1
自周、陳以上，雅鄭淆雜而無別，隋文帝始分雅、俗二部，至唐更曰「部當」。
Through the Zhou and Chen era, court and popular music ran together without clear separation until Sui Wendi split them into elegant and popular bureaus; under Tang the categories were renamed section assignments.
2
凡所謂俗樂者，二十有八調：正宮、高宮、中呂宮、道調宮、南呂宮、仙呂宮、黃鐘宮為七宮； 越調、大食調、高大食調、雙調、小食調、歇指調、林鐘商為七商； 大食角、高大食角，雙角，小食角、歇指角、林鐘角、越角為七角； 中呂調、正平調、高平調、仙呂調，黃鐘羽。 般涉調、高般涉為七羽。 皆從濁至清，迭更其聲，下則益濁，上則益清，慢者過節，急者流蕩。 其後聲器浸殊，或有宮調之名，或以倍四為度，有與律呂同名，而聲不近雅者。 其宮調乃應夾鐘之律，燕設用之。
So-called popular music has twenty-eight modes: the seven palace modes are Zhenggong, Gaogong, Zhonglü Palace, Daodiao Palace, Nanlü Palace, Xianlü Palace, and Huangzhong Palace; the seven shang modes are Yuediao, Dashidiao, Gaodashidiao, Shuangdiao, Xiaoshidiao, Xiezhidiao, and Linzhong Shang; the seven jiao modes are Dashijiao, Gaodashijiao, Shuangjiao, Xiaoshijiao, Xiezhijiao, Linzhong Jiao, and Yuejiao; and the yu modes are Zhonglü Diao, Zhengping Diao, Gaoping Diao, Xianlü Diao, and Huangzhong Yu. Banshe Diao and Gaobanshe complete the seven yu modes. Pitch moves from low and thick to high and bright by degrees; lower lines grow heavier, higher lines thinner; slow tempi drag past the beat, quick ones spill over. Later instruments and tones diverged: some pieces kept palace-mode labels, some took the doubled-fourth interval as their frame, and some borrowed pitch-pipe names while sounding far from court style. The palace mode in question matched the Jiazhong pipe and was reserved for feast settings.
3
絲有琵琶、五弦、箜篌、箏，竹有觱篥、簫、笛，匏有笙，革有杖鼓、第二鼓、第三鼓、腰鼓、大鼓，土則附革而為鞡，木有拍板、方響，以體金應石而備八音。 倍四本屬清樂，形類雅音，而曲出於胡部。 復有銀字之名，中管之格，皆前代應律之器也。 後人失其傳，而更以異名，故俗部諸曲，悉源于雅樂。
Stringed instruments included pipa, five-string, konghou, and zheng; bamboo, bili, xiao, and flute; gourd, sheng; hide, staff, second, third, waist, and great drums; earth joined hide for the ta; wood, clappers and fangxiang—thus metal and stone, silk and bamboo, gourd and hide together filled the eight-tone set. The doubled-fourth scale came from clear music and looked like court style, but its tunes issued from the foreign repertoire. Terms like "silver character" and the middle-pipe register likewise denoted older pipe-tuned instruments. Later generations lost the tradition and renamed things, so every popular-bureau tune still traces back to elegant music at root.
