Complete Yuan Dynasty Qu Poetry Allusions Dictionary

Author: Lü Weifen
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2001-12-01
Features: This book serves as a reference tool for readers with a medium level of education, as well as for teachers in primary, secondary, and higher education, and literary and artistic workers, when studying Yuanqu (a form of classical Chinese drama). It includes allusions to historical facts, stories, traditional operas, myths, legends, ceremonial rites, and famous lines from earlier literary works that are quoted or adapted in the Yuanqu. Each entry consists of three parts:
(1) Source Citation: The original text of the allusion is quoted, and the source is identified. Whenever possible, earlier sources are cited, and ambiguities in previous interpretations are addressed. If the historical fact or story is lengthy, it may be summarized in modern language, but the source must still be noted. The era and author of the cited work are specified; for well-known classics such as The Analects, The Selection of Refined Literature, The Twenty-Four Histories, and The Sayings of the Master of the Eastern Studio, the era and author are omitted.
(2) Explanation: A summary of the essential meaning of the source text is provided, along with the general significance of the allusion. If the allusion has multiple meanings, each meaning is explained sequentially without separate entries for each.
(3) Examples: Examples of the allusion’s usage in Yuanqu are given, with detailed explanations of the specific usage and particular meaning of the allusion in each case, highlighting its rhetorical and structural role. All examples are annotated with the author and title of the Yuanqu work. Examples from Yuanqu are sourced from Complete Yuan Quatrain, while those from Nanxi (Southern Drama) are from Sixty Plays.
Principles for Creating Entries:
(1) Detailed Entries: Instead of using a person’s name as the entry for their deeds, the specific example cited is used as the entry.
(2) Inconsistencies Between Alluded and Source Texts: If the alluded text does not match the source text in wording, the wording from the example is used as the entry. However, if an allusion is used or adapted in two or more sentences, and it is difficult to extract a suitable term, a concise and accurate summary may be used instead.
(3) Same Wording, Different Origins, Different Meanings: Entries are created separately, with Arabic numerals (e.g., 1, 2) in the upper right corner to distinguish them.
(4) Multiple Allusions in the Same Sentence: Separate entries are made for each allusion, and the same example is cited under each. The explanation for each example focuses on its respective allusion.
(5) Same Allusion, Different Wording: To facilitate reader verification, separate entries are made. Source citations and explanations are placed under commonly used entries. If it is difficult to determine the primary entry, it is placed under the entry with fewer strokes in the character. Examples are appended under the entry that matches the wording of the allusion.