变文与变曲的关系考论——“变文”之“变”的渊源探讨

A Criticism on the Relation between bianwen and bianqu:On the Origin of "Alternations" in the bianwen

敦煌变文中“变”字的含义与渊源 ,一直是中外敦煌学者努力探讨的问题。本文在前贤时修研究的基础上 ,通过对乐府中变曲的考述和变曲与变文关系的探讨 ,认为变文之“变”来源于乐府变曲。“变”本为乐舞章节的单位 ,通过组曲的形式 (“某变”)来表现一定的内容 ,“因事制歌” ,其辞有时也称为“某某变”。受其影响 ,后来将具有类似特点的其它表演也称为“变” ,变文的得名实由于此。同时指出 ,作为一种说唱艺术 ,本名为“变” ,案头化之后才称之为变文 ,并非如学界普遍的看法 ,“变文又简称‘变’”。

Both Chinese and Foreign Dunhuang scholars are concerned with the signification of the bian in the popular narrative and singing works of bianwen. Here the author asserts the alternations(bian) in the bianwen to be come from the bianqu in the folk-song-styled poetry of Yuefu.The 'bian' was the chapter's unit for music and dancing works, which narrate certain affairs through some 'bian'. Their words were sometimes called 'so and so bian'. For the reason of this influence, afterwards, the other performance similar to this was called 'bian ' too, while its written text was to be called 'biaenwen', which cannot be simplified as 'bian'as educational circles did.