Xiang Cheng, Volume 18: Incense Writings II · Rhapsody on Incense
Rhapsody on Incense — original text (compiled and collated), with vernacular translation and annotations.
Volume 18 · Incense Writings II · Rhapsody on Incense
Original Text (Compiled and Collated)
An ancient worthy's Rhapsody on Incense says: Dwelling in seclusion in a hidden place, opening the inner chamber to admit the fresh; burning agarwood to purify the room, dense and abundant rises the fragrance.
Vernacular Translation
The ancient rhapsody describes burning incense in secluded dwelling: opening windows to admit the fresh, burning agarwood to purify the room, the fragrance rich and abundant. Through incense it expresses the recluse's delight and the elegance of a pure chamber.
Annotations
- 爇: to burn
- 闺闼: inner chamber
- 扬馨: to give off fragrance
Editorial Notes · Editions and Compilation Notes
Edition basis:The transmitted text of Xiang Cheng is based on the Ming Chongzhen edition as its ancestral text; today we see the Wenyuan Ge Siku Quanshu edition, the Siku Huiyao edition, and various Qing manuscript copies. This compilation uses the commonly circulated collated edition as its base and is cross-checked against the Siku edition.
Collation for this volume:Dedicated to recording incense rhapsodies (such as Liu Xiang's Inscription on the Incense Burner, Xu Yin's Rhapsody on the Incense Duck, etc.); the titles of the rhapsodies may vary among editions.
Facsimile comparison:The “original text” on this page is a collated transcription (punctuated and paragraphed according to modern conventions), not a facsimile of the original book; for character-by-character comparison, please consult authoritative public-domain editions:Full text of Xiang Cheng (twenty-eight volumes) in the Siku Quanshu edition at Wikisource、Facsimile scans of Xiang Cheng at Wikimedia Commons (PDFs of the National Library of China copy, etc.). This site does not fabricate ancient book layouts, so it substitutes links to authoritative public-domain facsimiles.