On the textual source of the Tsinghua bamboo manuscript of Qi Ye · Xishuai: With a discussion on the interpretation of the phrase “composing a song to completion”

Abstract

The “Qi Ye” 耆夜 section from Tsinghua Bamboo Manuscripts Volume One consists of 17 bamboo strips. The content primarily records King Wu’s 8-year campaign against Qi, his victorious return, and the poetry composed during a bouquet in the Grand Hall (Tai Shi 太室). The text is closely related to classic works such as Shangshu (The Book of Documents), “Xibo Conquers Li”, 西伯勘黎 and the poem “Xishuai” 蟋蟀 (“Cricket”) from the Tang Feng 唐風 section of the Shijing 詩經 (The Book of Songs). The content of the latter is recorded on the bamboo strips 9–14. This article examines the rhyme patterns of the Tsinghua version of “Xishuai”, comparing it with related textual traditions and exploring the questions of dating, historical veracity, and the transmission of poetic themes. The discussion begins with a review of the “eight-character line” and the “loose rhyme” theories in the manuscript, followed by an analysis of the interpretation of the phrase “composing a song to completion”. Finally, it evaluates whether the Tsinghua manuscript and the received text of “Xishuai” share a single textual source, or whether the two versions derive from mutually independent traditions.