Travels in China Part 16

_A small Flute._

_A m.u.f.fled Drum._

_The Metal Gong or Loo_

_Cymbals._

_Uncertain_

_A Pair of Rattles or Castanets._

_Cymbals struck with a rod._

_Alommon Flute._

_Two Stringed Violins_

_A Three Stringed Guitar._

_A Pipe of inequal reeds or bamboos._

_Four Stringed Guitars._

_Three Trumpets._

_A Lyre of 11 Metallic Strings._

_Metal Plates an Instrument used in Sacred Music._

_A small barrell Drum._

_A fixed Drum used in Sacred Music._

_A small Gong or Loo._

_Published May 10^th, 1804 by Cadell and Davies Strand._

_Neele sc. Strand_]

A Chinese band generally plays, or endeavours to play, in unison, and sometimes an instrument takes the octave; but they never attempt to play in separate parts, confining their art to the melody only, if I may venture to apply a name of so much sweetness to an aggregation of harsh sounds. They have not the least notion of counter-point, or playing in parts: an invention indeed to which the elegant Greeks had not arrived, and which was unknown in Europe as well as Asia, until the monkish ages.

I never heard but one single Chinese who could be said to sing with feeling or plaintiveness. Accompanied with a kind of guittar, he sung the following air in praise of the flower _Moo-lee_, which it seems is one of the most popular songs in the whole country. The simple melody was taken down by Mr. Hittner, and I understand has been published in London, with head and tail-pieces, accompaniments, and all the refined arts of European music; so that it ceases to be a specimen of the plain melody of China. I have therefore given it in its unadorned state, as sung and played by the Chinese, together with the words of the first stanza, and their literal translation.

[Music: MOO-LEE-WHA.

I.

1 2 3 4 5 _Hau ye-to sien wha,_

6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 _Yeu tchau yeu jie lo tsai go kia_

14 15 16 17 18 19 _Go pun tai, poo tchoo mun_

20 21 22 23 24 25 _Twee tcho sien wha ul lo._

II.

1 2 3 4 5 6 _Hau ye to Moo-lee-wha_

7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 _Man yuen wha kai soy poo quee ta_

15 16 17 18 19 20 _Go pun tai tsai ye ta_

21 22 23 24 25 26 27 _Tai you kung kan wha jin ma._

_Literal Translation._

I.

1 2 3 4 5 How delightful this branch of fresh flowers

6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 One morning one day it was dropped in my house

14 15 16 17 18 19 I the owner will wear it not out of doors

20 21 22 23 24 25 But I will hold the fresh flower and be happy.

II.

1 2 3 4 5 6 How delightful this branch of the _Moo-lee_ flower

7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 In the full plot of flowers blowing freely none excels it

15 16 17 18 19 20 I the owner will wear this gathered branch

21 22 23 24 25 26 27 Wear it yet fear, the flower seen, men will envy.]

I have thought it not amiss to subjoin a few other airs of the popular kind, which were written by the same gentleman at Canton, who made the drawings of their musical instruments.

CHINESE POPULAR AIRS.