Musical instrument: shu konghou
(豎箜篌)
(豎箜篌)
compiled by David Badagnani (rev. 22 June 2024)
In an effort to make this information more accessible, this document contains resources related to the Chinese musical instrument called shu konghou (豎箜篌), also called simply konghou (箜篌)--an angular harp with up to 23 silk strings--as documented in the Chinese historical record.
Probably originating in Mesopotamia (Iraq) approximately 2000 BC, the angular harp achieved some degree of popularity in Ancient Egypt, Ancient Greece, and Ancient Rome, as well as the Arabic world, Anatolia, and continental Europe as far west as Spain by the Medieval period. Moving to the east and south it was also adopted in Gandhara and India proper, as well as in Central Asian states such as Bactria, Sogdiana, Kucha, Khotan, and Turfan. From Central Asia it was transmitted to China in the Northern and Southern Dynasties period (420-589), and from there to Korea and Japan.
Retaining popularity in China through the Sui, Tang, Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms, Song, and Yuan periods, the shu konghou is believed to have died out there after the end of the Ming Dynasty. Beginning in the 20th century, angular harps have been revived in China as well as in Germany, Egypt, Iran, Azerbaijan, Turkey, China, South Korea, Japan, and Mongolia.
Probably originating in Mesopotamia (Iraq) approximately 2000 BC, the angular harp achieved some degree of popularity in Ancient Egypt, Ancient Greece, and Ancient Rome, as well as the Arabic world, Anatolia, and continental Europe as far west as Spain by the Medieval period. Moving to the east and south it was also adopted in Gandhara and India proper, as well as in Central Asian states such as Bactria, Sogdiana, Kucha, Khotan, and Turfan. From Central Asia it was transmitted to China in the Northern and Southern Dynasties period (420-589), and from there to Korea and Japan.
Retaining popularity in China through the Sui, Tang, Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms, Song, and Yuan periods, the shu konghou is believed to have died out there after the end of the Ming Dynasty. Beginning in the 20th century, angular harps have been revived in China as well as in Germany, Egypt, Iran, Azerbaijan, Turkey, China, South Korea, Japan, and Mongolia.
Links to textual sources are highlighted in green.
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Chinese historical reference works discussing the shu konghou
Detail of mural depicting a musician playing a shu konghou. From the Zhaoling Mausoleum (昭陵唐墓), the burial place of Emperor Taizong of Tang (唐太宗, 598-649; r. 626-649), the second emperor of the Tang Dynasty, located at Jiuzong Mountain (九嵕山), 76 km northwest of Xi'an, near Liquan County (礼泉县), Shaanxi province (陕西省), northwest China.
Chinese historical reference works discussing the shu konghou
● Tongdian 《通典》 (Comprehensive Institutions)
Written by Tang Dynasty scholar and historian Du You (杜佑, 735-812) between 766 and 801, Tongdian includes some discussion of the shu konghou, as follows:
卷第一百四十四
Volume Number 144
樂四
豎箜篌，胡樂也。漢靈帝好之。體曲而長，二十二絃，豎抱於懷中，用兩手齊奏，俗謂之擘箜篌。鳳首箜篌，頸有軫。
● Wenxian Tongkao 《文献通考》 (Comprehensive Examination of Literature)
Compiled in the early 14th century by Ma Duanlin (马端临), this work contains a list and descriptions (though no illustrations) of many ancient and Medieval musical instruments. There is some description of the shu konghou, as follows:
卷一百三十七 乐考十
Volume 137
丝之属胡部
[ ... ]
大箜篌 小箜篌
刘熙《释名》曰："箜篌，师延所作靡靡之乐，盖空国之侯所存也。後出桑间、濮上，师涓为晋平公鼓焉。郑、卫分其地而有之，因命淫乐为郑、卫焉。"或谓汉武使乐人侯晖作坎侯，盖取其声坎坎以应乐节，後世声讹为箜篌尔。二说盖有所受之也。旧说皆如琴制，唐制似瑟而小，其弦有七，用木拨弹之以合二变，故燕乐有大箜篌、小箜篌。音逐手起，曲随弦成，盖若鹤鸣之嘹唳，玉声之清越者也。然非夷狄之制则郑、卫之音，非燕乐所当用也。或谓取其空中名之，其臆说欤！昔有白首翁溺於河，其妻丽玉素善十三弦箜篌，作为《公无渡河曲》以寄哀情。唐咸亨初，初第一部有张小子，太和初有李齐皋及其女并善此伎，教坊虽亦有人，能者未有一二尔。
按：箜篌或以为师延所作靡靡之乐，盖郑、卫之淫声也。或以为汉武帝使乐人侯调作之，以祠太一，盖汉世郊庙之乐，而非先王之雅乐也。然俱不言来自胡中，陈氏《乐书》以入胡部，未知何据，当考。
竖箜篌 胡乐也，其体曲而长，其弦二十有二，植抱於怀，用两手齐奏之，俗谓竖箜篌，亦谓之胡箜篌，高丽等国有竖箜篌、卧箜篌之乐，其引则朝鲜津卒樗里子高所作也（樗里子高晨剌船，有一白首狂夫，披髪提壶，乱流而渡。其妻止之，不能及，竟溺死。於是凄伤援琴作歌而哀之，以象其声，故曰《箜篌引》）。汉灵帝好此乐，後世教坊亦用焉。
● Ming Shi 《明史》 (The History of Ming)
The official history of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), Ming Shi was completed in 1739 (actually during the Qing Dynasty). It is one of the Twenty-Four Histories (二十四史). Instruments called konghou (箜篌) and ershi xian (二十弦, "20-string") are mentioned in volume 61, the former term probably referring not to the angular harp but to the fretted zither that is more properly called wo konghou (卧箜篌), and the latter almost certainly referring to the shu konghou (angular harp).