4
周、隋管弦雜曲數百，皆西涼樂也。 鼓舞曲，皆龜茲樂也。 唯琴工猶傳楚、漢舊聲及《清調》，蔡邕五弄、楚調四弄，謂之九弄。 隋亡，清樂散缺，存者才六十三曲。 其後傳者：《平調》、《清調》，周《房中樂》遺聲也； 《白雪》，楚曲也； 《公莫舞》，漢舞也； 《巴渝》，漢高帝命工人作也； 《明君》，漢元帝時作也； 《明之君》，漢《鞞舞》曲也； 《鐸舞》，漢曲也； 《白鳩》，吳《拂舞》曲也； 《白紵》，吳舞也； 《子夜》，晉曲也； 《前溪》，晉車騎將軍沈珫作也； 《團扇》，晉王瑉歌也； 《懊儂》，晉隆安初謠也； 《長史變》，晉司徒左長史王廞作也； 《丁督護》，晉、宋間曲也； 《讀曲》，宋人為彭城王義康作也； 《烏夜啼》，宋臨川王義慶作也； 《石城》，宋臧質作也； 《莫愁》《石城樂》所出也； 《襄陽》，宋隨王誕作也； 《烏夜飛》，宋沈攸之作也； 《估客樂》，齊武帝作也； 《楊叛》，北齊歌也； 《驍壺》，投壺樂也； 《常林歡》，宋、梁間曲也； 《三洲》，商人歌也； 《采桑》，《三洲曲》所出也； 《玉樹後庭花》、《堂堂》，陳後主作也； 《泛龍舟》，隨煬帝作也。 又有《吳聲四時歌》、《雅歌》、《上林》、《鳳雛》、《平折》、《命嘯》等曲，其聲與其辭皆訛失，十不傳其一二。
Zhou and Sui preserved hundreds of mixed orchestral pieces, all of Western Liang origin. Dance pieces with drum accompaniment were Kucha in origin. Only qin masters still carried Chu and Han legacy tunes and the Clear Mode—Cai Yong's five suites plus the Chu mode's four, known together as the Nine Suites. After Sui's collapse clear music broke apart; barely sixty-three pieces remained. Pieces still handed down included Plain Mode and Clear Mode, Zhou survivals from inner-chamber music; "White Snow," a Chu melody; "Lord, do not!" a Han dance piece; "Bayu," commissioned by Han Gaozu from his artisans; "Bright Lady," from Han Yuandi's reign; "Bright Lord," a Han shield-dance tune; "Duo Dance," Han in origin; "White Dove," from Wu's whisk dance; "White Ramie," a Wu dance; "Midnight," Jin; "Front Brook," by Jin General of Chariots and Cavalry Shen Kuang; "Round Fan," a song by Jin Wang Min; "Regretful Lover," a ballad from early Jin Long'an; "Chief Clerk Variation," by Jin Left Chief Clerk Wang Yin; "Ding, the Chief Steward," from the Jin–Song interval; "Reading Tune," composed in Song for Prince of Pengcheng Yikang; "Crow Cries at Night," by Song Prince of Linchuan Yiqing; "Stone City," by Song Zang Zhi; "Mochou" grew out of "Stone City Music"; "Xiangyang," by Song Prince of Sui Wang Dan; "Crow Flies at Night," by Song Shen Youzhi; "Merchant's Song," by Qi Emperor Wu; "Yang the Rebel," a Northern Qi song; "Valiant Pot," music for pitch-pot play; "Changlin Joy," from the Song–Liang period; "Three Isles," a merchants' song; "Picking Mulberry," spun from the Three Isles tune; "Jade Tree in the Rear Court" and "Stately," by Chen's last emperor; "Floating Dragon Boat," by Sui Yangdi. Other titles—"Wu Sound Four Seasons Song," "Elegant Song," "Upper Grove," "Phoenix Chick," "Level Bend," "Commanding Cry"—survived only in name; music and text alike are garbled, and scarcely one piece in ten still passes down intact.
5
初，帝賜第隆慶坊，坊南之地變為池，中宗常泛舟以厭其祥。 帝即位，作《龍池樂》，舞者十有二人，冠芙蓉冠，躡履，備用雅樂，唯無磬。 又作《聖壽樂》，以女子衣五色繡襟而舞之。 又作《小破陣樂》，舞者被甲胄。 又作《光聖樂》，舞者烏冠、畫衣，以歌王跡所興。 又分樂為二部：堂下立奏，謂之立部伎； 堂上坐奏，謂之坐部伎。 太常閱坐部，不可教者隸立部，又不可教者，乃習雅樂。 立部伎八：一《安舞》，二《太平樂》，三《破陣樂》，四《慶善樂》，五《大定樂》，六《上元樂》，七《聖壽樂》，八《光聖樂》。 《安舞》、《太平樂》，周、隋遺音也。 《破陣樂》以下皆用大鼓，雜以龜茲樂，其聲震厲。 《大定樂》又加金鉦。 《慶善舞》顓用西涼樂，聲頗閒雅。 每享郊廟，則《破陣》、《上元》、《慶善》三舞皆用之。 坐部伎六：一《燕樂》，二《長壽樂》，三《天授樂》，四《鳥歌萬歲樂》，五《龍池樂》，六《小破陣樂》。 《天授》、《鳥歌》，皆武后作也。 天授，年名。 鳥歌者，有鳥能人言萬歲，因以制樂。 自《長壽樂》以下，用龜茲舞，唯《龍池樂》則否。
