Xilutang Qintong: Waipian Xu

Preface to Further Essays ¹
from Xilutang Qintong (1525; QQJC III/27-28)

外篇叙
作者：汪芝

Original text from QQJC III/27-28; enlarge

These further essays serve to supplement the Qin Tong. Proper unifying principles reside in the qin, and so terms follow accordingly.

The principles of tuning are hard to grasp; that for the qin is among the hardest. Thus, I have supplemented the above with a "mirror on modality", which says the following:

外篇者，所以翼《琴統》也。琴以統樂，正統在琴，名亦隨之。律道難明，琴尤所難。是故翼之律鑑，曰：

Tuning is the use of something concrete to regulate something abstract. What is meant by "abstract"? It is breath and sound. The idea of "governing" (統, tong) also arises from this. The pitch-pipe system governs breath (qi); music governs sound — this is the tangible governing the intangible. Is this not, then, the concrete governing the abstract?

「律以實統虛者也。」何謂虛？氣與聲是也。統之為義，亦出乎。此夫樂以統氣，樂以統聲，以有統無形，此形非以實統虛乎？

Response: the abstract is not easily governed. Heaven and Earth do not change. The seasons, sun and moon, day and night, water and fire — these I know to possess innate natures of dryness and dampness, heat and cold. Grasses and trees - these I know follow the patterns of blooming and withering. But as for qi, it exhales warmth but blows cold, yet its traces cannot be followed. Why is this so? Because it is abstract.

曰：虛未易統也。天地不易，歲時、日月不易；晝夜、水火，吾知有燥濕之性；草木吾知有榮萎之理。至於氣也，噓溫以寒，莫可究其跡，是何也？虛也！

The eyes perceive color — people can distinguish black from white. The nose perceives scent — people can distinguish fragrance from stench. The mouth perceives taste — people can distinguish sweet from bitter. But with sound — even Master Kuang could distinguish the musical modes, yet most listeners do not know how this is so. Why? Because it is abstract. The abstract cannot be relied on, yet people say it can produce sound; it cannot be seen, yet they say it can be heard. Without the wisdom of a sage, who could govern it?

目於色，眾辨黑白；鼻於臭，眾辨薰蕕；口於味，眾辨甘苦。至於聲也，師曠辨能辨宮商，眾耳或莫知其然是何也？虛也。虛而不可依，而曰可聲；不可見，而曰可聞。非聖人之智，孰能統之？

Therefore: Pitch-pipes and musical instruments govern qi and sound — the concrete governing the abstract. The qin governs music — the concrete governing the concrete. Tuning arises from the Dao; the Dao governs qi and sound — the abstract governing the abstract. When the abstract governs the abstract, that is the highest expression of Dao. When the concrete governs the concrete, that is the highest expression of pitch (律). When the abstract reaches its extreme, it gives rise to the concrete; when the concrete reaches its extreme, it returns to the abstract. The abstract and the concrete mutually depend.

故，管樂統氣聲，實統虛也；琴統樂，實統實也。律生於道，道統氣、聲，虛統虛也。虛統虛為道之極；實統實為律之極。虛極而實，實極而虛，虛實相因。

The qin aligns with the Dao. Thus I notate its sounds, arrange its diagrams, clarify is principles, and seek its transmission.

琴與道俱，乃譜其聲，班其圖，申其言，以求其傳。

Alas! If pitch standards are used in orthodox writing in place of the actual music, and (these standards) are not used there, but instead are applied here (i.e., to qin music), then since the qin is so intimate with the Confucian way, perhaps they will not even use their qin.

鳴呼！律以正盛代之樂，不施之彼，則施之此。琴親於儒者也，可以鳴道焉，毋以琴。

視吾作外篇。

Footnotes (Shorthand references are explained on a separate page)

1. Preface to Further Essays (外篇叙 Waipian Xu)
The above punctuated version and the English translation were both done by Chat GPT based based in part on examining the version in Qinshu Cunmu#113. By itself this as follows:

外篇叙
外篇者所以翼琴統也琴以統樂心統在琴名亦隨之律道難明琴尤所難是故翼之律鑑曰律以實統虛者也何謂虛氣與聲是也統之為義亦出乎此夫管以統氣樂以統以有形統此形非以實統虛乎曰虛未易統也天地不易歲時日月不易晝夜水火吾知有燥漫漫性草木吾知有榮萎之理至於氣也嘘溼吹寒莫可究其迹是何也虛也目於色眾辨黑白鼻於莫眾辨薰蕕口於味眾辨甘苦至於聲也。師曠 X X 宮商眾耳或莫知其然是何也虛也虛而不可依而曰可期不可見而曰可聞非聖人之智孰能統之故管樂統氣聲實統虛也琴統樂實統實也律生於道道統氣聲虛統虛也虛虛為道之極實實為道之極虛虛而實實極而虛虛實相因琴於道俱乃譜其聲班其圖申其言以求其傳鳴呼律以正盛代之樂不施之彼則施之此琴親於儒者也可以鳴道焉毋以琴視吾作此叙。

Then the Xilutang Qintong version by itself copied line by line from Xilutang Qintong:

外篇者，所以翼《琴統》也。琴以統樂，正統在琴，名亦隨之。律道難明，琴尤所難，是故翼之律鑑，曰：律以實統虛者也。何謂虛？氣與聲是也。統之為義，亦出乎。此夫，樂以統氣，樂以統聲，以無形統，此形非以實統虛乎？曰：虛，未易統也。天地不易，歲時、日月不易，晝夜、水火，吾知有燥濕之性；草木吾知有榮萎之理。至於氣也，噓溫以寒，莫可究其跡，是何也？虛也！目於色，眾辨黑白；鼻於臭，眾辨薰蕕；口於味，眾辨甘苦。至於聲也，師曠辨 X X 宮商，眾耳或莫知其然是何也？虛也。虛而不可依，而曰可聲，不可見，而曰可聞，非聖人之智，孰能統之？故，管樂統氣聲，實統虛也；琴統樂，實統實也。律生於道，道色氣，聲虛，統虛也。虛，虛為道之極實，實為律之極虛，虛極而實，實極而虛。虛實相因。琴與道俱，乃譜其聲，班其圖，申其言，以求其傳。鳴呼！律以正書代之樂，不施之彼，則施之此。琴親於儒者也，可以鳴道焉，母以琴。視吾作外篇。

The next step will be to examine more carefully the above Chinese text to clarify it in places where it differs from the original Xilutang Qintong text, then carefully revise the translation.
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