Confucius (551-479), after years of offering his services to various local lords, returned to his home in Qufu. According to Zhuangzi he then taught a number of disciples from under a tree in a small grove.⁶ The qin handbook Shilin Guangji, attributed to Chen Yuanjing of the southern Song dynasty, has an illustration of this.⁷

This illustration, like others on this theme, shows Confucius playing the qin in the open air under a tree. Today in the center front courtyard of the Temple of Confucius is a Pavilion of the Apricot Tree Forum (or Gingko Tree Forum).⁸ General guides do not give the age or history of this structure. They do say that Duke Ai of Lu, the year after the death of Confucius, built a temple in his honor in front of the place where he had taught. Since then that temple has been rebuilt a number of times.⁹

A collection of essays, in Yangchuntang Qinpu (1611), called Qin Chuang Zaji quotes a story in which Confucius recalls a famous minister of Lu named Zangwen Zhong,¹⁰ then is inspired to sing a song. The story's source is said to be another Ming collection called the Shantang Sikao,¹¹

The melody Xing Tan pairs these lyrics with the tablature for Section 10, but they can be found in a number of other qin settings as well. These include the melodies Ya Sheng Cao (1511) and Caoman Yin (1585), as well as two of the later melodies called Xing Tan Yin.¹²

Zha Fuxi has written that because these lyrics are often found in Ming dynasty handbooks, people have drawn the false conclusion that they are very ancient. He goes on to say teachers should remind their students that these lyrics were actually created by the common people.¹³

The preface to Xing Tan in Xilutang Qintong attributes the melody to Wang Tong (583-616),¹⁴ a famous classicist who during the Sui dynasty (589 - 618) proposed 12 "plans to secure tranquillity in the empire". When these were not accepted, he retired to He Fen, the area between the Fen and Yellow rivers, about 150 km. northeast of Chang An, there teaching thousands of students. After his death his disciples canonized him "Wen Zhongzi".

 
Original Preface¹⁵

Wen Zhongzi taught at He Fen, submerging his virtue where it was not broadcast. He described the ideas which Confucius had taught in the Apricot (or Gingko) Tree Forum, putting them into a qin song.

 
Music
11 Sections, untitled¹⁶ (timings follow my recording)

00.00   1.
00.15   2.
00.33   3.
00.57   4.
01.11   5.
01.47   6. The sound of reading¹⁷
02.25   7.
02.37   8.
03.10   9.
03.35 10. (lyrics; translated above)
03.58 11.
04.25       Closing harmonics
04.37       End

 
Footnotes (Shorthand references are explained on a separate page)

1. Xing Tan references
14820.46 杏壇 xingtan says it is the place where Confucius taught; in a broad sense, any place for teaching; nothing about music. A "tan" is an altar, forum or raised plot of land (ABC); "forum" appropriately suggests a meeting place for discussion. "Xing" is discussed in the next footnote.
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2. Xing Tan: Apricot Tree Forum, Almond Tree Forum, or Ginkgo Tree Forum?
By itself "杏 xing" may refer to the tree fruit rather than the tree itself, but here the reference seems more likely to the tree: The tree or trees under which Confucius is said to have taught are said to have been "xing" trees. There are three main understandings of what this tree might have been. The following analysis suggests "apricot tree forum" to be the most reasonable translation.

1. Apricot tree (杏樹 xingshu); the fruit is 杏子 xingzi
   Although xing by itself can refer either to the tree, the fruit, or its flowers, it can also refer to the almond. Wikipedia says the apricot "was first cultivated in China about 3000 BC. Apricot kernels are sometimes called "bitter almonds" or "apricot almonds".
2. Almond tree (specific Chinese name not clear; the almond itself is called 杏仁 xingren)
   4/774 says xingren is 杏核中之仁 the kernel (seed) inside a xinghe (xing nut). Wikipedia says the almond is originally from Iran. It is not clear when it was introduced into China, but this and its similarity to the apricot makes "apricot tree" a more likely choice for the tree associated with Confucius.
3. Ginkgo tree (銀杏樹 yinxing shu, "silver apricot tree", generally known in English by its Japanese name, also written gingko)
   The ginkgo has long been associated with Confucius, suggesting that Ginkgo Forum might well be the best translation for this melody; the medicinal uses of the ginkgo nut (銀杏核) also add to its appeal. However, 11/1277, which says alternate names are 白果樹 baiguo, 公孫樹 gongsun and 鴨腳樹 yanjiao trees, gives no references before the Song dynasty; and although 41252.44 has 本草 Ben Cao (14757.120), an ancient title as its earliest reference, the book's contents seem to have survived only in later editions: specifically, the refence to 銀杏 yinxing seems to date from the Song dynasty. The lack of earlier references thus suggests "apricot forum" to be the best translation. The association of Confucius with the ginkgo tree seems to be particularly strong in Japan and Korea. In Japanese 銀 can be pronounced "gin" and 杏 can be pronounced "kyo", but as yet I have not seen the spelling "ginkyo". Wikipedia calls "gingko" a misspelling, presumably because it leads to the pronunciation of the first syllable as "ging" instead of "gin"; Korean pronunciation is "unhaeng".
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3. Shang Mode 商調
Standard tuning is usually considered as 5 6 1 2 3 5 6. For further information on shang mode see Shenpin Shang Yi and Modality in Early Ming Qin Tablature.
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4. See illustrations
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5. Tracing Xing Tan
Zha Fuxi's index 19/181/371 has the title Xing Tan in 1525 and Xing Tan Yin in three later handbooks:

