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This is a word that describes emotions. There are some subtle nuances between it and disconsolate or melancholy. Maybe ‘Reflections of the Moon on Erquan’ and the story behind this erhu song can explain this emotion.
Abing (1893-1950) was originally a Taoist priest and an outstanding musician. He was blind due to eye disease and was unable to engage in religious ceremonies, so he made a living from street art. ‘Reflections of the Moon on Erquan’ is a tune that Abing created with the mood during the street show, and it became the current tune with repeated performances. The title of this song was decided on the day of recording in 1950. Because this song was often played by the Hui mountain spring, which is also called Erquan, so it was simply named ‘Reflections of the Moon on Erquan’. The creation of this song is casual, it does not deliberately express the melancholy that a blind artist feels, but because of this casual and free creation method, Abing’s hard life gives this song a touch of loss and depression. This emotion is probably ‘惆怅’(chóu chàng).
Through the unique folk performance techniques and style, along with the sometimes deep and sometimes exciting tunes, the listener seems to be able to see the lonely life of Abing, and at the same time a yearning for a better life from the bottom of the folk. When listening to the music, I can imagine the moon reflected on the lake of Erquan at night. With the evening breeze and the ripples of the lake, it becomes fuzzy and clear for a while, and a ‘惆怅’(chóu chàng) mood is naturally produced. This inexplicable sadness may come from Abing and his life, it may be due to the excessive secretion of hormones at night, or it may be due to the blurred moon at that time.