Early on the emperor received a residence in Longqing Ward; the ground south of it became a pond, and Zhongzong would row there to dispel the ill omen. On his accession he created "Dragon Pool Music," danced by twelve performers in lotus crowns and soft shoes to court instrumentation—everything but the stone chimes. He also wrote "Holy Longevity Music," performed by women in five-colored embroidered collars. He added "Little Breaking the Formation," its dancers in armor. He also made "Radiant Sage Music," with dancers in black caps and painted robes praising the royal path he had opened. Music was then split into two troupes: pieces played standing in the hall court were the Standing Bureau; those played seated on the dais were the Seated Bureau. The Court of Sacrifices auditioned the Seated Bureau; performers who could not be trained there dropped to the Standing Bureau, and if still hopeless they were sent to elegant music. The Standing Bureau numbered eight works: Peace Dance, Great Peace Music, Breaking the Formation, Celebrating Goodness, Great Settlement, Upper Prime, Holy Longevity, and Radiant Sage. "Peace Dance" and "Great Peace Music" preserve Zhou and Sui legacy. From Breaking the Formation onward every piece used great drums with Kucha music—sound sharp enough to startle. "Great Settlement Music" layered in golden cymbals. "Celebrating Goodness Dance" relied wholly on Western Liang music and sounded notably calm and elegant. At every suburban and temple sacrifice the three dances Breaking the Formation, Upper Prime, and Celebrating Goodness were performed. The Seated Bureau had six: Banquet Music, Longevity Music, Heaven-Bestowed Music, Bird Song of Ten Thousand Years, Dragon Pool, and Little Breaking the Formation. Heaven-Bestowed and Bird Song both came from Empress Wu. Heaven-Bestowed was her reign era name. Bird Song arose when a bird was said to cry "ten thousand years," inspiring the piece. From Longevity Music down the Kucha dance style was used—Dragon Pool alone excepted.
6
是時，民間以帝自潞州還京師，舉兵夜半誅韋皇后，制《夜半樂》、《還京樂》二曲。 帝又作《文成曲》，與《小破陣樂》更奏之。 其後，河西節度使楊敬忠獻《霓裳羽衣曲》十二遍，凡曲終必遽，唯《霓裳羽衣曲》將畢，引聲益緩。 帝方浸喜神仙之事，詔道士司馬承禎制《玄真道曲》，茅山道士李會元制《大羅天曲》，工部侍郎賀知章制《紫清上聖道曲》。 太清宮成，太常卿韋縚制《景雲》、《九真》、《紫極》、《小長壽》、《承天》、《順天樂》六曲，又制商調《君臣相遇樂》曲。
Popular musicians then wrote "Midnight Music" and "Returning to the Capital," commemorating his midnight march from Luzhou to kill Empress Wei. He also wrote "Wencheng Tune," paired in rotation with Little Breaking the Formation. Later Yang Jingzhong of Hexi presented the Rainbow Skirt and Feathered Robe in twelve passes; most suites rushed their endings, but this one deliberately slowed as it finished. As his taste turned toward immortals he commissioned Sima Chengzhen's "Mysterious Truth Dao Tune," Li Huiyuan of Maoshan's "Great Luo Heaven Tune," and He Zhizhang's "Purple Clarity Supreme Sage Dao Tune." At the Supreme Clarity Palace's completion Wei Yun, Director of Court Music, offered six pieces—Jingyun, Nine Perfections, Purple Pole, Little Longevity, Receiving Heaven, Following Heaven—and a shang-mode suite, Ruler and Minister Meeting in Joy.
