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guăng líng sàn
广陵散
Guang Ling Verse



This is the music which was popular in the Guang Ling area in the late year of Dang Han dynasty (nowadays in Shou country in An Hui). It was performed by musical instrument, koto and many other instruments. Nowadays, it only keeps the old musical instrument and has a earliest record in《Shen Qi Mi Pu》. In the early years, it has no content record and nowadays most of the performer explain by the folk tale of Ne Zheng who assassinated the King of Han(a discrepancy with official history). According to the record of 《Qin Cao》: Nei Zheng, from Han country in Zhan Guo dynasty. His father was killed by King Han in a mistake. In order to avenge, he went to Qin Mountain to learn musical instrument for ten years and paint carbon in his whole body and change his face and voice. He went to back to Han and performed not far from the palace. His excellent skill kept people stopped and cattle and horses were all stopped. When the King Han knew it, he called Nei back to palace to performance. Nei took out dagger and killed King Han out of his notice. In order to avoid entangled to his mother, he commit suicide.
 Later generations add topics to the 《Guang Ling Verse》. Some one intitled according to the similar polts. The music expressed the mood which has similar points to this sad folk tale. The record of 《Guang Ling Verse》 on《 Shen Qi Mi Pu》refers to the first section, prelude (third section), main prelude (fifth section), the main tone (eighteenth section), luan sheng (ten section), the back prelude (eight section) with total 45 sections. This music was disappeared, however, after the revolution, some performers performed this music. The music has a special tone, the second string has a similar tone to the first string and makes the lower tone could performed on these two strings which can have a strong acoustics effect.

原是东汉末年流行于广陵地区(即今安徽寿县境内)的民间乐曲。曾用琴、筝、笙、筑等乐器演奏,现仅存古琴曲,以《神奇秘谱》载录最早。早期并无内容记载,现多数琴家按照聂政刺韩王的民间传说来解释(与正史有出入)。据《琴操》中所载:聂政,战国时期韩国人,其父为韩王铸剑误期而被杀。为报父仇,上泰山刻苦学琴十年之后,漆身吞炭,改变音容,返回韩国,在离宫不远处弹琴,高超的琴艺使行人止步,牛马停蹄。韩王得悉后,召进宫内演奏,聂政趁其不备,从琴腹抽出匕首刺死韩王。为免连累母亲,便毁容自尽。

后人曾为古琴曲《广陵散》所加分段标题,有的以与故事相应的情节取名,乐曲所表现的情绪,与这个悲壮的传说也确有不少相通之处。《神奇秘谱》所载《广陵散》,分开指(一段)、小序(三段)、大序(五段)、正声(十八段)、乱声(十段)、后序(八段)共四十五段。此曲早已绝响,解放后不少琴家才将它译奏出来。乐曲定弦特别,第二弦与第一弦同音,使低音旋律同时可在这两条弦上奏出,取得强烈的音响效果。