This section comprises fifteen prefaces or postfaces, either to Gu’s own works or to those of other writers. The former (2.1–6) include the Yinxue Wushu and the Jinshi Wenzi Ji. The latter (2.7–15) include the Lü Shi Qianzi Wen and Cheng Zhengfu Shi.
The [Li] Ji [Book of Rites] says, “When sounds form patterns, we speak of rhymes.” That is, when there are patterns, there are rhymes, and when rhymes are brought together, poetry is created. When a poem is complete, it is set to music. These things all come forth from Heaven and are not something man can create. At the time of the Three Dynasties, texts were all based on the six classes.1 When people came forth from the family and village schools, their natures were all developed and transformed toward “central and harmonious,” and the sounds that emerged from their lips were invariably in accord with what was right. Nevertheless, the Rites of Zhou [Zhou Li] says, on the responsibilities of the senior messenger, “In the ninth year, he assembles the blind musicians and historiographers, issues a proclamation on written characters, and practices listening to sounds and rhymes.” This is how to bring unity to the Way and virtue and uniformity to customs—this cannot be neglected.2
This is why the 305 poems of the Odes beginning from the Shang hymns and continuing down to Duke Ling of Chen [r. 612–598 B.C.E.], over a range of fifteen states and a time of more than a thousand years, never showed any variation in their rhymes. Emperor Shun’s song, Gaoyao’s continuation, Ji Zi’s statement, and the appendixes of King Wen and the Duke of Zhou were entirely without differences.3 Therefore, the 305 poems are a record of the rhymes of the ancients. From the Wei and Jin periods on, antiquity became more remote every day and ci 詞 and fu 賦 [verses] more numerous every day. Subsequently, the term yin was changed to yun [finals]. When it came to Zhou Yong of the Song and Shen Yue of the Liang, tables of the four tones were created.4 But from the writings of Qin and Han, rhymes had already turned away from the ancient [forms]. By the time of the Eastern Jin, this deviation was already very great, and when Xiuwen [Shen Yue] created his table, he was unable to base the rhymes on the earlier odes [ya and nan] or evaluate them beside the Chu Ci [Songs of the South] in order to complete a lasting classic. His work was based only on the rhymes used in the fu of Ban Gu and Zhang Heng, and those who came after them, and the shi of the Caos and Liu Zheng, and those who came after them.5 Nevertheless, he compiled what was established as a basis, and, as a result, modern rhymes were practiced and ancient rhymes were lost. This constituted the first change in the study of rhymes.
Coming down to the Tang period, shi and fu were used to select scholar-officials, and their rhymes were unified by taking Lu Fayan’s Qieyun as a standard.6 Although there were notes on single and combined rhymes, the division of rhyme groups never changed. When it came to the Jingyou reign period of the Song dynasty [1034–1037], there were some minor changes. In the later years of Emperor Li Zong [r. 1225–1264], Liu Yuan of Pingshui reduced the 206 rhymes to 107.7 In the Yuan period, Huang Gongshao wrote his Yunhui following this, which has lasted to the present time.8 As a result, Song rhymes were practiced and Tang rhymes were lost. This was the second change in the study of rhymes.
As an age becomes daily more distant, so its transmission is daily more error strewn, and the loss of the Way has taken place over more than two thousand years. I have looked deeply into the matter over the years, but it was only when I acquired a copy of the Guangyun9 that, for the first time and from all aspects, I came to an understanding of its theories. As a result, I relied on the Tang writers as the basis for correcting Song errors, and the ancient classics as the basis for correcting the errors of Shen Yue and the Tang writers. Further, the rhymes of the Three Dynasties and before were divided up and put in order, a matter of considerable complexity, but one that cannot be left in a state of confusion. Then I set out the changes of ancient and modern rhymes and examined the reasons for the differences, preparing the Yinlun in two juan. I examined and corrected the rhymes of the Three Dynasties and before and made notes on the 305 odes to create the Shibenyin in ten juan. I annotated the Book of Changes [Yi Jing] to create the Yiyin in three juan. I distinguished Shen Yue’s errors of classification and, using the ancient rhymes one by one, corrected them to create the “Tang Yunzheng” in twenty juan. I arranged the ancient rhymes in ten groups, creating the “Guyin Biao” in two juan.
From this, the writings of the Six Classics can be read. The books of the other philosophers have variations and correspondences, but they are not far apart. “Heaven will never lose this writing,” so, of necessity, a sage will again arise who will bring modern-day speech back to the purity of ancient times. Confucius said, “I returned from Wei to Lu, and afterward music was corrected, and the ya and song each were brought back to what they should be.”10 Truly, there is hope that someone will do this in the times to come.
I copied out the work I wrote—the Record of Daily Knowledge—because many of my friends wanted me to, being anxious that I would not be able to give it to them. Subsequently, in the year shangzhang yan [gengxu, the ninth year of the Kangxi reign period—1670], I printed these eight juan. Now, six or seven years have gone past. I am older and have made some progress. In days past I began to regret the limitations of my learning—my opinions were not very enlightened. There are frequent omissions in the book, but it is already out there in the world and it is not possible to hide them. I have gradually made additions and amendments and now have twenty or so juan. I would like to print it again but still don’t presume to think it is in its final form. Therefore, I have first given the old edition to those of like mind. Now, the pattern [li 理] of all under Heaven is without limit, and the noble man’s purpose lies in the Way [dao 道]. If he doesn’t complete this purpose, he is unsuccessful. And so my past attainments are not enough to brag about. The work’s completion in the days to come doesn’t allow me to limit myself. If what I wish for is enlightened scholarship, correction of men’s minds, and reform of a disordered age by bringing its affairs to a great peace, then this won’t be completed by this printing. After I finally put down my brush, I must “hide this in a famous mountain,”11 where it will lie waiting to be sought out by someone who seeks to bring peace to the world and order to the ten thousand things. It will be fortunate indeed if he doesn’t cast this printing aside because of its shallowness!