Xiao xian lao ren ming xiu ji zhu 蕭閑老人明秀集注 [The Unrestrained and Leisurely Old Man's Clear and Exquisite Collection, with Notes]

74 folding leaves. Small 8vo., orig. wrappers (a little defective), orig. stitching. [China]: Siyin zhai 四印齋, [1893-96].




A collection of lyrics, a style of poetry with origins in folk music. As a genre, lyrics are associated especially with the Song period. Cai Songnian (1107-59) was born in north China under Khitan Liao rule but lived through the Jurchen defeat of the Liao and the invasion of Song-controlled North China in 1127. He served the Jurchen as a high official, writing poetry in the genre of the lyrics which were also popular south of the border.


The book has a colophon by Zhang Rongjing 張蓉鏡 dated 1824 (Daoguang jiashen). Zhang explains that even though "the Jin held power for 110 years," very few books survive, especially collections of lyrics. Our book has a detailed running commentary by Wei Daoming 魏道明. The base edition of the text is said to be an incomplete copy (canben 殘本).


Our book was published by Wang Pengyun 王鵬運 (1840-1904). Wang's studio name Siyin zhai [Studio of the Four Kinds of Self-Cultivation] is seen on the centerfold. Wang published a series (or collectanea) of lyrics with this imprint, of which our book is part. The table of contents for the series (not included here) advertises that the blocks were carved between 1893 (shangzhang dahuangluo 尚章大荒駱) and 1896 (youtao tuntan 游桃涒灘).