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Quan Qing sanqu 全清散曲

Aug 24, 2022 © Ulrich Theobald

Quan Qing sanqu 全清散曲 is a complete collection of solitary aria-style poems (sanqu 散曲) from the Qing period 清 (1644-1911). The collection was begun by Ling Jingting 凌景埏 (1904-1959) and continued by Xie Boyang 謝伯陽 (b. 1954). It includes 4,380 poems of 342 persons. Among these, 3,213 belong to the short type (xiaoling 小令), and 1,166 to the suite type (taoshu 套數).

While aria-style poems were very popular during the Jin 金 (1115-1234) and Yuan 元 (1279-1368) periods, they are only occasionally found in later ages, both among the writings of well-educated literary, as well as in the popular sphere during market performances. The book of Ling and Xie is the first collection dedicated to the post-flourishing period of qu poetry, and proves that the genre was not just a continuation of Yuan-period poetry, but experienced innovations and advancements.

The compilers added biographies to each writer, and critical notes for each poem. The book was published in 1985 by the Qi-Lu Shushe 齊魯書社. An enlarged version (zengbu ban 增補版) was published in 2006 by the same publisher.

Sources:
Men Kui 門巋 (1997). "Quan Qing sanqu 全清散曲", in Men Kui 門巋, Zhang Yanjin 張燕瑾, eds. Zhonghua guocui da cidian 中華國粹大辭典 (Xianggang: Guoji wenhua chuban gongsi), 661.
Shuai Benhua 帥本華, ed. (1991). Zhong-wai wenyijia ji mingzuo cidian 中外文藝家及名作辭典 (Lanzhou: Gansu renmin chubanu), 369.
Xie Boyang 謝伯陽 (1987). "Quan Qing sanqu bubian 《全清散曲》補編 (上)", Wenxian 文獻, 1987 (3): 37-63; "Quan Qing sanqu bubian 《全清散曲》補編 (下)", Wenxian 文獻, 1987 (4): 68-91.