Commentary on the Guqin

虞汝明Jun 2024

3.3

Word count: 2.9K words
Chapters: 2

Summary

In my youth I was fond of books and fonder still of the qin, a passion that has not faded with age. Of late I have taken particular delight in the tales of Yu Chu and Yijian, and whenever I came upon a matter concerning the qin I had Mr. Mao set it down, entitling the collection A Commentary on the Ancient Qin. It begins with Fuxi and ends with the Six Dynasties, comprising a number of entries, which I show to fellow enthusiasts. Should some learned and generous gentleman continue and supplement it, making good its omissions, would that not be a delightful diversion in the spirit of the high mountains and flowing waters? Written on the seventh day of the first month, renzhi year.

Editor's review

A Commentary on the Ancient Qin is a small notebook-style compilation of qin lore edited by Yu Ruming. In his preface the author confesses a lifelong fondness for books and for the qin, undiminished by age; delighting in miscellaneous writers such as Yu Chu and Yijian, he had qin-related matters recorded whenever encountered and gathered them into this volume. The book begins with Fuxi and ends with the Six Dynasties, stringing together qin anecdotes and traditions in a series of short entries; its format resembles a source compilation enlivened by personal taste, easy to read and not requiring sequential reading. Its value lies in bringing scattered qin lore together, letting readers see how the qin was invested with figures, institutions, and legends—a convenient entry point for understanding qin cultural anecdotes. Much of the material belongs to hearsay and miscellaneous notes and should be treated as cultural reading rather than rigorous qin history; sources should be checked when citing. It suits readers interested in the qin, ancient literati life, and notebook miscellany for casual browsing, and also serves as conversational material and a lead for further reading on qin culture; noting the editor's choices and tone reveals the intellectual pleasures behind the traditional literatus's fondness for the qin.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Enthusiasts interested in qin culture and qin-player lore
Readers who enjoy browsing ancient notebooks and miscellany without seeking systematic reading
Art practitioners studying traditional arts who need qin material and talking points
General readers wishing for an easy approach to the tastes of ancient life

Not a good fit for

Academic researchers needing systematic qin history or rigorous textual criticism
Learners of the qin expecting practical instruction such as notation or fingering
Readers who prefer long, continuous narratives and have no patience for short notebook entries

Reading tips

Need not be read in order; begin with entries such as Fuxi or the Six Dynasties to sense the compilation's format and narrative tone.
Keep pen and paper at hand; note keywords for figures or allusions of interest, then consult qin-history sources for further reading.
Read the book's traditions against reliable qin history, noting which are anecdotes and which may serve as historical leads.
May be read alongside qin pieces or qin-player stories to deepen appreciation of the textual context.

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FAQ

What kind of book is A Commentary on the Ancient Qin?

It is a small notebook-style compilation of qin lore edited by Yu Ruming. In his preface the author says he was fond of books and fonder still of the qin, undiminished by age; he enjoyed miscellaneous writers such as Yu Chu and Yijian and had qin-related matters recorded whenever encountered, gathering them into this volume. It begins with Fuxi and ends with the Six Dynasties, presenting qin figures, events, and traditions in short entries—closer to a source compilation enlivened by personal taste.

Can the material be cited directly as qin history?

It should not be cited directly as rigorous qin history. The book mostly compiles hearsay and miscellaneous notes; entries are short and sources vary. The author himself hopes in the preface that learned gentlemen will supplement it, indicating its nature as a compilation. It is fine for cultural reading and as leads, but for research or citation one should verify original sources and relevant qin-history works, distinguishing anecdote from fact.

Can someone who knows nothing about the qin read this book?

Yes. The book records qin matters in short entries and does not involve fingering or notation, so the barrier is low; it is more like a collection of ancient cultural anecdotes. Readers unfamiliar with the qin can browse it as notebook miscellany and look up backgrounds for figures and allusions as they go; for deeper study, read alongside qin history or introductions to qin pieces to gradually build an overall impression of qin culture.

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About the author

虞汝明 Author

Publicly available information about Yu Ruming is limited: his nationality, dates of birth and death, and English name are not clearly recorded, and the only confirmed fact is that a single work, A Commentary on the Guqin (Guqin Shu), survives under his name. Judging from the title, the book centers on the guqin and belongs to the tradition of note-style writings on qin scholarship and qin history, and it is commonly classed under literary appreciation. In traditional Chinese literati life the guqin was both a musical instrument and a spiritual symbol, and writings about it tend to record instruments, pieces, and anecdotes of players while also expressing the author's aesthetic taste and cultural sensibility. Guqin Shu belongs to this lineage; its contents take the form of explanatory notes and miscellaneous jottings, written in a concise style with the informal character of traditional notebooks. Because so little material survives, Yu Ruming himself is difficult to examine in detail, and this work remains the main basis for understanding his learning and prose, retaining reference value for those studying guqin literature and literati notebooks.