卷六十一
Volume 61
志第三十七
樂一
朝賀。洪武三年定丹陛大樂：簫四，笙四，箜篌四，方響四，頭管四，龍笛四，琵琶四，𥱧六，杖鼓二十四，大鼓二，板二。二十六年又定殿中韶樂：簫十二，笙十二，排笙四，橫笛十二，壎四，篪四，琴十，瑟四，編鐘二，編磬二，應鼓二，柷一，敔一，搏拊二。丹陛大樂：戲竹二，簫十二，笙十二，笛十二，頭管十二，𥱧八，琵琶八，二十弦八，方響二，鼓二，拍板八，杖鼓十二。命婦朝賀中宮，設女樂：戲竹二，簫十四，笙十四，笛十四，頭管十四，𥱧十，琵琶八，二十弦八，方響六，鼓五，拍板八，杖鼓十二。正旦、冬至、千秋凡三節。其後太皇太后、皇太后竝用之。朔望朝參：戲竹二，簫四，笙四，笛四，頭管四，𥱧二，琵琶二，二十弦二，方響一，鼓一，拍板二，杖鼓六。
大宴。洪武元年定殿內侑食樂：簫六，笙六，歌工四。丹陛大樂：戲竹二，簫四，笙四，琵琶六，𥱧六，箜篌四，方響四，頭管四，龍笛四，杖鼓二十四，大鼓二，板二。文武二舞樂器：笙二，橫管二，𥱧二，杖鼓二，大鼓一，板一。四夷舞樂：腰鼓二，琵琶二，胡琴二，箜篌二，頭管二，羌笛二，𥱧二，水盞一，板一。二十六年又定殿內侑食樂：柷一，敔一，搏拊一，琴四，瑟二，簫四，笙四，笛四，壎二，篪二，排簫一，鐘一，磬一，應鼓一。丹陛大樂：戲竹二，簫四，笙四，笛二，頭管二，琵琶二，𥱧二，二十弦二，方響二，杖鼓八，鼓一，板一。迎膳樂：戲竹二，笙二，笛四，頭管二，𥱧二，杖鼓十，鼓一，板一。進膳樂：笙二，笛二，杖鼓八，鼓一，板一。太平清樂：笙四，笛四，頭管二，𥱧四，方響一，杖鼓八，小鼓一，板一。
http://www.guoxue123.com/Shibu/0101/00msf/061.htm
● Gujin Tushu Jicheng 《古今图书集成》 (Complete Collection of Illustrations and Writings from the Earliest to Current Times), a massive encyclopedia comprising 10,000 volumes, was written during the reigns of the Qing Dynasty emperors Kangxi and Yongzheng. The work, was begun in 1700 and completed in 1725, was supervised initially by Chen Menglei (陈梦雷, 1650-1741), and later by Jiang Tingxi (蒋廷锡, 1669-1732). The shu konghou is mentioned as follows:
朝賀。洪武三年定丹陛大樂：簫四，笙四，箜篌四，方響四，頭管四，龍笛四，琵琶四，𥱧六，杖鼓二十四，大鼓二，板二。二十六年又定殿中韶樂：簫十二，笙十二，排笙四，橫笛十二，壎四，篪四，琴十，瑟四，編鐘二，編磬二，應鼓二，柷一，敔一，搏拊二。丹陛大樂：戲竹二，簫十二，笙十二，笛十二，頭管十二，𥱧八，琵琶八，二十弦八，方響二，鼓二，拍板八，杖鼓十二。命婦朝賀中宮，設女樂：戲竹二，簫十四，笙十四，笛十四，頭管十四，𥱧十，琵琶八，二十弦八，方響六，鼓五，拍板八，杖鼓十二。正旦、冬至、千秋凡三節。其後太皇太后、皇太后竝用之。朔望朝參：戲竹二，簫四，笙四，笛四，頭管四，𥱧二，琵琶二，二十弦二，方響一，鼓一，拍板二，杖鼓六。
大宴。洪武元年定殿內侑食樂：簫六，笙六，歌工四。丹陛大樂：戲竹二，簫四，笙四，琵琶六，𥱧六，箜篌四，方響四，頭管四，龍笛四，杖鼓二十四，大鼓二，板二。文武二舞樂器：笙二，橫管二，𥱧二，杖鼓二，大鼓一，板一。四夷舞樂：腰鼓二，琵琶二，胡琴二，箜篌二，頭管二，羌笛二，𥱧二，水盞一，板一。二十六年又定殿內侑食樂：柷一，敔一，搏拊一，琴四，瑟二，簫四，笙四，笛四，壎二，篪二，排簫一，鐘一，磬一，應鼓一。丹陛大樂：戲竹二，簫四，笙四，笛二，頭管二，琵琶二，𥱧二，二十弦二，方響二，杖鼓八，鼓一，板一。迎膳樂：戲竹二，笙二，笛四，頭管二，𥱧二，杖鼓十，鼓一，板一。進膳樂：笙二，笛二，杖鼓八，鼓一，板一。太平清樂：笙四，笛四，頭管二，𥱧四，方響一，杖鼓八，小鼓一，板一。
http://www.guoxue123.com/Shibu/0101/00msf/061.htm
● Gujin Tushu Jicheng 《古今图书集成》 (Complete Collection of Illustrations and Writings from the Earliest to Current Times), a massive encyclopedia comprising 10,000 volumes, was written during the reigns of the Qing Dynasty emperors Kangxi and Yongzheng. The work, was begun in 1700 and completed in 1725, was supervised initially by Chen Menglei (陈梦雷, 1650-1741), and later by Jiang Tingxi (蒋廷锡, 1669-1732). The shu konghou is mentioned as follows:
樂律典 第一百十五卷
箜篌部彙考
https://tinyurl.com/yxvtqpvm
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Chinese poems mentioning the shu konghou
《偶然作六首 其五》
作者：王维（唐）
by Wang Wei (Tang Dynasty, 692-761 or 699-759)
赵女弹箜篌，复能邯郸舞。
夫婿轻薄儿，斗鸡事齐主。
黄金买歌笑，用钱不复数。
许史相经过，高门盈四牡。
客舍有儒生，昂藏出邹鲁。
读书三十年，腰间无尺组。
被服圣人教，一生自穷苦。
卢溪郡南夜泊舟，夜闻两岸羌戎讴。
其时月黑猿啾啾，微雨沾衣令人愁。
有一迁客登高楼，不言不寐弹箜篌。
弹作蓟门桑叶秋，风沙飒飒青冢头。
将军铁骢汗血流，深入匈奴战未休。
黄旗一点兵马收，乱杀胡人积如丘。
疮病驱来配边州，仍披漠北羔羊裘。
颜色饥枯掩面羞，眼眶泪滴深两眸。
思还本乡食犛牛，欲语不得指咽喉。
或有强壮能咿嚘，意说被他边将雠。
五世属藩汉主留，碧毛毡帐河曲游。
橐驼五万部落稠，敕赐飞凤金兜鍪。
为君百战如过筹，静扫阴山无鸟投。
家藏铁券特承优，黄金千斤不称求。
九族分离作楚囚，深溪寂寞弦苦幽。
草木悲感声飕飗，仆本东山为国忧。
