Complete Yuan Qu 106

Feng Xueli / 薛鸿鹏The Commercial Press · ChinaJan 2021

3.4

Word count: 41K words
Chapters: 19

Summary

The Complete Yuan Qu is a newly emerged literary genre, generally divided into zaju and sanqu. It produced great writers and many excellent 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 vast 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 208 named authors, among them, in the early period, Guan Hanqing, Ma Zhiyuan, Bai Pu and others, and in the later period, Qi Ji, Zhang Kejiu, Sui Jingchen, Zhang Yanghao and Liu Shizhong. Because sanqu was mostly used as song lyrics for entertainers at banquets, erotic songs are numerous, but there is also no lack of xiaoling on scenery, lyric expression and meditation on the past, and taoshu satirizing the ways of the world 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 Emperor Returns Home." Yuan zaju was originally popular in the Shanxi and Hebei region, and in the early Yuan flowed

Editor's review

This volume continues the editorial framework of The Complete Yuan Qu, centered on sanqu xiaoling and taoshu while also including related zaju texts, with the base text taken from the original Commercial Press edition of the Republican period. Its value for reading lies not in offering new interpretations but in presenting how an early comprehensive collection received Yuan qu: the author biographies, qupai arrangement and attribution of works all bear the traces of organization from a particular era and can be read against later editions to observe the layered process of compiling Yuan qu documents. The selected works cover early masters such as Guan Hanqing, Ma Zhiyuan and Bai Pu as well as later authors such as Zhang Kejiu, Sui Jingchen and Zhang Yanghao; pieces on scenery and lyric expression, meditations on the past and satires of the world coexist with erotic banquet songs, reflecting the thematic spectrum of Yuan sanqu fairly completely. It suits students of literary history who wish to broaden their horizons after reading through an anthology, and also suits bibliophiles comparing information from the original edition. Because it is a separate volume and the original edition has limited annotation, first-time readers should use it alongside reference works.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Researchers of classical literature who need to compare the Republican-era original edition with later editions
Students in Yuan qu elective courses who need to extend their reading of sanqu taoshu and zaju texts
Readers in library rare-book reading rooms interested in early Commercial Press typeset editions
Enthusiasts of Yuan popular literature willing to read through the volumes one by one

Not a good fit for

Readers hoping to capture the essence of Yuan qu in a single volume; separate volumes cannot replace a selected annotated edition
Beginners unfamiliar with the conventions of qupai and taoshu, for whom using it alone carries a high cost in comprehension
Readers who need detailed vernacular annotation and appreciative commentary, of which the original edition has little

Reading tips

First read this volume's table of contents and the full set's editorial guidelines to clarify the range of authors and qupai before entering the text
Read famous pieces such as Ma Zhiyuan's "Borrowing a Horse" and Sui Jingchen's "The Emperor Returns Home" against the annotations in anthologies
Read in groups by early and later authors to observe changes in sanqu themes and language style
Readers interested in edition information may record the original edition's punctuation and variant readings for future reference

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
须贾大夫谇范叔
楔子
第一折
第二折
第三折
第四折
好酒赵元遇上皇
第一折
第二折
第三折
第四折
刘玄德独赴襄阳会
第一折
第二折
楔子
第三折
楔子
第四折

FAQ

Can I read this volume directly without having finished the earlier ones?

Yes, but it is advisable to look first at the full set's general table of contents and this volume's contents to understand the editorial system and the range of pieces. The volumes are arranged according to a unified framework, so jumping straight in will not make it completely unintelligible, though the continuity of authors and pieces will suffer somewhat.

Are the sanqu collected in the book suitable for memorization?

Xiaoling are short and concise in language, and some pieces on scenery and lyric expression are suitable for recitation and memorization; taoshu are longer and better suited to understanding the linking of qupai and the layers of narrative as a whole. For memorization, prioritize xiaoling and consult an annotated anthology to confirm the wording.

What should I do if I encounter problems with punctuation or variant readings in the original edition?

First judge the phrasing by the metrical rules of the qupai and the context, then check later editions or collation notes. The original typesetting inevitably contains errors, so it is not advisable to treat a single edition as definitive; recording questions and reading multiple editions side by side is the safer approach.

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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.