Complete Yuan Qu 145

Feng Xueli / 薛鸿鹏The Commercial Press · ChinaJan 2021

3.8

Word count: 6.4K words
Chapters: 9

Summary

Quanyuanqu (Complete Yuan Drama) is a newly emerging literary genre, generally divided into zaju (variety plays) and sanqu (lyric songs). It produced great writers and many excellent works, exerting a profound influence on literary history. Sanqu grew out of the popular folk songs and tunes of the Jin dynasty; the vast majority belong to the northern style and include xiaoling (short songs) and taoshu (song suites). Today more than 3,800 xiaoling and over 450 taoshu survive. There are more than 251 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 lyrics sung by entertainers at banquets, many are love songs, yet there are also xiaoling on scenery, emotion and nostalgia, and taoshu that satirize worldly ways and criticize contemporary abuses; famous examples include Ma Zhiyuan's "Borrowing a Horse," Liu Shizhong's "To High Inspector Gao," and Sui Jingchen's "The Emperor Returns to His Home Village." Yuan zaju originally circulated in the Shanxi and Hebei regions, and in the early Yuan flowed

Editor's review

This volume is one installment of Quanyuanqu (Complete Yuan Drama), following the systematic editorial approach of the original Commercial Press edition from the Republican period and presenting Yuan sanqu and zaju side by side. According to the source material, Yuan drama includes xiaoling, taoshu and zaju; more than 3,800 xiaoling and over 450 taoshu survive, with more than 250 named authors—Guan Hanqing, Ma Zhiyuan and Bai Pu in the early period, and Zhang Kejiu, Sui Jingchen, Zhang Yanghao and Liu Shizhong in the later period—forming a clear genealogy of writers. The installment format lets readers progress volume by volume, encountering both the love songs sung by entertainers at banquets and xiaoling on scenery, emotion and nostalgia, as well as taoshu that satirize worldly ways and criticize contemporary abuses, such as Ma Zhiyuan's "Borrowing a Horse," Liu Shizhong's "To High Inspector Gao" and Sui Jingchen's "The Emperor Returns to His Home Village." It is suitable as a themed reader for Yuan drama or as companion reading for courses in literary history, and also for lovers of old editions to keep at hand for browsing. Readers should combine it with the social context of the Yuan dynasty and note the performative nature of sanqu and the staging conventions of zaju in order to appreciate the genre's distinctive qualities.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Students of classical Chinese literature at university level who need to study Yuan drama texts systematically
General literary enthusiasts interested in Yuan sanqu and zaju
Collectors of facsimiles or edited editions of Republican-era originals
Teachers of Yuan drama selected readings courses who need installment materials

Not a good fit for

Beginning readers seeking modern vernacular annotations and line-by-line translation
Readers interested only in a single famous author's collection rather than a comprehensive anthology
Readers uncomfortable with Republican-era original layouts and traditional character typesetting

Reading tips

Begin with the early masters mentioned in the source material—Guan Hanqing, Ma Zhiyuan and Bai Pu—then move on to later writers such as Zhang Kejiu and Sui Jingchen.
Read xiaoling and taoshu separately and compare them, noting the linguistic differences in the same author's work across forms.
When encountering famous pieces such as "Borrowing a Horse" and "The Emperor Returns to His Home Village," compare them with literary-historical accounts and note your own reading questions.

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
孔文卿
地藏王证东窗事犯
楔子
第一折
第二折
楔子
第三折
第四折

FAQ

What is the relationship between this installment and Quanyuanqu as a whole?

It is one installment of Quanyuanqu, covering part of the authors and works according to the original edition's editorial plan. The source material does not specify the exact boundaries of the installment; it is best used alongside other installments in the set and should not be treated as a standalone anthology.

Does Yuan drama include only sanqu?

No. The source material clearly states that Yuan drama is generally divided into zaju and sanqu, and that sanqu further includes xiaoling and taoshu. This book covers both sanqu and zaju, and readers should distinguish between the literary forms and their performance modes.

Can it be read without annotations?

The source material does not mention annotations. If readers are unfamiliar with Yuan-era colloquial language and qupai (tune titles), it is advisable to have a reliable annotated anthology of Yuan drama or a literary-history reference at hand, first clarifying the wording and then appreciating the songs' meaning.

Comments

Find this book

This site is an index: you start “Search all sources” in your browser, and the entries it lists all point to third-party sites; please judge their availability yourself.

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.