明光殿前论九畴，簏读兵书尽冥搜。
为君掌上施权谋，洞晓山川无与俦。
紫宸诏发远怀柔，摇笔飞霜如夺钩。
鬼神不得知其由，怜爱苍生比蚍蜉。
朔河屯兵须渐抽，尽遣降来拜御沟。
便令海内休戈矛，何用班超定远侯，史臣书之得已不。
* * * * * * * * *
《冀州客舍酒酣贻王绮寄题南楼》
作者：岑参（唐）
by Cen Shen (Tang Dynasty, 715-770)
题注：时王子欲应制举西上
引用典故：下笔不休
夫子傲常调，诏书下徵求。
知君欲谒帝，秣马趋西周。
逸足何骎骎，美声实风流。
学富赡清词，下笔不能休。
君家一何盛，赫奕难为俦。
伯父四五人，同时为诸侯。
忆昨始相值，值君客贝丘。
相看复乘兴，携手到冀州。
前日在南县，与君上北楼。
野旷不见山，白日落草头。
客舍梨花繁，深花隐鸣鸠。
南邻新酒熟，有女弹箜篌。
醉后或狂歌，酒醒满离忧。
主人不相识，此地难淹留。
吾庐终南下，堪与王孙游。
何当肯相寻，澧上一孤舟。
* * * * * * * * *
《留别岑参兄弟》
作者：王昌龄（唐）
by Wang Changling (Tang Dynasty, 698-756)
江城建业楼，山尽沧海头。
副职守兹县，东南棹孤舟。
长安故人宅，秣马经前秋。
便以风雪暮，还为纵饮留。
貂蝉七叶贵，鸿鹄万里游。
何必念钟鼎，所在烹肥牛。
为君啸一曲，且莫弹箜篌。
徒见枯者艳，谁言直如钩。
岑家双琼树，腾光难为俦。
谁言青门悲，俯期吴山幽。
日西石门峤，月吐金陵洲。
追随探灵怪，岂不骄王侯。
Notes:
引用典故：貂蝉 七叶贵 直如钩
* * * * * * * * *
《听李凭弹箜篌二首》
Listening to Li Ping Play the Konghou, no. 2 (Ting Li Ping Tan Konghou Er Shou)
作者：杨巨源（唐）
by Yang Juyuan (Tang Dynasty, 755-c. 833)
引用典故：云门
听奏繁弦玉殿清，风传曲度禁林明。
君王听乐梨园煖，翻到云门第几声。
花咽娇莺玉漱泉，名高半在御筵前。
汉王欲助人间乐，从遣新声坠九天。
* * * * * * * * *
https://tinyurl.com/yxvtqpvm
Chinese poems mentioning the shu konghou
《偶然作六首 其五》
作者：王维（唐）
by Wang Wei (Tang Dynasty, 692-761 or 699-759)
赵女弹箜篌，复能邯郸舞。
夫婿轻薄儿，斗鸡事齐主。
黄金买歌笑，用钱不复数。
许史相经过，高门盈四牡。
客舍有儒生，昂藏出邹鲁。
读书三十年，腰间无尺组。
被服圣人教，一生自穷苦。
Notes:
引用典故：许史
* * * * * * * * *
《箜篌引》
(Konghou Yin)
作者：王昌龄（唐）
by Wang Changling (Tang Dynasty, 698-756)引用典故：许史
* * * * * * * * *
《箜篌引》
(Konghou Yin)
作者：王昌龄（唐）
卢溪郡南夜泊舟，夜闻两岸羌戎讴。
其时月黑猿啾啾，微雨沾衣令人愁。
有一迁客登高楼，不言不寐弹箜篌。
弹作蓟门桑叶秋，风沙飒飒青冢头。
将军铁骢汗血流，深入匈奴战未休。
黄旗一点兵马收，乱杀胡人积如丘。
疮病驱来配边州，仍披漠北羔羊裘。
颜色饥枯掩面羞，眼眶泪滴深两眸。
思还本乡食犛牛，欲语不得指咽喉。
或有强壮能咿嚘，意说被他边将雠。
五世属藩汉主留，碧毛毡帐河曲游。
橐驼五万部落稠，敕赐飞凤金兜鍪。
为君百战如过筹，静扫阴山无鸟投。
家藏铁券特承优，黄金千斤不称求。
九族分离作楚囚，深溪寂寞弦苦幽。
草木悲感声飕飗，仆本东山为国忧。
明光殿前论九畴，簏读兵书尽冥搜。
为君掌上施权谋，洞晓山川无与俦。
紫宸诏发远怀柔，摇笔飞霜如夺钩。
鬼神不得知其由，怜爱苍生比蚍蜉。
朔河屯兵须渐抽，尽遣降来拜御沟。
便令海内休戈矛，何用班超定远侯，史臣书之得已不。
* * * * * * * * *
《冀州客舍酒酣贻王绮寄题南楼》
作者：岑参（唐）
by Cen Shen (Tang Dynasty, 715-770)
题注：时王子欲应制举西上
引用典故：下笔不休
夫子傲常调，诏书下徵求。
知君欲谒帝，秣马趋西周。
逸足何骎骎，美声实风流。
学富赡清词，下笔不能休。
君家一何盛，赫奕难为俦。
伯父四五人，同时为诸侯。
忆昨始相值，值君客贝丘。
相看复乘兴，携手到冀州。
前日在南县，与君上北楼。
野旷不见山，白日落草头。
客舍梨花繁，深花隐鸣鸠。
南邻新酒熟，有女弹箜篌。
醉后或狂歌，酒醒满离忧。
主人不相识，此地难淹留。
吾庐终南下，堪与王孙游。
何当肯相寻，澧上一孤舟。
* * * * * * * * *
《留别岑参兄弟》
作者：王昌龄（唐）
by Wang Changling (Tang Dynasty, 698-756)
江城建业楼，山尽沧海头。
副职守兹县，东南棹孤舟。
长安故人宅，秣马经前秋。
便以风雪暮，还为纵饮留。
貂蝉七叶贵，鸿鹄万里游。
何必念钟鼎，所在烹肥牛。
为君啸一曲，且莫弹箜篌。
徒见枯者艳，谁言直如钩。
岑家双琼树，腾光难为俦。
谁言青门悲，俯期吴山幽。
日西石门峤，月吐金陵洲。
追随探灵怪，岂不骄王侯。
Notes:
引用典故：貂蝉 七叶贵 直如钩
* * * * * * * * *
《听李凭弹箜篌二首》
Listening to Li Ping Play the Konghou, no. 2 (Ting Li Ping Tan Konghou Er Shou)
作者：杨巨源（唐）
by Yang Juyuan (Tang Dynasty, 755-c. 833)
引用典故：云门
听奏繁弦玉殿清，风传曲度禁林明。
君王听乐梨园煖，翻到云门第几声。
花咽娇莺玉漱泉，名高半在御筵前。
汉王欲助人间乐，从遣新声坠九天。
* * * * * * * * *
Detail of "Nü Yue Tu"《女乐图》(Women [Playing] Music), a scroll painting by the Ming Dynasty painter Qiu Zhu (仇珠, pseudonym Duling Neishi 杜陵内史; active mid-16th century), depicting a seated female musician playing a shu konghou with 25 strings. Collection of the Palace Museum, located in the Forbidden City, Beijing, China.
