文/五花肉

至繁归于至简
——古琴，音律之外的自由

From ComplicacytoSimplicity——FreedomoutsideGuqinandmelodies

文/五花肉

音律Temperament天道之数Trend of Natural Development古琴减字谱Jianzi Notation《高山流水》Lofty Mountains& Flowing Water

——《孟子》

If you do not understand temperament,even you have ears as sensitive as Shikuang’s,you can not adjust the five music scales.It is the rules that regulate things.When you thoroughly understand that, you can handle all the things accordingly,which is also the way to govern,and all the sacred kings in ancient times followed the way.

——《吕氏春秋·大乐》

Having been for a long time,the music is generated from the measurement for melody while rooted in The One.

如果说古琴的形制，体现的是文人雅士对于美好社会秩序以及天人合一境界的向往，那么藉由古琴所演绎的中国古代音律，以及用以传承古琴技艺的记谱方法，便是中国古人尊崇自然、法天乘气，乃至追求人性自由的体现。

If we say the shape of Guqin reflects the yearning of the ancient literati for a better social order and a harmonious state for both the nature and human beings, Chinese ancient music played with Guqin and the ways to make music scores for passing down Guqin playing skills are the embodiment of the Chinese ancient people in respecting nature,doing things according to rules of the nature and even in pursuing human freedom.

有学者指出，传统中国的律，是一种通过“候气”而被验证的综合标准，它既是用于天文观测计算方面的标准，又是测定音之高低，还是度、量、衡的标准。十二律与十二气的匹配，是由测度天道之数来衡量人间社会的政治之数，从而达到维护政治统治和社会秩序的目的。

Some scholars have pointed out that the traditional Chinese lü is a set of test-proven and comprehensive criteria through"houqi",which can be used as the standard for astronomical observation and calculation, as well as references for measuring pitch,length,volume and weight.The matching of 12 lü with 12 qi is a measuring way of the trend of natural development, which is used to measure that of politics in human society,so as to achieve the aim to maintain political domination and social order.

减字谱与琴徽

事实上，中国古代的律包含了历律、音律、度量衡等内容，其产生、确定与推行，如同秦始皇统一度量衡等中国古代标准化实践一样，充满着浓重的权力支配色彩。但当古代皇权遭遇古琴这门文人技艺时，刻板的音律却衍生出别样的自由色彩。

In fact,the ancient Chinese lü includes calendar, temperament and measurement of length,volume& weight.The coming-into-being,establishment and popularization of the lü was full of the meaning of imperial power control,just like the implementation of standardization in Chinese ancient times such as the unifying of the units of measurements by Qin Shi Huang,the first emperor of Qin Dynasty.Incredibly, when the ancient imperial power encountered the skill shown by literary artists in Guqin,the mechanical modes appear a spirit glowing with freedom.

这种自由首先体现在古琴的形制上。川派古琴代表人物顾梅羹先生在《琴学备要·音律》“明徽”章指出，如果严格按照琴弦与按音部位的不同而设徽，则古琴需要设立五十余徽，如繁星密布，这远不如实际的十三徽来得清朗。

The freedom is firstly reflected in the shape.According to Mr.Gu Meigeng,a Guqin master of Sichuan School,has pointed out in his book Notices for Guqin Skill?Mode that,if the beat indicators are fixed strictly according to the arrangement of strings and for the convenience for people to play,there will be more than 50 beat indicators.Such arrangement will be too complicated to master,compared with the simple and clear arrangement of 13 indicators.

同样的，自由还体现在既无音高旋律亦无节奏节拍，且篇幅繁冗的古琴减字谱上。《中国琴学》一书指出，这种在同一种乐器的专用谱式上，细致、精确无误地标注出三种律制的音律现象，在古今中外各类谱式中是罕见的。借助这种今人看来充满缺憾的文字谱，千余年来古人为我们留下了六百多首琴谱、三千多种传谱，古琴艺术也因此得到了稳定的传承与发展……对抚琴者来说，抚琴并不是遵循严格的标准、在乐器上精确地重复别人的旋律，而是以意境为重，抒发胸臆、倾听心灵之声。

While at the same time,the freedom is also reflected in complex and tedious Jianzi Notation with neither pitch&melody nor rhythm&beat.In Chinese Qinxue,the author pointed out that the way of marking three temperament systems meticulously,precisely and unmistakably in a special notation style for a same musical instrument is really rare in history and in the world.By virtue of those scores composed with Chinese characters,our ancestors in the past 1,000-odd years have passed down to us more than 600 pieces of original Guqin music and more than 3,000 kinds of imparted music.With the benefit of that,Guqin art has been inherited and developed in a stable way...... To a Guqin player,playing music is not an accurate repeat of the melodies on the instrument,but a subject way of focusing on artistic conception,expressing his emotion and listening to the voice of his soul.

毫无疑问，这种包含了形制与记谱方法的古琴“标准体系”，充满了自由色彩，与中国古代的音律规范相互作用，产生了独特的美学张力。当《高山流水》的旋律随同“旅行者1号”进入星际空间，成为人类文明与地外文明交流的桥梁之一，古琴艺术这颗中华民族悠久文化的璀璨明珠注定将与日月星辰同辉。

There is no doubt that the standard system for Guqin including its shape design and its notation is full of freedom.The interaction between the system and Chinese ancient temperament norms generates a unique aesthetic perspective.When the melody of the Lofty Mountains and Flowing Water entered into the interstellar space with“Voyager 1",and became a bridge connecting human civilization and extraterrestrial civilization,Guqin art,one of the resplendent shining pearls of Chinese national culture,is destined to shine forever like the sun and the moon.

（支持单位：上海市标准化研究院）

古琴曲《高山流水》被收入旅行者1号“金唱盘”