Complete Yuan Qu 123

Feng Xueli / 薛鸿鹏The Commercial Press · ChinaDec 2020

3.7

Word count: 19K words
Chapters: 11

Summary

Quanyuanqu (The Complete Yuan Qu) is a newly emerging literary form, generally divided into zaju (variety plays) and sanqu (scattered songs). It produced great writers and many excellent 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 qu, including xiaoling (short lyrics) and taoshu (song suites). More than 3,800 xiaoling and over 450 taoshu survive today. There are more than 227 authors with known names, 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 mostly used as song lyrics for entertainers at banquets, many are love songs; yet there is no lack of xiaoling on scenery, lyric expression and nostalgia for the past, or taoshu satirizing social customs and criticizing contemporary abuses. Famous examples include Ma Zhiyuan's "Borrowing a Horse," Liu Shizhong's "To Superior Supervisor Gao," and Sui Jingchen's "The Return of Emperor Gaozu to His Native Village." Yuan zaju originally circulated in the Shanxi and Hebei regions, and in the early Yuan period spread...

Editor's review

This volume belongs to the facsimile series Complete Yuan Qu, prepared from the original edition published by the Commercial Press in the Republican period; it preserves the layout and textual appearance of that early typeset edition and thus offers reference value for research on the textual history of Yuan qu. It covers both sanqu and zaju. The sanqu section includes both xiaoling and taoshu, with works by such masters as Guan Hanqing, Ma Zhiyuan, Bai Pu, Zhang Kejiu, Sui Jingchen, and Zhang Yanghao—ranging from banquet songs for courtesans to landscape and lyric pieces and works of historical reflection and social satire, including famous pieces such as "Borrowing a Horse," "To the High Censor," and "The Return of the Gaozu Emperor's Villagers." Together they reveal the diversity of themes and styles in Yuan qu. As a documentary resource, it suits readers with some grounding in classical literature who need to consult the original printing or compare editions. It is best treated as a documentary compilation rather than a popular anthology; reading it alongside annotated editions or scholarly studies yields better results.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Students and researchers of classical Chinese literature who need to consult the original printed appearance of Yuan qu texts
Enthusiasts with a strong interest in Yuan sanqu and zaju who are willing to read the primary texts closely
Personnel engaged in the collation of ancient books or textual scholarship who need a Republican-era edition for reference
University libraries and Chinese-language reference rooms, as a supplementary holding of Yuan qu materials

Not a good fit for

Beginners encountering Yuan qu for the first time who need vernacular annotations and introductory guidance
General readers seeking a selection of famous pieces and a relaxed reading experience
Readers who find traditional vertical typesetting or Republican-era printing difficult to read

Reading tips

Begin with the table of contents and preface to understand the volume's scope, then select works by major authors for focused reading
Read alongside an annotated anthology of Yuan qu, checking difficult words and phrases promptly to avoid misreading
Start with sanqu xiaoling, then move on to taoshu and zaju, progressing gradually to appreciate the differences between genres
Keep a notebook to record textual variants and points of doubt for later reference and research

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.

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四丞相高会丽春堂
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吕蒙正风雪破窑记
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FAQ

Is this book suitable for readers with no grounding in classical Chinese?

Not really. This book is prepared from an original Republican-era edition; it lacks modern annotation and vernacular translation and preserves the appearance of early typesetting, which poses considerable obstacles for beginners. Readers are advised to start with an annotated anthology of Yuan qu and turn to this book after acquiring some grounding in classical Chinese.

Does this book offer selections of sanqu and zaju, or complete texts?

According to the available description, this book is one volume in the Complete Yuan Qu series, covering sanqu and zaju and mentioning overall figures for extant xiaoling, taoshu, and authors. As for the specific scope and arrangement of this volume, the book's table of contents should be consulted; it should not be simply regarded as a complete compilation of all works.

What is special about the original Commercial Press edition from the Republican period?

Typeset editions of the Republican period reflect the achievements and typographic conventions of scholars of that time in organizing Yuan qu, and their textual appearance may differ from later editions. For readers studying textual history or collating variants, such original editions have reference value, though their typographic characteristics should be kept in mind.

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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.