《李供奉弹箜篌歌》
Court Artist Li Plays a Konghou Song (Li Gongfeng Tan Konghou Ge)
作者：顾况（唐）
by Gu Kuang (Tang Dynasty, c. 725-c. 814)
Court Artist Li Plays a Konghou Song (Li Gongfeng Tan Konghou Ge)
作者：顾况（唐）
by Gu Kuang (Tang Dynasty, c. 725-c. 814)
国府乐手弹箜篌，赤黄条索金鎝头。
A musician of the kingdom's Music Bureau plays the konghou,
With orange tassels and gold-inlaid head.
早晨有敕鸳鸯殿，夜静遂歌明月楼。
At daybreak, by imperial order, at Mandarin Duck Palace,
In the silent night, the song proceeds as bright moonlight bathes the tower.
起坐可怜能抱撮，大指调弦中指拨。
She sits up, tenderly embraces [her instrument] and begins to manipulate it with her fingers,
Her thumb tuning the strings while her middle finger plucks.
腕头花落舞制裂，手下鸟惊飞拨剌。
Her wrists, like falling blossoms, dance on either side [of the strings];
Under her hands birds are startled, fly away and disperse in two groups.
珊瑚席，一声一声鸣锡锡。
[On the] coral mat, each note, each note sounds "sek-sek."
罗绮屏，一弦一弦如撼铃。
[Behind the] gauze screen, each string, each string is like the shaking of a bell.
急弹好，迟亦好，宜远听，宜近听。
Her quick playing is good, and slow is also good; it is suitable to listen from far away, and also suitable to listen up close.
左手低，右手举，易调移音天赐与。
Left hand low and right hand raised, she modifies the mode and changes the tone with ease, a gift bestowed by the heavens.
大弦似秋雁，联联度陇关。
The big strings are like autumn wild geese,
Endless like the extent of Long Pass.
小弦似春燕，喃喃向人语。
The small strings are like spring swallows,
[Or like] quiet conversation.
手头疾，腕头软，来来去去如风卷。
Hands nimble, wrists flexible,
Moving to and fro like a whirling wind.
声清泠泠鸣索索，垂珠碎玉空中落。
The sound, clear and crisp, rings "sak-sak,"
Like strings of beads or shards of jade falling through the air.
美女争窥玳瑁帘，圣人卷上真珠箔。
Beauties fight to peep through the tortoiseshell screen,
While the Imperial Sage, dressed in his formal robes, watches from above, behind a curtain of pearls.
大弦长，小弦短，小弦紧快大弦缓。
The big strings are long, the small strings short; the small strings are played quickly and the big strings are played leisurely.
初调锵锵似鸳鸯水上弄新声，入深似太清仙鹤游秘馆。
The first melody clanged like mandarin ducks playing on the water, a truly novel sound,
And entering the deep was like riding the Taiqing's celestial crane in the Mysterious Mansion.
李供奉，仪容质，身才稍稍六尺一。
Court artist Li, in appearance and substance,
Has a stature that is slight, just over five foot two.
在外不曾辄教人，内里声声不遣出。
On the outside, she has never taught anyone;
From within, the sounds have never been sent out.
指剥葱，腕削玉，饶盐饶酱五味足。
Fingers like tender peeled scallions, wrists of slender jade,
A rich, savory sauce, filled with five flavors.
弄调人间不识名，弹尽天下崛奇曲。
Playing tunes whose names are unknown to the mortal world,
She plucks strange and unusual melodies from the furthest reaches of the world.
胡曲汉曲声皆好，弹着曲髓曲肝脑。
Central Asian pieces and Han pieces, all sound good;
When she plays these tunes, their essence [grips one's] heart and mind [literally "liver and brain"].
往往从空入户来，瞥瞥随风落春草。
Everywhere from the emptiness, coming to enter the door,
Erratically and suddenly, the wind descends upon the spring grass.
Erratically and suddenly, the wind descends upon the spring grass.
草头只觉风吹入，风来草即随风立。
Blades of grass only waken as the wind blows in,
The wind comes, and the grass follows the wind to stand up straight.
草亦不知风到来，风亦不知声缓急。
The grass is unaware of the wind's arrival,
Nor does the wind know its urgency.
爇玉烛，点银灯，光照手，实可憎。
Burn the jade candles, light the silver lamp,
Illuminate the hands, it's truly lovely.
只照箜篌弦上手，不照箜篌声里能。
[The light] only illuminates [the player's] hands upon the konghou's strings;
It doesn't illuminate the skill that [produces] the konghou's sound.
驰凤阙，拜鸾殿，天子一日一回见。
Hastening to the phoenix tower and visiting the simurgh hall,
The Son of Heaven comes, for a while on this day, to see.
王侯将相立马迎，巧声一日一回变。
Princes and lords, generals and ministers immediately welcome [her],
And, for a while on this day, are transformed by the exquisite sounds.
实可重，不惜千金买一弄。
[Li's music is] of such genuine value that one would not begrudge sparing a thousand pieces of gold to purchase a single repetition.
