing, Ma Zhiyuan and Bai Pu, and in the later period Qi Ji, Zhang Kejiu, Sui Jingchen, Zhang Yanghao and Liu Shizhong. Because sanqu were often used as songs for singing girls at banquets, many are erotic songs, but there is no lack of xiaoling describing scenery, expressing emotion and meditating on the past, and of taoshu satirizing custom and criticizing current abuses; famous examples include Ma Zhiyuan's Borrowing a Horse, Liu Shizhong's To Senior Inspector Gao and Sui Jingchen's The Emperor Gaozu Returns to His Home Village. Yuan zaju originally circulated in the Shanxi and Hebei region, and in the early Yuan flowed

Editor's review

This volume is the 111th installment of the Complete Yuan Qu series, continuing the editorial lineage of the original Republican-era Commercial Press edition and presenting the basic landscape of Yuan sanqu and zaju. Sanqu originated in the popular songs and folk tunes of the Jin dynasty, consists mainly of northern qu, and is divided into xiaoling and taoshu; a considerable number survive today, and its authors run in unbroken succession from Guan Hanqing, Ma Zhiyuan and Bai Pu to Qi Ji, Zhang Kejiu, Sui Jingchen, Zhang Yanghao and Liu Shizhong. The selection ranges from erotic songs for banquets to works describing scenery, expressing emotion and meditating on history, while the taoshu include pieces satirizing custom and criticizing current abuses, such as the famous Borrowing a Horse, To Senior Inspector Gao and The Emperor Gaozu Returns to His Home Village. As a single volume, its significance lies in providing a systematic textual basis that allows readers to advance volume by volume and compare passages across the set. In reading, attention may be paid to the use of chenzi and the colloquial rhythm of sanqu, to appreciate its brisk flavor as distinct from shi and ci; the circulation of zaju may also be set alongside the sanqu works to understand the overall ecology of Yuan literary forms. Suitable for study and collection, not for light entertainment.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Teachers and students of classical Chinese literature in universities who need to study Yuan qu texts volume by volume
Enthusiasts of classical Chinese drama who want to understand the relationship between sanqu and zaju as literary forms
Scholars of textual editions concerned with the editorial appearance of the original Republican-era edition
Writers of shi, ci and qu who wish to draw on the language and syntax of Yuan qu

Not a good fit for

Beginners who want only modern annotation and vernacular translation
General readers with little patience for classical verse
Collectors who need a complete general collection rather than a single volume

Reading tips

Read by author groups and compare the stylistic differences between early Guan Hanqing and later Zhang Kejiu.
Read xiaoling and taoshu aloud to feel the colloquial rhythm of northern qu and the use of chenzi.
When reading satirical taoshu, consult material on Yuan social background to understand their critical thrust.
Compare this volume's table of contents with adjacent volumes to build an impression of the distribution of pieces across the whole work.

About the publisher

The Commercial Press China · Founded in 1897

"Republic-era Commercial Press Original Editions" refers to original books printed by The Commercial Press during the Republican period, not a separate publishing house. Judging from the 300 titles held in the collection, its publishing focus centers on classical poetry and lyrics, literary appreciation, classic works, military texts, prose and miscellaneous writings, and Eastern philosophy. Representative titles include Wang Guowei's Renjian Cihua, Zhong Rong's Shipin, the lyric collections of Xin Qiji and Liu Yong, Sun Wu's The Art of War, and Lü Buwei's Xianshi Lan. Its author resources are mainly classical writers, together with modern scholars such as Li Jingbang and Guo Huaruo, whose collations and annotations are also represented, giving the list a character centered on original texts while attending to annotation and appreciation. Public information on the precise Republican-era catalog and printings is limited; this overview is based only on the titles held in the collection.

版权信息
董秀英花月东墙记
楔子
第一折
第二折
第三折
第四折
第五折
马致远

FAQ

How are sanqu and zaju distinguished in the book?

The materials explain that Complete Yuan Qu is generally divided into two major categories, zaju and sanqu, and that sanqu further includes xiaoling and taoshu, mostly belonging to northern qu. This volume centers on these two literary forms and also touches on the regions where zaju circulated and its transmission. Readers can distinguish the forms by the markers in the table of contents and then choose whether to read the sanqu or the zaju-related portions first.

Does this volume duplicate the contents of volume 110?

Both volumes belong to the Complete Yuan Qu series and their introductory overviews are similar, but as separate volumes their specific arrangements of pieces should each have their own division of labor. Readers are advised to compare the tables of contents of both volumes to confirm their scope and avoid duplicate purchase or missed reading; if you already own one, check the contents first before deciding whether to add the other.

Which famous taoshu are included in the book?

According to the materials, famous taoshu include Ma Zhiyuan's Borrowing a Horse, Liu Shizhong's To Senior Inspector Gao and Sui Jingchen's The Emperor Gaozu Returns to His Home Village, most of which satirize custom and criticize current abuses. Whether all of them appear in this volume must be determined by the volume's table of contents; consult the list of pieces before reading.

Is it suitable as classroom teaching material?

It can serve as supplementary material. The book preserves the appearance of the original text, making it suitable for teachers to select passages from famous xiaoling or taoshu for classroom reading and explanation, used together with annotations and background commentary. For younger students, however, teachers are advised to clear up vocabulary and wording first and then organize discussion, so that reading straight through does not create comprehension difficulties.

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About the author

Feng Xueli Author

Feng Xueli is an editor engaged in the collation of ancient Chinese texts; public information about him is limited, and no authoritative record of his life, native place, dates of birth and death has been found. According to available records, in 1999 he edited the combined "Complete Tang Poems," "Complete Song Ci," and "Complete Yuan Qu," published by Inner Mongolia Cultural Press in sixteen volumes. He also co-edited "Complete Tang Poems" and "Complete Yuan Qu" with Xue Hongpeng. Fifty-six of his works are held in the collection, mainly individual volumes of the "Complete Yuan Qu" series, such as volumes 142 through 149. Classified under ancient poetry, these works reflect his focus on compiling and collating classical verse—Tang poems, Song ci, and Yuan qu—providing readers with a relatively systematic body of texts for studying ancient Chinese poetry and song.

薛鸿鹏 Author

Xue Hongpeng is an author for whom public information is currently limited; details such as nationality, dates of birth and death, and educational background are not clearly recorded. According to Chinese book databases, 55 works appear under this name, mainly in the category of classical poetry, with representative titles being volumes 142 to 149 of the Complete Yuan Qu series. These works center on the compilation and presentation of Yuan dynasty sanqu and zaju texts, systematically assembling Yuan qu literature so that readers can consult material from this period in a concentrated way. The editing style tends toward documentary organization, emphasizing textual completeness and orderly arrangement, and serves the reading and research needs of enthusiasts of classical poetry and qu studies. Owing to the lack of biographical detail, little more can be said about the author's scholarly background.