The mechanism of early songs and ballads is similar, so they are often called a genre. The characteristic of songs is musicality. The musicality of early "songs" is mainly manifested in the height of natural voices. Documents such as Song Yongyan (A Classic of Shangshu), "So I feel sad and happy, but only the sound of the song, recite the poems I said, and sing the songs I said" (Records of Han Dynasty and Arts) and "People Say Songs" (Liu Xi's Interpretation of Names) show that the early "songs" were composed of the original songs, which can be inferred. And "ballads" are ballads and proverbs, which are actually similar to rhyming rhymes. Compared with songs, their musicality is not obvious. In the early days, the boundary between "song" and "ballad" was not so simple and clear, so "song" and "ballad" can be collectively referred to. Xu Shizeng's article "Distinguishing Style and Ancient Ballads" says that there have been songs and ballads since ancient times. "But if you take an examination of ancient times, such as Qingyun and Cai Wei, they are disciples, so they are not all called folk songs; You can also sing "Breaking the Earth" and "Buckling the Corner", but it is not as good as harps and harps, so folk songs are generally called "Yan Ming". This is very reasonable. Early songs and ballads are not only difficult to distinguish strictly, but also complementary in expression forms and techniques, sometimes both songs and ballads exist. For example, there is a saying in the Book of Songs that "I sing ballads". After the description, I still can't fully express my inner feelings, so I use "ballads" to strengthen the effect of "songs".
With the rise of the system of rites and music, the relationship between songs and music has become closer, and songs have become more and more elegant, which has led to greater differences between songs and ballads in stylistic functions and obvious differences in expression forms: the musicality of songs has expanded from simple vocal singing to singing with music, while ballads are just songs or rhymes. Of course, the soundtrack of early songs may be relatively simple, and the soundtrack tools are also relatively random. In ancient literature, there are many records about "drum singing", "piano singing" and "plucked singing". Later generations regard score as an important basis to distinguish songs from ballads. For example, "Zhang Sentence" records: "There are chapters and songs, no chapters and no songs." (Introduction Book, Volume 15) Er Ya Shi Le also said: "It is louder than singing on the harp, but it is a ballad." ("Introduction Book" Volume 15) Cai Yong's "Moon Order" says: "Music sings." After the Han Dynasty, due to the implementation of Yuefu system, the relationship between songs and music and musical instruments became closer and closer, and the difference between songs and ballads became more obvious.
There are few original ballads in existence, and the authenticity of their times cannot be confirmed. Zhen's "original works" and "poems" include ancient ballads such as "Anti-Qu Ballad" and "Da Tu Ge". However, Zhen was not sure about the authenticity of these "old sayings", so he added: "The above old sayings may not have been written at that time because their authors are credible, so I will record them for quality inspection." Zhen Xiude is right. In fact, the existing ancient poetry is not only "the holder may not have made it at that time", but may be constantly rewritten in the process of circulation. This process is quite interesting. For example, the song of breaking ground wrote:
The sun goes out to farm and goes home to rest after sunset. A well can have water to drink, and crops will not be hungry. How can the emperor help me!