银器胡瓶马上驮，瑞锦轻罗满车送。
Silverware and foreign ewers carried on horseback,
Or richly embroidered brocade and silken gauze delivered in a full wagon, [would not be an excessive payment].
此州好手非一国，一国东西尽南北。
Such a one as this province's master artist cannot be found anywhere else in the kingdom,
The kingdom's east or west, nor utmost north or south.
除却天上化下来，若向人间实难得。
Except for such a heavenly musician coming down from above,
Encountering her like in the world of mortals is really rare.
More information:
https://baike.baidu.com/item/%E6%9D%8E%E4%BE%9B%E5%A5%89%E5%BC%B9%E7%AE%9C%E7%AF%8C%E6%AD%8C
* * * * * * * * *
《李凭箜篌引》
Li Ping's Konghou Prelude (Li Ping Konghou Yin)
作者：李贺（中唐）
by Li He (mid-Tang Dynasty, 790/791-816-817)
吴丝蜀桐张高秋，空山凝云颓不流。
Silk from Wu and tong from Shu resonate in the cool late autumn,
While in desolate mountain valleys, merging clouds sink and cease their drift.
江娥啼竹素女愁，李凭中国弹箜篌。
The River Maidens weep among the bamboos and the Plain Girl mourns,
As Li Ping, in the center of the kingdom, plays the konghou.
昆山玉碎凤凰叫，芙蓉泣露香兰笑。
Jade from Mount Kun is shattered and phoenixes shriek,
Lotuses weep dew while fragrant orchids smile.
十二门前融冷光，二十三丝动紫皇。
Before the twelve gates, the cold light melts,
As twenty-three silk [strings] move the Purple Emperor.
女娲炼石补天处，石破天惊逗秋雨。
As Nüwa welded stones to mend the sky,
Stone splits asunder, and the heavens are astonished amid autumn rains.
梦入神山教神妪，老鱼跳波瘦蛟舞。
He goes in dreams to the spirit mountain to instruct the Heavenly Muse,
While great fishes leap from the waves and gaunt dragons dance.
吴质不眠倚桂树，露脚斜飞湿寒兔。
Wu Zhi, unsleeping still, leans on his osmanthus tree,
As dewdrops, flying aslant, drench the shivering hare.
This poem describes, in the most fanciful terms (and with the use of many allusions from Chinese mythology), the shu konghou (竖箜篌, angular harp) playing of Li Ping (李凭), a court musician whose gender is unknown. Until the 20th century twisted silk was the normal material used for the strings of Chinese chordophones, and tong (桐) is the Chinese word for paulownia, the wood that has been used for the soundboards of most Chinese string instruments since ancient times. Wu (吴) is the ancient name for Suzhou, a city famed for the quality of its silk, and Shu (蜀) is the ancient name for Sichuan in southwest China.
* * * * * * * * *
《楼上女儿曲》
作者：卢仝（唐）
by Lu Tong (Tang Dynasty, c. 795-835)
谁家女儿楼上头，指挥婢子挂帘钩。
林花撩乱心之愁，卷却罗袖弹箜篌。
箜篌历乱五六弦，罗袖掩面啼向天。
相思弦断情不断，落花纷纷心欲穿。
心欲穿，凭栏干。
相忆柳条绿，相思锦帐寒。
直缘感君恩爱一回顾，使我双泪长珊珊。
我有娇靥待君笑，我有娇蛾待君扫。
莺花烂熳君不来，及至君来花已老。
心肠寸断谁得知，玉阶幂历生青草。
* * * * * * * * *
《霓裳羽衣歌 和微之》
The Song of Rainbow Skirts and Feather Robes, Harmonizing with Weizhi (Nichang Yuyi Ge, He Weizhi)
作者：白居易（唐）
by Bai Juyi (Tang Dynasty, 772-846)
我昔元和侍宪皇，曾陪内宴宴昭阳。
In the past, during the Yuanhe reign, I served Emperor Xian[zong],
And I once went along to an exclusive banquet in the Zhaoyang [Hall].
千歌百舞不可数，就中最爱霓裳舞。
There were thousands of songs and hundreds of dances, beyond counting;
Among them, the one I loved the most was the Dance of the Rainbow Skirts.
舞时寒食春风天，玉钩栏下香案前。
The dance took place during the Cold Food Festival, on a breezy spring day,
Beneath an exquisite hook-shaped railing, in front of an incense burner table.
案前舞者颜如玉，不着人家俗衣服。
Before the table were dancers with complexions like white jade,
Who were not wearing the common clothes of regular people.
虹裳霞帔步摇冠，钿璎累累佩珊珊。
They wore rainbow skirts, rosy capes, and headdresses that trembled with each step;
Gold hairpins and necklaces of precious stones were innumerable, and jade pendants clinked.
娉婷似不任罗绮，顾听乐悬行复止。
With a graceful demeanor, as if they could not bear the silk gauze,
Turning their heads to listen to the suspended chimes, they walked forward, reversed direction, then halted.
磬箫筝笛递相搀，击擫弹吹声逦迤。〈凡法曲之初，众乐不齐，唯金石丝竹次第发声，霓裳序初，亦复如此〉。
Qing, xiao, zheng, and di successively mingled together;
Striking, pressing, plucking, and blowing, the sounds meandered and flowed.
散序六奏未动衣，阳台宿云慵不飞。〈散序六遍无拍，故不舞也〉。
While six unmetered preludes were played, [the dancers'] garments did not stir;
On the terrace, the nighttime clouds were dull and didn't drift.
中序擘騞初入拍，秋竹竿裂春冰拆。〈中序始有拍，亦名拍序〉。
The middle prelude began with a crack, when the clapper first entered;
Like the splitting of autumn bamboos or the breaking of ice in the spring.
烟蛾敛略不胜态，风袖低昂如有情。
Dark eyebrows slightly furrowed, their bearing was unparalleled;
Fluttering sleeves rose and fell, as if filled with emotion.
上元点鬟招萼绿，王母挥袂别飞琼。〈许飞琼、萼绿华，皆女仙也〉。
Madame Shangyuan appointed a maid and summoned E Lü;
The Queen Mother waved her sleeves to part with Feiqiong.
繁音急节十二遍，跳珠撼玉何铿铮。〈霓裳破凡十二遍而终〉。
Busy notes and quick rhythms comprised twelve movements;
Jumping pearls and shaken jade, how they clanged and clattered.