7
初，隋有法曲，其音清而近雅。 其器有鐃、鈸、鐘、磬、幢簫、琵琶。 琵琶圓體修頸而小，號曰「秦漢子」，蓋弦鞀之遺制，出於胡中，傳為秦、漢所作。 其聲金、石、絲、竹以次作，隋煬帝厭其聲澹，曲終復加解音。 玄宗既知音律，又酷愛法曲，選坐部伎子弟三百教於梨園，聲有誤者，帝必覺而正之，號「皇帝梨園弟子」。 宮女數百，亦為梨園弟子，居宜春北院。 梨園法部，更置小部音聲三十餘人。 帝幸驪山，楊貴妃生日，命小部張樂長生殿，因奏新曲，未有名，會南方進荔枝，因名曰《荔枝香》。 帝又好羯鼓，而甯王善吹橫笛，達官大臣慕之，皆喜言音律。 帝嘗稱：「羯鼓，八音之領袖，諸樂不可方也。」 蓋本戎羯之樂，其音太蔟一均，龜茲、高昌、疏勒、天竺部皆用之，其聲焦殺，特異眾樂。
Sui had long kept the fa tune, clear-toned and close to court style. It used nao and bo cymbals, bells, stone chimes, banner flutes, and pipa. The pipa is round-bodied with a long thin neck—nicknamed "Qin-Han Son," a descendant of the string drum from the frontier, credited by tradition to Qin and Han times. Metal, stone, silk, and bamboo entered in turn; Sui Yangdi found the tone too plain and had ornamental figures added after every closing. Xuanzong, himself versed in pitch, adored the fa tune and drilled three hundred Seated Bureau youths in the Pear Garden; he caught every wrong note and fixed it himself—hence "the emperor's Pear Garden disciples." Hundreds of palace women joined as Pear Garden disciples in Yichun's north courtyard. Inside the Pear Garden's fa section he added a junior troupe of some thirty players. At Mount Li on Yang Guifei's birthday the small bureau performed a new, unnamed work in the Hall of Long Life; southern lychees arrived that day, so the piece became "Lychee Fragrance." He favored the jie drum while Prince of Ning led on transverse flute; courtiers copied them and music talk became fashion. He once said, "The jie drum heads the eight tones—nothing else stands beside it." Rooted in frontier Jie drums, it sits in the Taicu register; Kucha, Gaochang, Shule, and Tianzhu pieces all draw on it—tone biting and dry, unlike anything else in the ensemble.
8
開元二十四年，升胡部於堂上。 而天寶樂曲，皆以邊地名，若《涼州》、《伊州》、《甘州》之類。 後又詔道調、法曲與胡部新聲合作。 明年，安祿山反，涼州、伊州、甘州皆陷吐蕃。
Kaiyuan 24 raised the foreign bureau to hall performance. By the Tianbao reign most new tunes bore border place-names—Liangzhou, Yizhou, Ganzhou, and the like. An edict then fused Daodiao, fa music, and fresh barbarian melodies. The following year An Lushan rose; Liangzhou, Yizhou, and Ganzhou were lost to Tibet.
9
唐之盛時，凡樂人、音聲人、太常雜戶子弟隸太常及鼓吹署，皆番上，總號音聲人，至數萬人。
At Tang's zenith every player, vocalist, and Court of Sacrifices or Drum-and-Pipe dependent rotated through service—tens of thousands in all, lumped together as "sound specialists."
10
玄宗又嘗以馬百匹，盛飾分左右，施三重榻，舞《傾杯》數十曲，壯士舉榻，馬不動。 樂工少年姿秀者十數人，衣黃衫、文玉帶，立左右。 每千秋節，舞於勤政樓下，後賜宴設酺，亦會勤政樓。 其日未明，金吾引駕騎，北衙四軍陳仗，列旗幟，被金甲、短後繡袍。 太常卿引雅樂，每部數十人，間以胡夷之技。 內閑廄使引戲馬，五坊使引象、犀，入場拜舞。 宮人數百衣錦繡衣，出帷中，擊雷鼓，奏《小破陣樂》，歲以為常。
He once arrayed a hundred richly caparisoned horses with triple couches and danced dozens of Tipping the Cup numbers while brawny men heaved the couches without budging the animals. A dozen-odd handsome young players in yellow jackets and patterned jade belts flanked the scene. Each Thousand Autumns Festival they danced beneath the Diligence-in-Government Tower; later court feasts with public wine met there too. Before dawn the Golden Crow guard led the cavalcade; four northern-yard armies formed ranks in golden armor and short embroidered surcoats. The Court Director led elegant music—dozens per section—punctuated by foreign acts. The Inner Stud led performing horses; the Five Paddocks led elephants and rhinos to enter and bow in dance. Hundreds of palace women in brocade slipped from behind curtains, beat thunder drums, and played Little Breaking the Formation—an annual ritual.
