广西灵赛翻译

独弦琴源流探索（摘录）


一、源于中国

　　独弦琴，这个精巧而又独特的乐器，是中国、日本、越南三个国家的民族乐器，本是同宗同族，只是叫法不一样而已。中国古代叫一弦琴、独弦匏琴、龙首独弦琴。日本叫一弦琴。越南叫独弦琴或独弦匏琴。从有文字记载可追溯到殷代，据《拾遗记》（南朝）载“师延在轩辕之世，为司乐之宫，及殷时，总修三皇五帝之乐。拾一弦琴则地抵皆升。吹玉律则天神俱降。”据《新唐书》载：“独弦匏琴，以斑竹为之，不加饰，刻木为达首，张弦天轮，以弦系顶。”另载：“复以半的，皆彩画之，加上铜团，以作为琴，作尴文横其上，长三尺余，头曲如拱，长两寸，以菜系腹穿臣及的木。”从这些古籍的记载可以肯定，“独弦琴”是中国的乐器。并且知道，殷代叫做“一弦琴”，到了盛唐时，加上半边匏壳来扩大音量，叫做“独弦匏琴”。彩绘虺纹横其上，又叫做“龙首独弦琴”。《新唐书》还对此乐器的定弦音高和演奏音律作了记载：“它的弦应太簇”“此一弦五音备，阎王一听以蓄万邦也。”按古今律制换算，古代的太“簇”音高等于现代的“Ｄ”音。“五音”指的是“宫、商、角、徽、羽”五个调式音。

the origin of monochord

1. Originated from China

　　Monochord, sole and delicate, is a traditional musical instrument prevailed in China, Japan and Vietnam. It is originally homologous but has a varied name in different countries mentioned above. In ancient China it was called Single-chord（yi-xian-qin）, gourd-shaped Monochord（du-xian-pao-qin）, or Dragon-head Monochord（long-shou-du-xian-qin）. And it goes by the name of Single-chord（yi-xian-qin）in Japan all the time, while the name of Monochord（du-xian-qin）or gourd-shaped Monochord（du-xian-pao-qin）is popular in Vietnam. Its recorded history can be traced back to the Shang Dynasty（c. 1600 ~ 1100 BC）. As is stated in Up for Omissions（shiyi ji ）published in Southern Dynasty（386~589 AD）, “Musician Yan was an official being in charge of the administration of music affairs in the age of Xuan-yuan, namely Huang Di, the Supreme Ruler of that ancient China, and by the time of Shang Dynasty some musical officials were assigned as the chiefs to compile the music between the periods of Three Legendary Emperors and the Five Legendary Rulers. …While the wire of Single-chord（yi-xian-qin）being fingered upon, all Gods of the land would always go up into the sky; while a kind of pure temperament being played on a bamboo pitch-pipe, all Gods of the heaven would always go down toward the land.” And another record goes down in the New History of the Tang Dynasty that says gourd-shaped Monochord（du-xian-pao-qin）was made up of mottled bamboo without ornaments, its wood head got carved into snake-shaped head, and its string stringed on the crown of the head without peg. The record also says, “in addition, the half of cut gourd which was decorated with colored drawings and put in the bronze bowl was manufactured into a musical instrument, namely the Qin. Decorated with coiling snake pattern, the Qin was long 100 centimeters or so, its head scrolled as an arch was long 6.66 centimeters, and its string tied its waist by passing from the head through the bronze bowl and half cut gourd.”Hence it is sure accordingly that Monochord（du-xian-qin）originated from ancient China and went by the name of Single-chord（yi-xian-qin）in the Shang Dynasty, gourd-shaped Monochord（du-xian-pao-qin）after putting in the half cut gourd to raise volume, and of Dragon-head Monochord（long-shou-du-xian-qin）after decorated with colored drawing and coiling snake pattern by the heyday of the Tang Dynasty. Furthermore, the tuning pitch and temperament of this instrument also went down in the New History of the Tang Dynasty which states:“its string responds to the Greater Accumulation（tai-cu）,”and again, “Although this instrument has one single string, it possesses the five notes of the Chinese pentatonic scale. Its melody is so beautiful as to let the Emperor to promote it to all over the world.”Here, I think it is necessary to explain some special terms. According to the conversion between antique and modern temperament system, ancient Greater Accumulation（tai-cu）pitch equals to present key of “D”and the five notes（wu-yin）indicates five keys of the ancient Chinese pentatonic scale inclusive of “gong, shang, jue, zhi, yu”.