翔鸾舞了却收翅，唳鹤曲终长引声。〈凡曲将毕，皆声拍促速，唯霓裳之末，长引一声也〉。
The flying simurgh finished dancing, stepping back to fold its wings;
And the singing crane ended the song, prolonging its voice for a long time.
当时乍见惊心目，凝视谛听殊未足。
At that moment, having seen this for the first time, I was stunned to my core;
The Song of Rainbow Skirts and Feather Robes, Harmonizing with Weizhi (Nichang Yuyi Ge, He Weizhi)
作者：白居易（唐）
by Bai Juyi (Tang Dynasty, 772-846)
我昔元和侍宪皇，曾陪内宴宴昭阳。
In the past, during the Yuanhe reign, I served Emperor Xian[zong],
And I once went along to an exclusive banquet in the Zhaoyang [Hall].
千歌百舞不可数，就中最爱霓裳舞。
There were thousands of songs and hundreds of dances, beyond counting;
Among them, the one I loved the most was the Dance of the Rainbow Skirts.
舞时寒食春风天，玉钩栏下香案前。
The dance took place during the Cold Food Festival, on a breezy spring day,
Beneath an exquisite hook-shaped railing, in front of an incense burner table.
案前舞者颜如玉，不着人家俗衣服。
Before the table were dancers with complexions like white jade,
Who were not wearing the common clothes of regular people.
虹裳霞帔步摇冠，钿璎累累佩珊珊。
They wore rainbow skirts, rosy capes, and headdresses that trembled with each step;
Gold hairpins and necklaces of precious stones were innumerable, and jade pendants clinked.
娉婷似不任罗绮，顾听乐悬行复止。
With a graceful demeanor, as if they could not bear the silk gauze,
Turning their heads to listen to the suspended chimes, they walked forward, reversed direction, then halted.
磬箫筝笛递相搀，击擫弹吹声逦迤。〈凡法曲之初，众乐不齐，唯金石丝竹次第发声，霓裳序初，亦复如此〉。
Qing, xiao, zheng, and di successively mingled together;
Striking, pressing, plucking, and blowing, the sounds meandered and flowed.
散序六奏未动衣，阳台宿云慵不飞。〈散序六遍无拍，故不舞也〉。
While six unmetered preludes were played, [the dancers'] garments did not stir;
On the terrace, the nighttime clouds were dull and didn't drift.
中序擘騞初入拍，秋竹竿裂春冰拆。〈中序始有拍，亦名拍序〉。
The middle prelude began with a crack, when the clapper first entered;
Like the splitting of autumn bamboos or the breaking of ice in the spring.
飘然转旋回雪轻，嫣然纵送游龙惊。
Fluttering and spinning, light as the whirling snow;
So captivating was it when they shot forward that even a swimming dragon would be startled.
小垂手后柳无力，斜曳裾时云欲生。〈四句皆霓裳舞之初态〉。
After "Little Drooping Hands," the willows were drained of energy,
And at the moment when they tilted, then dragged the hems of their skirts, it was as if clouds were about to issue forth.
Dark eyebrows slightly furrowed, their bearing was unparalleled;
Fluttering sleeves rose and fell, as if filled with emotion.
上元点鬟招萼绿，王母挥袂别飞琼。〈许飞琼、萼绿华，皆女仙也〉。
Madame Shangyuan appointed a maid and summoned E Lü;
The Queen Mother waved her sleeves to part with Feiqiong.
繁音急节十二遍，跳珠撼玉何铿铮。〈霓裳破凡十二遍而终〉。
Busy notes and quick rhythms comprised twelve movements;
Jumping pearls and shaken jade, how they clanged and clattered.
翔鸾舞了却收翅，唳鹤曲终长引声。〈凡曲将毕，皆声拍促速，唯霓裳之末，长引一声也〉。
The flying simurgh finished dancing, stepping back to fold its wings;
And the singing crane ended the song, prolonging its voice for a long time.
当时乍见惊心目，凝视谛听殊未足。
At that moment, having seen this for the first time, I was stunned to my core;
Gazing fixedly and listening carefully, so singular was the scene that words were insufficient.
一落人间八九年，耳冷不曾闻此曲。
In the eight or nine years since my fall back into the world of mortals,
My ears have grown cold from never hearing this piece.
湓城但听山魈语，巴峡唯闻杜鹃哭。〈予自江州司马转忠州刺史〉。
In the eight or nine years since my fall back into the world of mortals,
My ears have grown cold from never hearing this piece.
湓城但听山魈语，巴峡唯闻杜鹃哭。〈予自江州司马转忠州刺史〉。
In Pencheng I only heard the hooting of mandrills,
And in Ba Gorge just the cuckoo's call.
移领钱唐第二年，始有心情问丝竹。
In the second year after my move to Qiantang,
I began to be in the mood to ask for silk and bamboo.
玲珑箜篌谢好筝，陈宠觱篥沈平笙。
移领钱唐第二年，始有心情问丝竹。
In the second year after my move to Qiantang,
I began to be in the mood to ask for silk and bamboo.
玲珑箜篌谢好筝，陈宠觱篥沈平笙。
Linglong played konghou, Xie Hao played zheng,
Chen Chong played bili, and Shen Ping played sheng.
清弦脆管纤纤手，教得霓裳一曲成。〈自玲珑以下，皆杭之妓名〉。
清弦脆管纤纤手，教得霓裳一曲成。〈自玲珑以下，皆杭之妓名〉。
With clear [plucked] strings and crisp pipes in their exceedingly slender hands,
They played "Rainbow Skirts" straight through,
虚白亭前湖水畔，前后祇（一作只）（一作祗）应三度按。
虚白亭前湖水畔，前后祇（一作只）（一作祗）应三度按。
Before the Xubai Pavilion, on the lakeshore,
After just three rehearsals.
便除庶子抛却来，闻道如今各星散。
As soon as I was reassigned to [the position of] Junior Tutor, I felt totally cast aside,
And one hears that, at present, [the two of us] have been scattered.
今年五月至苏州，朝钟暮角催白头。
今年五月至苏州，朝钟暮角催白头。
In the fifth month of this year I arrived in Suzhou,
And each morning bell and evening horn has hastened the whitening of my hair.