This is a description of primitive people's simple life of self-sufficiency, carefree, let nature take its course and no false external force, which accords with ancient people's imagination and yearning for life. About the age of this song, it has always been thought that it is Yao Shi. However, the author of this song has been recording some differences. Wang Chong quoted The Analects of Confucius in Lun Heng Yi Zeng in the Han Dynasty and said, "There are people who are on the road at the age of fifty." Then the singer was only fifty years old. However, in Huangfu Mi's Biography of Gao Shi in the Jin Dynasty, it became: "In the era of Emperor Yao, the world was peaceful and the people had nothing to do. My father was in his eighties and hit the ground in the middle of the road. " (On the volume of Biography of Gao Shi) The singer who beat the soil suddenly aged several decades. Since then, the singer's image of the old man has been fixed. For example, Yuefu poems quote the emperor's century, and the authentic works quote Yi Shi's biography, saying, "There are eighty or ninety old people who sing when they land." As you can see, 50-year-old people have become 80-90-year-old people through biographies. There is no doubt that 80-year-old people are more legendary than 50-year-old people, which is more in line with readers' imagination. Therefore, the singer's identity was selected, accepted and circulated in the process of communication. The same is true of the text of this poem. The last song, various versions, although the meaning is not much different, but the words are very different. Lun Heng quotes How Powerful Yao is, and Biography of Gao Shi quotes What the Emperor is to me. The Collection of Arts and Literature is recorded as Why the Emperor Helped Me. In the Ming Dynasty, Yang Shen's Total Record of Dan and Lead and Xu's Pen Essence both called "how powerful the emperor was to me" and thought that "powerful" was the rhyme at the end of the sentence. In the Ming Dynasty, Zhu Zaiyu's Complete Book of Etiquette and Law said, "Where is the geographical advantage?" . Opinions vary, and no one can agree. However, Zi Qi's Poems of Pre-Qin, Han, Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties were recorded as "What does the emperor do for me?" According to the records of "Peaceful Magnolia" and "Yuefu Poetry Collection", modern readers basically adopt this statement.
The miscellaneous ballads in Guo Maoqian's Yuefu poems can be divided into two categories: ballads and ballads. Its "Song Ci" category is the first column of "Song of Breaking the Earth"; "Ballad Words" is the first column of "Kangqu Ballad". In addition, there are ancient ballads handed down from generation to generation, such as Qingyun song, Nanfeng song and Baiyun ballad. Although it is difficult to judge the authenticity of existing ancient ballads, it is certain that they are the source of later poetry. Liu Xie's Wen Xin Diao Long traces the source of poetry back to Ming poetry, Yuefu poetry and ancient ballads in time series.
The style of "Song" entered the vision of the Southern Dynasty essayists. Ren Fang regards "Song" as an integral part of the article in Shuo Wen Jie Zi, and thinks that Yi Shui Ge written by Jing Ke in the Warring States Period is the first Song with clear author and credible times. Xiao Tong's Selected Works called these works "zaqu" and classified them as "poems", including Jing Ke's Yi Shui Ge and Han Gaozu's Da Feng Ge. Chen Yun's "Le Shu" says: "The name of the ancient life song is probably a fact, but it has far-reaching meaning." (Le Shu 16 1) Indeed, the appearance and naming of these two songs are related to major historical events. The Song of Yishui was written at the end of the Warring States Period, when Jing Ke intentionally stabbed Qin, and Yan Taizi Dan sent Jing Ke to Yishui, where he struck the floor with a high opinion, and Jing Ke chimed. The word says: "The wind is rustling and the water is cold, and the strong man will not return it." Song of the Big Wind is about the song that Emperor Gaozu returned to Pei County, bought wine for Pei Gong, entertained the villagers and composed his own music. The words between the lines read: "The wind blows and clouds fly, the weaver girl returns to her hometown in the sea, and the warriors guard everywhere!" " Although these two songs came into being late, they still retain the basic characteristics of ancient ballads, that is, singing when something happens, short and simple language, telling stories directly and expressing feelings directly. Li Dongyang was full of praise for these two ancient songs, saying, "The ancient songs are simple, the Song of the Wind stops at three sentences, and The Shui Ge stops at two sentences. His gratitude is tragic and short. " ("Lu Hua")