11
千秋節者，玄宗以八月五日生，因以其日名節，而君臣共為荒樂，當時流俗多傳其事以為盛。 其後巨盜起，陷兩京，自此天下用兵不息，而離宮苑囿遂以荒堙，獨其餘聲遺曲傳人間，聞者為之悲涼感動。 蓋其事適足為戒，而不足考法，故不復著其詳。 自肅宗以後，皆以生日為節，而德宗不立節，然止於群臣稱觴上壽而已。
The Thousand Autumns Festival marked Xuanzong's birthday on the eighth month's fifth day; court and emperor abandoned themselves to revelry, and contemporaries trumpeted the spectacle. Then rebellion took both capitals; war never lifted, pleasure parks rotted away, and only fragments of music wandered among common folk, stirring grief in whoever heard them. The episode warns more than it instructs, so the account stops short of full detail. After Suzong emperors marked birthdays as holidays; Dezong refused the practice, limiting celebration to ministers' toast for long life.
12
代宗繇廣平王復二京，梨園供奉官劉日進制《寶應長寧樂》十八曲以獻，皆宮調也。
After Daizong retook the capitals with Prince of Guangping, Pear Garden officer Liu Rijin offered eighteen Precious Response Long Peace pieces, all in palace mode.
13
大曆元年，又有《廣平太一樂》。 《涼州曲》，本西涼所獻也，其聲本宮調，有大遍、小遍。 貞元初，樂工康昆侖寓其聲於琵琶，奏於玉宸殿，因號《玉宸宮調》，合諸樂，則用黃鐘宮。 其後方鎮多制樂舞以獻。 河東節度使馬燧獻《定難曲》。 昭義軍節度使王虔休以德宗誕辰未有大樂，乃作《繼天誕聖樂》，以宮為調，帝因作《中和樂舞》。 山南節度使于頔又獻《順聖樂》，曲將半，而行綴皆伏，一人舞於中，又令女伎為佾舞，雄健壯妙，號《孫武順聖樂》。
Dali 1 added Guangping Great Unity Music as well. "Liangzhou Tune," first offered by Western Liang, is rooted in palace mode and exists in long and short versions. In early Zhenyuan Kang Kunlun arranged the tune for pipa and played it in the Jade Hall, naming it Jade Hall Palace Mode; in full ensemble it was set to Huangzhong Palace. Later many frontier governors composed dance-music as tribute. Ma Sui of Hedong offered Settling Hardship. Wang Qianxiu of Zhaoyi, finding no grand piece for Dezong's birthday, wrote Continuing Heaven Birthday Sage Music in palace mode; the emperor answered with Central Harmony Dance. Yu Di of Shannan sent Following Sage Music: midway through, ranks dropped flat while one dancer performed center stage; female performers joined in row dance—fierce and superb—hence Sun Wu Following Sage.
14
文宗好雅樂，詔太常卿馮定采開元雅樂制《雲韶法曲》及《霓裳羽衣舞曲》。 《雲韶樂》有玉磬四虡，琴、瑟、築、簫、篪、籥、跋膝、笙、竽皆一，登歌四人，分立堂上下，童子五人，繡衣執金蓮花以導，舞者三百人，階下設錦筵，遇內宴乃奏。 謂大臣曰：「笙磬同音，沈吟忘味，不圖為樂至於斯也。」 自是臣下功高者，輒賜之。 樂成，改法曲為仙韶曲。 會昌初，宰相李德裕命樂工制《萬斯年曲》以獻。
Wenzong favored court music and had Feng Ding draw on Kaiyuan elegant pieces to create Cloud Suite Fa Tune and Rainbow Skirt and Feathered Robe dance music. Cloud Suite Music used four tiers of jade chimes plus one each of zither, se, zhu, flute, chi, yue pipe, baxi, sheng, and yu; four ascending vocalists split above and below the hall; five boys in brocade bore golden lotus guides; three hundred dancers on brocade mats below the steps—reserved for palace feasts. He told ministers, "Flute and chime blend as one tone; you linger and forget taste—I never thought music could come to this." Thereafter high-merit officials were often granted performances. Once finished, the fa tune was retitled Immortal Suite. Early Huichang saw Li Deyu commission Ten Thousand Years for presentation.