贪看案牍常侵夜，不听笙歌直到秋。
Engrossed in official paperwork, often encroaching on the night,
And each morning bell and evening horn has hastened the whitening of my hair.
贪看案牍常侵夜，不听笙歌直到秋。
Engrossed in official paperwork, often encroaching on the night,
I didn't listen to mouth organ songs all the way to autumn.
秋来无事多闲闷，忽忆霓裳无处问。
When autumn came, and the lack of responsibilities left me filled with listlessness and apathy,
I suddenly remembered "Rainbow Skirts," but there was nowhere to ask about it.
闻君部内多乐徒，问有霓裳舞者无？
闻君部内多乐徒，问有霓裳舞者无？
I've heard that, within your department, there are many skilled entertainers,
And I asked you whether there are any "Rainbow Skirts" dancers.
答云七县十万户，无人知有霓裳舞。
And I asked you whether there are any "Rainbow Skirts" dancers.
答云七县十万户，无人知有霓裳舞。
You replied that, in the seven counties and ten thousand households,
There is no one who knows about the existence of the "Rainbow Skirts" dance.
唯寄长歌与我来，题作霓裳羽衣谱。
I herewith entrust to you a long song that has come my way:
There is no one who knows about the existence of the "Rainbow Skirts" dance.
唯寄长歌与我来，题作霓裳羽衣谱。
I herewith entrust to you a long song that has come my way:
A score entitled "Rainbow Skirts and Feather Robes."
四幅花笺碧间红，霓裳实录在其中。
四幅花笺碧间红，霓裳实录在其中。
Four sheets of exquisite paper with margins decorated in emerald green and crimson red,
Which contain a faithful record of the "Rainbow Skirts."
Which contain a faithful record of the "Rainbow Skirts."
千姿万状分明见，恰与昭阳舞者同。
A thousand poses and ten thousand forms can be distinctly seen,
Exactly like those of the dancers of Zhaoyang.
眼前仿佛睹形质，昔日今朝想如一。
眼前仿佛睹形质，昔日今朝想如一。
Before my eyes, it's as if I'm seeing their form and substance,
And the past and present seem like one and the same.
疑从云梦呼召来，似着丹青图写出。
As if called forth from a dreamland of clouds,
Or sprung out of a painting rendered in vermilion and azure.
我爱霓裳君合知，发于歌咏形于诗。
My love for the Rainbow Skirts, as we both know,
Is expressed in song and embodied in poetry.
君不见，我歌云，惊破霓裳羽衣曲。〈长恨歌云〉。
君不见，我歌云，惊破霓裳羽衣曲。〈长恨歌云〉。
Have you not heard my song,
Which speaks about my sorrow at the obliteration of the "Rainbow Skirts and Feather Robes" suite?
又不见，我诗云，曲爱霓裳未拍时。〈钱唐诗云〉。
又不见，我诗云，曲爱霓裳未拍时。〈钱唐诗云〉。
And have you also not seen my poem,
Which tells of my deep love for "Rainbow Skirts," even before its first beat has sounded?
由来能事皆有主，杨氏创声君造谱。〈开元中西凉府节度杨敬述造〉。
Which tells of my deep love for "Rainbow Skirts," even before its first beat has sounded?
由来能事皆有主，杨氏创声君造谱。〈开元中西凉府节度杨敬述造〉。
Since time immemorial, every skill has had its master;
Mr. Yang created a new sound and excelled in the creation of new scores.
君言此舞难得人，须是倾城可怜女。
You say that it's difficult to find people who can do this dance,
And that [such a dancer] must be a woman of such loveliness that she could topple a city.
吴妖小玉飞作烟，〈夫差女小玉死后，形见于王，其母抱之，霏微若烟雾散空〉，越艳西施化为土。
吴妖小玉飞作烟，〈夫差女小玉死后，形见于王，其母抱之，霏微若烟雾散空〉，越艳西施化为土。
Xiaoyu, the enchanting maiden of Wu, has evaporated into a wisp of smoke,
And Xi Shi, the alluring beauty of Yue, has turned to dust.
娇花巧笑久寂寥，娃馆苎萝空处所。
娇花巧笑久寂寥，娃馆苎萝空处所。
These adorable blossoms, with their seductive smiles, have long been silent and still,
And the palace ladies' quarters, now overgrown with creeping vines, have become a deserted place.
如君所言诚有是，君试从容听我语。
If what you have told me is true,
如君所言诚有是，君试从容听我语。
If what you have told me is true,
Please try to calmly listen to what I have to say:
若求国色始翻传，但恐人间废此舞。
If we're seeking the nation's most outstanding beauties, we need to start circulating and transmitting [these skills],
Or I only fear that this dance will be lost to the world.
妍媸优劣宁相远，大都只在人抬举。
Beauty and ugliness, superiority and inferiority, prefer to remain distant from one another,
And for the most part are determined by how much support and uplift someone has been given.
李娟张态君莫嫌，亦拟随宜且教取。〈娟、态，苏妓之名〉。
Even the respected Li Juan and Zhang Tai are not averse [to such guidance],
And for the most part are determined by how much support and uplift someone has been given.
李娟张态君莫嫌，亦拟随宜且教取。〈娟、态，苏妓之名〉。
Even the respected Li Juan and Zhang Tai are not averse [to such guidance],
Being amenable to follow an example, adapt to changing circumstances, or accept instruction.
Notes:
Notes:
● Weizhi (微之) is the courtesy name of the mid-Tang Dynasty poet Yuan Zhen (元稹, 779-831).
● The Yuanhe (元和) period lasted from January 25, 806 through February 14, 820, during the reign of the Tang emperor Xianzong (唐宪宗, r. 805-820).
● The Yuanhe (元和) period lasted from January 25, 806 through February 14, 820, during the reign of the Tang emperor Xianzong (唐宪宗, r. 805-820).
● The Zhaoyang Hall (Chinese: Zhaoyang Dian, 昭阳殿, literally "Hall of the Bright/Luminous Sun") was the name of the part of the imperial palace where the imperial concubines lived.