6. Confucius' teaching place
Zhuangzi, Chapter 31 漁父 The Fisherman, begins with a story of a fisherman coming upon Confucius as he was teaching his students and playing the qin in the Xing Tan (Apricot Tree or Gingko Tree Forum).
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7. Shilin Guangji illustration
On page 4 of the original. Reproduced in Qinqu Jicheng, vol. I, p.11. There are no lyrics.
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8. Xing Tan Ge 杏壇閣 (Apricot [or Ginkgo] Tree Forum Pavilion)
See the illustration. A "ge" is a chamber or pavilion.
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9. 魯哀公 Duke Ai of Lu (Bio.2342) ruled for 27 years (494 - 467)
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10. 魯將臧文仲 General Zangwen Zhong of Lu: 藏孫辰 Zangsun Chen (d. 617 BCE)
Zangsun Chen (commonly romanized Zang Sunchen, but 30755.30 and Bio/2455 say Zangsun is a double surname) is perhaps better known by his posthumous title, Zangwen Zhong (commonly romanized Zang Wenzhong, but 30755.2 says Zangwen was used as a surname by his descendents). A statesman of Lu, he is both praised and criticized in classical sources. The Zuo Zhuan has two passages, Duke Zhuang's 28th year and Duke Wen's 2nd year. The former says (Legge, V., p.115) "he belonged to a distinguished and loyal family in Loo;" the latter (ibid. pp.232 and 234) quotes Confucius as saying Zangwen Zhong lacked 仁 virtue in three ways and lacked 知 knowledge in three ways. The commentary explains that he 下展禽，廢六關，妾織蒲 demoted Zhen Qin, removed the six gates, and had his concubines weave rush mats; he 作虛器，縱逆祀，祀爰居 made vain structures, followed an improper order for sacrifices, and sacrificed to the yuanju [a strange bird]). The Analects reports Confucius saying, "Zangwen Zhong housed oracle tortoises in a hall where the column capitals were decorated with the shapes of mountains and the roof beams were decorated with images of water plants. What good was his knowledge?" 30755.30 lists references for him in Kongzi Jiayu, Lun Heng, Shuo Yuan and Yantie Lun (孔子家語﹕好生、顏回、本姓[命？]解；論衡﹕明雲[雩？]；說苑﹕權謀；鹽鐵論﹕周秦). I don't know how all this connects with the above lyrics. His mother's biography in Lienü Zhuan says 琴之合，甚思之。
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11. Shantang Sikao account 山堂肆考 (China Knowledge)
The Shantang Sikao (8043.514; 228 folios; late Ming) was compiled by 彭大翼 Peng Dayi of Yangzhou (Bio.2243; Ming 諸生 zhusheng; no dates). The same basic account of Confucius singing these lyrics is told in the text accompanying an illustration from the life of Confucius. The account translated above, as copied in 陽春堂琴經，琴窗雜記，山堂肆考 Yangchuntang Qin Jing, Qinchuang Zaji, crediting Shantang Sikao (Qinqu Jicheng, Vol. VII/328), is as follows:

12. Other occurences of the Xing Tan lyrics
These lyrics can be found within at least three qin titles:

1. Ya Sheng Cao (1511; Section 7)
2. Xing Tan (1525; several versions)
3. Caoman Yin (1585 version)

The 1511 and 1585 versions are both within what are considered beginners' melodies; all three are melodically unrelated.
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13. Early refences related to the Xing Tan lyrics (compare Shantang Sikao)
暑往 14375.xxx; 737998.98 寒來 mentions 寒來暑往, making reference to the 易經，繫辭下 latter part of the Xici commentary (aka Great Treatise II) on the Yi Jing, which says, 寒往則暑來，暑往則寒來，寒暑相推，而歲成焉 (CTP: "The cold goes and the heat comes; the heat goes and the cold comes; - it is by this mutual succession of the cold and heat that the year is completed." No mention of 春 spring or 秋 autumn.

Zha Fuxi's comment that the lyrics were created by the common people must be seen within the polical context of that time: although they may well have some folk connections and/or uses, the source really is unknown. His comments are in his Collected Writings, p.209. Within the qin repertoire I have not yet found a source earlier than Ya Sheng Cao (1511; Section 7), as mentioned in the previous footnote. The frustration of searching for this online perhaps underscore's Zha's statement. Here are some online references I did find:

1. A number of websites say it comes from 秦王符堅墓碑詩 A Poem Inscribed on the Grave of a Prince of Qin, but none seems at all concerned with any details, and as yet I have not found any information as to what this actually refers (秦王 25578.16ff has nothing; 王符 21295.1216 man of Latter Han, seems unrelated; 符堅 26581.xxx).

2. Chapter Three of Water Margin (水滸傳 Shui Hu Zhuan; Wiki, first published in the 16th c.) begins with an expanded version:
   暑往寒來春復秋，夕陽西下水東流。時來富貴皆因命，運去貧窮亦有由。
   事遇機關須進步，人當得意便回頭。將軍戰馬今何在？野草閑花滿地愁。

3. Part or all (unclear) from《馬陵道》楔子 Ma Ling Dao (4550.493, a Yuan dynasty opera).

A more careful search will certainly turn up more early references, perhaps some as early as the Song dynasty.
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14. Attribution to Wang Tong
More details on 王通 Wang Tong (文中子 Wen Zhongzi) can be found in his Qin Shi biography, #112.
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15. Original Chinese text
西麓堂琴統 (1525)，杏壇﹕後序﹕

16.   Original Chinese section titles
西麓堂琴統 (1525)，杏壇﹕十一段 （聽我的錄音）

17. The sound of reading books
讀書聲 Du shu sheng: compare Meihua Sannong, Section 4 and see footnote.
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