The Dunhuang Ci-poem Yuan Chun Gui (怨春閨): A Restudy Starting from a Crack on the P.2748 Scroll

Abstract

Peter Wai Ming Cheng, D.Litt. (1958.12- ), penname “Wei Ming”, is a poet as well as a scholar. He is currently Senior Researcher & Deputy Director (Research) of the Jao Tsung-I.

Petite Ecole, The University of Hong Kong. He also serves as Professor, PhD & Post-doctoral Advisor of School of History and Culture, Shandong University; Professor & PhD Advisor of School of Chinese Classics, Heilongjiang University; Research Fellow of Center for Historical and Cultural Studies in Eastern Asia and the Pacific Area, Shimane University; Visiting Professor in Sinology of the University of Artois, France; Executive Council Member of China Society of Ci-Poetry Studies; Deputy Director and President Commissioner of the World Association for Chinese Studies, Deputy Director of Studies(Historical Linguistics) of the International Archaeology and Historical Linguistics Society, etc.His research interests include History of Ancient China, Classic Methodology in Chinese Studies, Chinese Paleography & Philology (Bamboo & Silk Scripts), Ci-Poetry, History of Chinese Literature, and Macaology, with a strong publication record of 35 academic monographs, 10 literary writings and over 160 research articles.

The Dunhuang Ci-poem Yuan Chun Gui written on the back of the scroll P. 2748 was firstly discovered by Prof. Jao Tsung-i in the 1960s-1970s, who gave no clear periodization to the piece yet dated Si Yue Ren, another Ci-poem inscribed on the scroll to 923AD. Since then, little attention has paid to the Ci-poem except that Mr. Ren Ban-tang’s strong criticism against Prof. Jao’s periodization of the two Ci-poems. This article is therefore to have a comprehensive restudy of the Ci-poem Yuan Chun Gui starting from a crack found on the scroll, which leads to the conclusion that Prof. Jao rather than Mr. Ren is right. The text is then re-investigated with textual criticism approach and metrical studies. A new commentary annotation to the Ci-poem is also provided.