Description
Book SynopsisThis is an annotated edition of a traditional song text, written in the Zhuang character script. The Brigands’ Song is part of a living tradition, sung antiphonally by two male and two female singers. The song is probably unique in presenting the experiences of ordinary men and women during wartime in pre-modern China. The narrative relates how the men are sent off to war, fighting as native troops on behalf of the Chinese imperial armies. The song dates from the Ming dynasty and touches on many topics of historical significance, such as the use of firearms and other operational details.
Trade Review"In this volume, David Holm and Meng Yuanyao present photos of the full text, two transcriptions, an English translation, extensive annotations on linguistic and historical matters, a musical score for the recitation, glossary, concordance, several indices, a long introduction on the background and significance of the text, and a bibliography with 250 entries. This extraordinarily thorough 850-page study is a major contribution to the historical linguistics of the Tai family of languages and an unique window onto the feudal system of Tai communities in southwestern China in the Ming era (...) This magnificent book is principally a contribution to the study of Tai linguistics and especially to the understanding of the Zhuang language. But the song itself is a beautiful and very affecting piece of work, wonderfully captured in the seemingly artless translation." Chris Baker, Journal of the Siam Society, 110/2 (2022).
Table of ContentsPreface List of Illustrations Abbreviations Conventions Introduction English Translation Interlinear Transcription Textual and Ethnographic Notes Appendix: Song Markets in Pingguo Plates: Photo-Reproduction of Manuscript Pages Bibliography Glossary and Concordance Chinese Character Index Index of Vernacular Characters and Allographs Index of Zhuang Characters and Other Symbols English-Zhuang Index Index of Scientific Names of Plants and Animals Subject Index
