ABSTRACT
Ci is lyrics set to music, and the musical measures were known as Yan music, inherited from the Sui and Tang dynasties. The musical measures applied dictated a series of form and stylistic characteristics for this genre. First, there were certain tonal patterns and rhyme schemes. This was a musical score called a cipai. The same ci poem can have different tonal patterns and different rhyme formats. In addition, taking into account the elaborateness and simplicity of ci tunes, and the long and short natures of the poems themselves, one can divide ci into three rough categories: short, medium and long. Song Dynasty scholars discussed the stylistic characteristics of ci. Ci poetry was devised as a banquet entertainment, and would be sung by professional entertainers to the accompaniment of music. Both ci and sanqu were lyrics to be sung. They flourished and were popular.