15
大中初，太常樂工五千餘人，俗樂一千五百餘人。 宣宗每宴群臣，備百戲。 帝制新曲，教女伶數十百人，衣珠翠緹繡，連袂而歌，其樂有《播皇猷》曲，舞者高冠方履，褒衣博帶，趨走俯仰，中於規矩。 又有《蔥嶺西曲》，士女蠙歌為隊，其詞言蔥嶺之民樂河，湟故地歸唐也。
By early Dazhong the Court of Sacrifices held over five thousand musicians and popular music another fifteen hundred. Xuanzong's ministerial banquets always featured the full hundred acts. He wrote new pieces for dozens of female singers in pearl, jade, and brocade, performing arm in arm; Spreading Imperial Virtue paired high caps and square shoes with flowing robes—every step and bow measured to rule. West of Congling had men and women chorus in ranks, lyrics celebrating Congling peoples' joy as He-Huang territories rejoined Tang.
16
咸通間，諸王多習音聲、倡優雜戲，天子幸其院，則迎駕奏樂。 是時，蕃鎮稍復舞《破陣樂》，然舞者衣畫甲，執旗旆，才十人而已。 蓋唐之盛時，樂曲所傳，至其末年，往往亡缺。
In the Xiantong era princes took up music, singers, and variety acts; when the emperor visited their mansions they greeted him with performance. Frontier commands then revived Breaking the Formation, but only about ten dancers in painted armor carrying flags. Tunes handed down from Tang's height were largely broken or lost by dynasty's end.
17
周、隋與北齊、陳接壤，故歌舞雜有四方之樂。 至唐，東夷樂有高麗、百濟，北狄有鮮卑、吐谷渾、部落稽，南蠻有扶南、天竺、南詔、驃國，西戎有高昌、龜茲、疏勒、康國、安國，凡十四國之樂，而八國之伎，列于十部樂。
Zhou and Sui lay against Northern Qi and Chen, so dance and song mixed music from every quarter. Under Tang, Eastern Yi included Koguryo and Baekje; Northern Di, Xianbei, Tuyuhun, and Buluoji; Southern Man, Funan, Tianzhu, Nanzhao, and Pyu; Western Rong, Gaochang, Kucha, Shule, Kang, and An—fourteen traditions, eight of which entered the Ten Sections repertoire.
18
中宗時，百濟樂工人亡散，岐王為太常卿，復奏置之，然音伎多闕。 舞者二人，紫大袖裙襦、章甫冠、衣履。 樂有箏、笛、桃皮觱篥、箜篌、歌而已。
Under Zhongzong Baekje players dispersed; Prince of Qi, as Court Director, restored the troupe, but much technique was gone. Two dancers wore purple wide-sleeved jackets and skirts with zhangfu caps and full dress. Instrumentation was limited to zheng, flute, peach-bark bili, konghou, and voice.
19
北狄樂皆馬上之聲，自漢後以為鼓吹，亦軍中樂，馬上奏之，故隸鼓吹署。 後魏樂府初有《北歌》，亦曰《真人歌》，都代時，命宮人朝夕歌之。 周、隋始與西涼樂雜奏。 至唐存者五十三章，而名可解者六章而已：一曰《慕容可汗》，二曰《吐谷渾》，三曰《部落稽》，四曰《钜鹿公主》，五曰《白淨王》，六曰《太子企喻》也。 其餘辭多可汗之稱，蓋燕、魏之際鮮卑歌也。 隋鼓吹有其曲而不同。 貞觀中，將軍侯貴昌，并州人，世傳《北歌》，詔隸太樂，然譯者不能通，歲久不可辨矣。 金吾所掌有大角，即魏之「簸邏回」，工人謂之角手，以備鼓吹。
Northern Di pieces are cavalry music; since Han they served as drum-and-pipe and field music played mounted, hence their place under the Drum-and-Pipe Office. Northern Wei's bureau first kept Northern Song, also True Man Song, sung morning and evening by palace women at the Dai capital. Zhou and Sui began interleaving it with Western Liang pieces. Tang preserved fifty-three sections but only six titles are intelligible: Murong Khan, Tuyuhun, Buluoji, Princess of Julu, King Pure White, and Crown Prince Qiyu. Other lyrics mostly address khans—Xianbei songs from the Yan–Wei period. Sui drum-and-pipe kept related pieces in altered form. Zhenguan general Hou Guichang of Bingzhou, hereditary keeper of Northern Song, entered Grand Music by edict, but translators could not parse it and the text faded beyond recognition. The Golden Crow office held the great horn—Wei's "boluo hui"—whose players, called horn hands, backed the drum-and-pipe ensemble.