The ancients highly praised the role of songs, and the article "Book of Rites and Music" can best reflect this concept of the ancients. "Le Ji" says: "Singers are straightforward and virtuous, but they should be harmonious with themselves and the world, with four seasons, with the stars in mind and with everything in mind." (Han Zheng Xuan's note, Tang Kong Yingda's Justice "Book of Rites Justice" (Volume 39 "Yue Ji") In the eyes of the ancients, songs can not only express * * *, but also show noble morality, and then can induce heaven and earth, making the four seasons smooth, the stars orderly and everything prosperous. Those who have an understanding of songs will naturally have a higher level of determination and virtue. He also said: "those who know the voice of business will repeatedly break off relations in front of things." Clear chorus of people, let them see the benefits. It is brave to be broken in front of things. It is also righteous to yield to interests. There is courage and righteousness, and it is not a song that can protect this? " The reason why songs have such a powerful ability is related to the attraction of their music to people's hearts. "Music" describes the beauty of songs and says: "Therefore, singers are like obstacles, like teams, like folds, like wood, like moments, like hooks in sentences, like beads." Kong has a detailed solution to this:
Those who "like to resist" speak loudly and sing loudly, touching people's hearts and making them like to resist. Those who "fall as a team" will be moved by the sound of meticulous words, such as falling as a team. Those who "bend like a fold" bend their sounds and touch people's hearts, such as a square fold. Those who "stop like wood", their language and voice stop, touch people's hearts, like a withered tree, stop moving. Those who are "at the right time" say that their voices are elegant and moving, just like at the right time. Those who "hook in the sentence" are called big bends, and their pronunciation is greatly inflected, which touches people's hearts, such as middle hooks. Those who are "full of sounds like pearls" touch people's hearts, straighten their shapes like pearls, and their sounds are moving, making people think that their shapes are like this. (Book of Rites Justice, Volume 39)
Kong's experience in Le Ji is quite subtle and wonderful. He pointed out that all kinds of metaphors about the beauty of songs in Yue Ji are "the sound touches people and makes people think that they are what they are", that is to say, songs can touch people's feelings, and different songs give people different aesthetic feelings and lead to different aesthetic imaginations.
Because the system of ancient songs is relatively free and the music is more casual, you can use songs to express your inner thoughts, whether wild, old, young, strong or weak. Therefore, rulers can examine people's feelings from folk songs, as Ban Gu said: "The feeling of sadness and joy, while the voice of singing, reciting the poems they said, reciting the songs they said. Therefore, there were officials who collected poems in ancient times, so you observed the customs, knew the gains and losses, and tested yourself. " (Hanshu, Art, Literature and History) Because of music, the songs of later generations gradually refined. Songs can be used not only for personal expression, but also for elegant and solemn occasions such as ancestral temples, sacrifices, banquets and military service.
Stylist may think that ballads precede songs. Chen Renzi's Addendum to Selected Works (Volume 35) "Ballad" Note:
There is no song, there is a rumor first. Ballads begin with kangqu, and songs begin with digging soil. In fact, all poems originated from the beginning. The rumors of later generations became evidence and slander.
In Ming Dynasty, Huang Zuo juxtaposed ballads with songs, and put ballads in front. This book is strictly ordered, and the order of ballads before songs reflects Huang's stylistic view, that is, ballads are older and more wild and simple than songs. Huang Zuo s Liu Yi Liu Bie explains "ballads";
Who is the rumor monger? Rumors, remote also. There are chapters and songs, no chapters and no songs. Words rhyme, people sing without music, and the sound is far away. Folk songs began in children's city and were picked out for the master to listen to and sing.
Du, "the old proverb, ordinary cases" cloud:
Compared with songs, folk songs can be divided into performances and songs. And the study of songs is the general term. Where a word is said, a song is also a song. So folk songs can be combined with songs. You can also call it a song.
He thinks there is no essential difference between folk songs and songs.
As early as the Western Zhou Dynasty, ballads had a special function-"only distinguishing good from bad". Zhao Wei's "Mandarin" notes: "Distinguish, don't also; Only, evil also; Auspicious and beautiful. There are rumors that "C's birthday" and "arc suit" are also true. " (China Language Collection, Volume 12) Ballads are prophetic, which can reflect or foretell political good and evil and bad luck. According to "Mandarin", there is a nursery rhyme in the times that says: "He who wears a white coat dies in Zhou. ".""Arc" is a bow made of mulberry wood, and "Jifu" refers to the arrow and quiver made by Jim. After hearing this rumor, Zhou Xuanwang ordered the arrest and killing of a couple who were selling "curved clothes". The couple found a baby girl on the way to escape and raised her. This baby girl is a compliment. As an adult, praise is very beautiful. People dedicated her to Zhou Xuanwang's son Zhou Youwang. Zhou Youwang died because he loved praise so much. The truth of this story is not important. What is important is that it expresses the idea that "ballad" has the function of political prediction, which to a great extent endows "ballad" with the importance and mystery beyond the general literary genre.
