Top of page

Book/Printed Material Si sheng yuan : si juan 四聲猿: 四卷

[ Volume 1 ]

More Resources

[ Volume 2 ]

About this Item

Title

  • Si sheng yuan : si juan

Other Title

  • 四聲猿: 四卷

Translated Title

  • The Four Cries of the Gibbon: Four Juan

Summary

  • Si sheng yuan (The four cries of the gibbon) consists of four dramas written by Xu Wei (1521--93) of the Ming. The titles of the dramas are Kuang gu shi Yuyang san nong (The history of the mad drummer of Yuyang), Yu chan shi Cuixiang yi meng (A Zen master's dream of being reincarnated as Liucui), Ci Mulan ti fu cong jun (The heroine Mulan goes to war in her father's place), and Nü zhuang yuan ci huang de feng (The female top graduate gives up a phoenix-hen and obtains a phoenix-rooster). The four dramas form a collection under the title of The Four Cries of the Gibbon. The title was derived from one of the Yuefu poems of Han, "The Three Cries of the Gibbon that Reduced People to Tears that Wet Their Clothes," in which it is inferred that if people can be reduced to tears by three cries of the gibbon, four cries would be even more mournful. Xu Wei's original courtesy name was Wenqing, later changed to Wenchang. He also had various other pseudonyms, including Qingteng Jushi (Resident of the Green Vine House). Born in Shanyin (present-day Shaoxing, Zhejiang), Xu Wei was a literary writer, painter and calligrapher, and military expert. Praising these dramas in his work Qu lü (Principles of lyric drama), Wang Jide (died 1623) described them as "lofty and refined, rich and magnificent, and wanting for nothing. He, an extraordinary playwright, followed in the footsteps of Yuan writers." Presented here is a printed edition, published at Yan'ge by Li Tingmo, courtesy name Gaochen, style name Yan'ge Zhuren, of Yuezhong (present-day Shaoxing) of the Ming. It consists of four juan and two volumes. At the end of the book is a postscript with annotation by dramatist Wu Mei (1884-1939).

Names

  • Xu, Wei, 1521-1593 Author

Created / Published

  • Shaoxing, China : Li Tingmo, [1567 to 1644]

Headings

  • -  China--Zhejiang Province--Shaoxing
  • -  1567 to 1644
  • -  Chinese drama
  • -  Chinese literature
  • -  Drama

Notes

  • -  Title devised, in English, by Library staff.
  • -  Original resource extent: 2 volumes : illustrations ; 28 x 17.5 centimeters.
  • -  Original resource at: National Library of China.
  • -  Content in Chinese.
  • -  Description based on data extracted from World Digital Library, which may be extracted from partner institutions.
  • -  Title revised per Asian Division.--cc28 2023-01-06

Medium

  • 1 online resource.

Digital Id

Library of Congress Control Number

  • 2021666478

Online Format

  • compressed data
  • pdf
  • image

Additional Metadata Formats

IIIF Presentation Manifest

Rights & Access

The Library of Congress is unaware of any copyright or other restrictions in the World Digital Library Collection. Absent any such restrictions, these materials are free to use and reuse. Researchers are encouraged to review the source information attached to each item. For information on contacting WDL partner organizations, see this archived list of partners

The Library asks that researchers approach the materials in this collection with respect for the culture and sensibilities of the people whose lives, ideas, and creativity are documented here.

Credit Line: [Original Source citation], World Digital Library

More about Copyright and other Restrictions

For additional information and contact information for many of the partner organizations, see this archived capture of the World Digital Library site from 2021.

For guidance about compiling full citations consult Citing Primary Sources.

Cite This Item

Citations are generated automatically from bibliographic data as a convenience, and may not be complete or accurate.

Chicago citation style:

Xu, Wei, Author. Si Sheng Yuan: Si Juan. [Shaoxing, China: Li Tingmo, to 1644, 1567] Pdf. https://www.loc.gov/item/2021666478/.

APA citation style:

Xu, W. (1567) Si Sheng Yuan: Si Juan. [Shaoxing, China: Li Tingmo, to 1644] [Pdf] Retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/item/2021666478/.

MLA citation style:

Xu, Wei, Author. Si Sheng Yuan: Si Juan. [Shaoxing, China: Li Tingmo, to 1644, 1567] Pdf. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, <www.loc.gov/item/2021666478/>.