● Qing (磬) - stone chimes
● Xiao (箫) - panpipe, known since the Song Dynasty as paixiao (排箫)
● Zheng (筝) - bridge zither with 13 silk strings
● Di (笛) - transverse flute, known in the Tang Dynasty as heng di (横笛)
● Pencheng (湓城) - another name for Jiangzhou (江州), modern-day Jiujiang (九江), Jiangxi, where Bai Juyi was exiled in 815 AD and wrote his famous poem "Pipa Xing"《琵琶行》
● Ba Gorge (巴峡) - a location in the Three Gorges region of Sichuan province where Bai Juyi was exiled in 818 AD
● Qiantang (钱唐) is an old name for the city of Hangzhou in northern Zhejiang, which is named for the Qiantang River, which runs through it, and where Bai Juyi was assigned to serve as Prefect in 822● "Silk and bamboo" (si zhu, 丝竹) is a metonymic idiom referring to string and wind instruments.
● Linglong (玲珑), Xie Hao (谢好), Chen Chong (陈宠), Shen Ping (沈平) - the names of female courtesan-musicians
● Konghou (箜篌) - angular harp
● Bili (觱篥) - cylindrical-bored double-reed pipe● Konghou (箜篌) - angular harp
● Sheng (笙) - free-reed mouth organ
● The Xubai Pavilion (Xubai Ting, 虚白亭, literally "Pavilion of Empty Whiteness") was located inside the administrative office of the Hangzhou governor. This pavilion's name may have been inspired by a passage from Zhuangzi, which reads as follows: "虚室生白，吉祥止止" (Xu shi sheng bai, ji xiang zhi zhi), which translates to "An empty room gives rise to whiteness, and good fortune follows." While "whiteness" (bai, 白) here might literally refer to natural light illuminating an empty room, it can also be interpreted metaphorically as the clarity and peace that arises from a mind free of clutter. This metaphorical meaning aligns with the concept of xubai (虚白, empty whiteness) in this pavilion's name.
● Shuzi (庶子) - refers to the position of Taizi Zuo Shuzi (太子左庶子, Left Junior Tutor to the Crown Prince), to which Bai Juyi was assigned in the Tang Dynasty's eastern capital of Luoyang in 824 AD
● "The fifth month of this year" refers to April 825, the first year of the Baoli (宝历) era during the reign of the Tang emperor Jingzong (r. 824-827), when Bai Juyi assumed his new position as Prefect of Suzhou. This poem was written in the year 825.
● "The fifth month of this year" refers to April 825, the first year of the Baoli (宝历) era during the reign of the Tang emperor Jingzong (r. 824-827), when Bai Juyi assumed his new position as Prefect of Suzhou. This poem was written in the year 825.
● "Mouth organ songs" (Chinese: sheng ge, 笙歌), is an ancient term referring to singing accompanied by sheng (mouth organ) or other instruments; in the context of this poem Bai is probably referring to singing accompanied by various musical instruments, not just the sheng.
● Jun (君), a polite form of address similar to "kind sir," here refers to Bai Juyi's close friend Yuan Zhen, who had in 823 been appointed the governor (Chinese: guanchashi, 观察使) of the Zhedong (浙东) Circuit (headquartered in modern-day Shaoxing, northeastern Zhejiang) as well as the prefect of its capital prefecture Yue Prefecture (Chinese: Yuezhou, 越州).
● In the Tang Dynasty, Yue Prefecture had jurisdiction over seven counties: Kuaiji County (会稽县), Shanyin County (山阴县), Zhuji County (诸暨县), Yuyao County (余姚县), Yan County (剡县), Xiaoshan County (萧山县), and Shangyu County (上虞县).
● "Mr. Yang" (Chinese: Yang Shi, 杨氏) refers to Yang Jingshu (杨敬述), a musician who served the courts of both Empress Wu Zetian (r. 690-705) and Emperor Xuanzong (r. 712-756). In the year 727, Yang, who served as the governor of Liangzhou (凉州, modern-day Wuwei, Gansu, an area of China's far northwest that had for centuries been an important hub in the Silk Road trade), brought a group of musicians and dancers from Liangzhou to the Tang capital of Chang'an to give a gala performance at the imperial court, and is credited with having introduced a piece entitled "Poluomen Qu"《婆罗门曲》(Brahman Song) to the court of Emperor Xuanzong of Tang, a piece which Xuanzong is said to have adapted into "Nichang Yuyi Qu"《霓裳羽衣曲》(the "Rainbow Skirts and Feather Robes" suite). Liangzhou's location at the edge of Chinese civilization, and its high degree of influence from the cultures of neighboring Central Asia (and, by extension, India, owing to the high degree of influence of Indian culture on the oasis states of Central Asia such as Kucha), gave its music an exotic character that made it especially attractive to Tang-period listeners.
● Li Juan (李娟) and Zhang Tai (张态) are the names of two prominent musician-courtesans from Suzhou.
More information:
https://zh.wikisource.org/zh-hant/%E9%9C%93%E8%A3%B3%E7%BE%BD%E8%A1%A3%E6%AD%8C* * * * * * * * *
《吴声子夜歌》
作者：薛奇童（唐）
by Xue Qitong (Tang Dynasty)
净扫黄金阶，飞霜皓如雪。
下帘弹箜篌，不忍见秋月。
Notes:
题注：一作崔国辅诗，题云《古意》。
* * * * * * * * *
《赠郑女郎（一作郑氏妹）》
作者：薛馧（唐）
by Xue Yun (Tang Dynasty)
艳阳灼灼河洛神，珠帘绣户青楼春。
能弹箜篌弄纤指，愁杀门前少年子。
笑开一面红粉妆，东园几树桃花死。
朝理曲，暮理曲，独坐窗前一片玉。
行也娇，坐也娇，见之令人魂魄销。
堂前锦褥红地炉，绿沈香榼倾屠苏。
解佩时时歇歌管，芙蓉帐里兰麝满。
晚起罗衣香不断，灭烛每嫌秋夜短。
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Bibliography
● Xie Jin 谢瑾. "Ming Dai Konghou De Xingzhi Ji Qi Yunyong" 明代箜篌的形制及其运用 [The Form and Usage of the Ming Dynasty Konghou]. Journal of the Central Conservatory of Music, 2009, no. 3, pp. 93-100.
https://www.cnki.com.cn/Article/CJFDTotal-ZYYE200903011.htm
Additional Web resources
● Angular harps Facebook photo album (maintained by David Badagnani)
● Angular harps YouTube playlist (maintained by David Badagnani)
https://tinyurl.com/yxuhanze
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Thanks to Lin Chiang-san for assistance with this page.
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Thanks to Lin Chiang-san for assistance with this page.
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