With the rise of divination in Han Dynasty, the combination of ballads and divination further strengthened its mysterious function. Ban Gu systematically recorded and explained Han Shu's ballads, saying: "The monarch is tyrannical in the hot sun, and the minister is afraid of punishment in the hot sun, and then the anger of slander comes from ballads, so there are poetry demons." Ban Gu believes that the root cause of rumors is that the rulers are unpopular, chaotic and tyrannical, and the people are full of resentment and slander. Therefore, it looks extremely mysterious, but it happened for social and political reasons. For example, in the early years of Emperor Huan of Han Dynasty, there were nursery rhymes in the world:
The wheat is green and the barley is withered. Who will be the wife menstruation? Why did grandpa attack Hu in the west? Officials buy horses, you have cars. Please cheer for you.
This nursery rhyme vividly describes the cruel social reality at that time. During the reign of Emperor Yuan Jia of the Han Dynasty, the Xiliang Qiang people invaded the Central Plains on a large scale, and the people suffered greatly. The decadent and incompetent Han royal family caused a large number of soldiers to die in the battlefield, and ordinary people and even small officials had to buy their own horses and chariots to go out; Years of war have led to rural desolation, and only women are engaged in farmland labor. In the face of such a bleak and miserable situation, ordinary people can't object loudly, but they can only keep their anger in their hearts and send their "hatred and slander" to songs. This nursery rhyme is recorded in the History of the Five Elements of the Later Han Dynasty, which indicates that the Han Dynasty is bound to decline and perish. Another example is the record of the five elements in the history of the later Han Dynasty. At the beginning of the first emperor's practice, there was a nursery rhyme in Kyoto: "A thousand lilies, He Qingqing; Ten days, can't be born. " This nursery rhyme reflects the society's hatred of Dong Zhuo's brutal behavior at that time, and shows that Dong Zhuo has lost the hearts of the people, and the final failure is inevitable.
During the Wei and Jin Dynasties, the rulers began to ban the study of divination, but the vitality of ballads was extremely strong, which was recorded in the five-element annals of historical books in past dynasties, and the mystery of ballads became stronger and stronger. For example, "Jin Shu Tian" records: "The loss of five stars, its essence falls to the ground. ..... floating children, playing songs. ..... good or bad, just say it. " (Book of Jin, Volume XII) In the Tang Dynasty, Pan Yan wrote "Ode to Nursery Rhymes", saying, "Strange stars are listed in the sky and turned into nursery rhymes to tell saints." People think that children are naive and have no intention of fighting for political rights, so rumors from childishness are particularly credible. The twinkling stars in the sky send oracles to the world through nursery rhymes.
Songs are gradually refined because of the soundtrack, while folk songs tend to be more and more vulgar. As a kind of oral literary style, ballads are popular in the streets and lanes, with a free style system, including one sentence, two sentences, three sentences and a few sentences. Their sentence patterns are different from those of three words, five words, seven words or similar songs of Chu, and their styles tend to be vulgar and difficult to be elegant. Although "ballad" has the importance and mystery of political prediction function, it is not as important as "Song" in the genealogy of ancient article study. In ancient times, many collections of articles did not accept "ballads". For example, Wenxuan accepted "miscellaneous songs" such as Jing, but did not accept "ballads".
In the pre-Qin period, ballads in different places had different names, such as "Qi", "Bi" and "Yan" in Chu songs. According to the needs of performance and expression, or the different singing methods, there are differences between,,, slow songs, Long song,, elegant songs, Chinese songs, songs of resentment, old songs and songs of triumph in later generations (the fourth song in Volume 15 of Liang Xiaoyi's Yao Bian and Introduction Book in the Southern Dynasties). Stylistically, chanting, chanting, sighing and complaining; Divination, chanting, proverbs and idioms all belong to the overall category of ballads, with similar stylistic forms and no essential differences.
(Author: Chinese Department of Sun Yat-sen University)