Complete Yuan Qu 121

Feng Xueli / 薛鸿鹏The Commercial Press · ChinaJan 2021

3.7

Word count: 20K words
Chapters: 14

Summary

Quanyuanqu (The Complete Yuan Qu) is a newly emerging literary genre, generally divided into zaju (variety plays) and sanqu (non-dramatic songs). It produced great writers and many fine works, exerting a profound influence on literary history. Sanqu grew out of the popular ballads and folk tunes of the Jin dynasty; the great majority belong to the northern mode and include xiaoling (short lyrics) and taoshu (song suites). More than 3,800 xiaoling and over 450 taoshu survive today. There are over 225 named authors, among them, in the early period, Guan Hanqing, Ma Zhiyuan and Bai Pu, and in the later period, Qiao Ji, Zhang Kejiu, Sui Jingchen, Zhang Yanghao and Liu Shizhong. Because sanqu were often used as song lyrics for entertainers at banquets, many are love songs, but there is no lack of xiaoling on scenery, lyrical expression and remembrance of antiquity, or taoshu satirizing custom and criticizing current abuses; famous examples include Ma Zhiyuan's "Borrowing a Horse," Liu Shizhong's "To High Commissioner Gao," and Sui Jingchen's "The Emperor Returns Home." Yuan zaju originally flourished in the Shanxi and Hebei regions and in the early Yuan spread

Editor's review

This volume is the 121st fascicle of the large comprehensive collection Quanyuanqu, reproduced or edited from the original edition published by the Commercial Press in the Republican period, and forms part of a systematic compilation of Yuan sanqu and zaju documents. Its value lies not in appreciation of individual pieces but in providing a relatively complete, searchable textual corpus: the sanqu section covers both xiaoling and taoshu, including not only the love songs common in banquet entertainers' lyrics but also works on scenery, lyrical expression, remembrance of antiquity and satire of custom and current abuses, preserving the context of famous pieces such as Ma Zhiyuan's "Borrowing a Horse," Liu Shizhong's "To High Commissioner Gao," and Sui Jingchen's "The Emperor Returns Home"; the zaju section touches on the theatrical tradition of the Shanxi and Hebei regions in the early Yuan. For specialist readers, this fascicle serves as desk reference for collating editions and surveying Yuan qu documents; for general literary enthusiasts, it can be read selectively by author and qupai (tune title) without reading every page. Note that the original text may differ from current standard editions, so citations should be checked against the source edition.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Researchers in classical Chinese literature who need to verify Yuan qu texts and their textual transmission
Enthusiasts of Yuan qu and sanqu who wish to read xiaoling and taoshu systematically in their original form
Librarians or rare-book collators using it for comparison with Republican-period original editions
Students in university courses on the history of Chinese drama who need access to primary Yuan zaju and sanqu documents

Not a good fit for

General readers seeking light entertainment; the original text and format present a high barrier
Beginners who prefer modern vernacular annotation and appreciation of each piece; this book offers limited annotation
Readers uninterested in Yuan qu who want only a general history overview; a single fascicle of a comprehensive collection is not the first choice

Reading tips

First read the table of contents and preface to establish the range of authors, qupai and zaju pieces included in this fascicle, then choose pieces to read.
Read works by familiar authors such as Ma Zhiyuan, Sui Jingchen and Liu Shizhong alongside modern annotated editions to reduce textual difficulty.
List sanqu separately by xiaoling and taoshu in notes, recording qupai and subject matter, to facilitate linking with other fascicles.
When citing, check variant readings between the Republican-period original and current standard editions, and note page numbers of the source edition.

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
崔莺莺夜听琴（第二本）
楔子
第一折
第二折
第三折
第四折
第五折
张君瑞害相思（第三本）
楔子
第一折
第二折
第三折
第四折

FAQ

Is this book suitable for readers with no foundation in Yuan qu?

It is not really suitable for beginners to read straight through. This is a fascicle of Quanyuanqu, based mainly on the original text, with limited annotation and modern translation. If you have no experience reading Yuan qu, it is advisable first to read an anthology with detailed annotation or a literary history textbook to understand the basic forms of sanqu xiaoling, taoshu and zaju, then return to this fascicle, which will be much smoother.

What is the relationship between this fascicle and the other fascicles of Quanyuanqu?

According to the information available, this book is the 121st fascicle of Quanyuanqu and part of the same comprehensive collection. The fascicles follow a unified editorial format in collecting Yuan qu works, with the division of fascicles determined by the table of contents. Readers should first confirm the range of authors and pieces included in this fascicle and then use it together with the preceding and following fascicles; it should not be treated as an independent anthology.

How much of the book is sanqu and how much is zaju?

The information only outlines that Quanyuanqu as a whole contains both sanqu and zaju, and lists the surviving quantity of sanqu and representative authors and works; it does not state the proportion of specific pieces in the 121st fascicle. To understand the actual structure of this fascicle, one must consult its table of contents or publication notes; this cannot be inferred from the introduction to the collection alone.

What should be noted when reading the original edition published by the Commercial Press in the Republican period?

The text, punctuation and layout of the original edition may differ from current standard editions, and there are many variant and interchangeable characters. When reading, it is advisable to have an authoritative modern annotated edition for comparison; when encountering variant writings of qupai names, personal names and place names, consult reference works first; when citing, note the source edition used, and avoid mistaking the typographic features of the original printing for the author's original text.

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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.