20
南蠻、北狄俗斷發，故舞者以繩圍首約發。 有新聲自河西至者，號胡音，龜茲散樂皆為之少息。
Southern Man and Northern Di wore cropped hair, so dancers bound their heads with cord. Fresh melodies from the Hexi corridor were labeled barbarian tones, briefly eclipsing even Kucha repertoire.
21
扶南樂，舞者二人，以朝霞為衣，赤皮鞋。 天竺伎能自斷手足，刺腸胃，高宗惡其驚俗，詔不令入中國。 睿宗時，婆羅門國獻人倒行以足舞，仰植銛刀，俯身就鋒，曆臉下，復植於背，觱篥者立腹上，終曲而不傷。 又伏伸其手，二人躡之，周旋百轉。 開元初，其樂猶與四夷樂同列。
Funan used two dancers in dawn-colored robes and red leather shoes. Tianzhu acts mutilated limbs and pierced bellies; Gaozong banned them as offensive to custom. Ruizong received a Brahman who danced upside down on his feet, bowed to upright blades along his face, replanted them on his back, and bore a bili player on his belly unharmed through the finale. He would stretch prone with hands extended while two men stepped on them and spun a hundred circuits. Early Kaiyuan it still shared billing with the four foreign ensembles.
22
貞元中，南詔異牟尋遺使詣劍南西川節度使韋皋，言欲獻夷中歌曲，且令驃國進樂。 皋乃作《南詔奉聖樂》，用黃鐘之均，舞六成，工六十四人，贊引二人，序曲二十八疊，執羽而舞「南詔奉聖樂」字，曲將終，雷鼓作於四隅，舞者皆拜，金聲作而起，執羽稽首，以象朝覲。 每拜跪，節以鉦鼓。 又為五均：一曰黃鐘，宮之宮； 二曰太蔟，商之宮； 三曰姑洗，角之宮； 四曰林鐘，徵之宮； 五曰南呂，羽之宮。 其文義繁雜，不足復紀。 德宗閱於麟德殿，以授太常工人，自是殿庭宴則立奏，宮中則坐奏。
Zhenyuan saw Nanzhao's Yi Mouxun ask Wei Gao, southwest commissioner, to receive barbarian songs and send Pyu musicians as well. Gao wrote Nanzhao Offering Sage Music in the Huangzhong register—six dance sections, sixty-four players, two announcers, twenty-eight prelude repetitions. Dancers bore feathers spelling the title; at the close thunder drums at four corners sent them prostrate, then metal tones raised them to bow with feathers in mimicry of imperial audience. Every bow and kneel was timed to cymbals and drums. He also set five registers: Huangzhong as palace-of-palace; Taicu as palace-of-shang; Guxian as palace-of-jiao; Linzhong as palace-of-zhi; Nanlü as palace-of-yu. The textual glosses are too tangled to record in full. Dezong reviewed it at Linde Hall and passed it to court craftsmen; thereafter hall feasts used standing performance, palace feasts seated.
23
十七年，驃國王雍羌遣弟悉利移、城主舒難陀獻其國樂，至成都，韋皋復譜次其聲，又圖其舞容、樂器以獻。 凡工器二十有二，其音八：金、貝、絲、竹、匏、革、牙、角，大抵皆夷狄之器，其聲曲不隸於有司，故無足采雲。
Year 17 brought Pyu King Yongyao's brother Xilayi and lord Shunantuo with state music to Chengdu; Wei Gao re-harmonized it and submitted illustrations of dances and instruments. Twenty-two instruments covered eight tones—metal, shell, silk, bamboo, gourd, hide, ivory, horn—mostly foreign. Because their repertoire lay outside regular bureaus, the account ends here.