Han shih wai chuan :: :: University of Virginia Library

Confucius was traveling south on his way to Ch`u when he
came to the declivity[2] of A-ku, where a maiden who wore a
semi-circle of jade[3] at her belt was washing clothes. Confucius
said, "No doubt yonder woman can be approached?" He drew
out a cup[4] and handed it to Tzŭ-kung saying, "Address her
politely,[5] that we may see what she says."

Tzŭ-kung said to the woman, "I, a humble northerner on my
way south to Ch`u, find the weather hot. Ardently6 I think of
you; I wish to beg a drink to demonstrate my feelings." The
woman replied, "This declivity of A-ku [holds] a winding stream,
whose water is alternately clear and turbid as it flows on its way
to the sea. If you wish to drink, then drink. Why ask a woman?"
She took Tzŭ-kung's cup, went to the stream and dipped it in
against the current; then she threw out the water with a splash
and dipped it in again with a splash, following the current,[7] and
filled it to overflowing. Kneeling she placed it on the sand and
said, "According to etiquette (li) it must not be handed over
directly."[8]

Tzŭ-kung reported this, and Confucius said, "I knew it." Drawing
out a lute, he removed its pegs and handed it to Tzŭ-kung
saying, "Address her politely, that we may see what she says."

Tzŭ-kung said, "The words you have just spoken are soothing
as a pure breeze,[9] not contradicting what I said; they have harmonized
and made easy my mind. Here is a lute without pegs;
I would like you to tune it for me. The woman replied, "I am a
rustic person, uncultivated and ignorant.[10] Not knowing the five
tones,[11] how could I tune your lute?"

Tzŭ-kung reported this, and Confucius said, "I knew it." He
drew out five liang of hemp,[12] which he handed to Tzŭ-kung, saying,
"Address her politely, that we may see what she says."

Tzŭ-kung said, "I am a man from a northern rustic town on
my way south to Ch`u. Here I have five liang of hemp. Though I
dare not consider it worthy of yourself, I shall venture to place it
by the bank of the stream."

The woman replied, "Your behavior is wrong . . .[13] dividing up
property and casting it away on a rustic person. I am too young—
how would I dare receive it from you?[14] If you do not take it
away immediately. . . ."[15] The Ode says,[16]

In the south rise the trees without branches,
Affording no shelter.
By the Han are girls rambling about,
But it is vain to solicit them.

This is illustrated in the above [story].

[1]

Cf. LNC 6.11a-12a.

[2]

[OMITTED]: Shu-ch`ao 159.4a has [OMITTED], likewise below. As Lei-chü 9.10a and TPYL
74.5a, 826.8b, write [OMITTED], it would seem to be a scribal emendation. (Chao 2.) Wang
Chao-yüan (LNC pu chu 6.9a) defines [OMITTED] as [OMITTED] "path."

[3]

[OMITTED] is defined by Shuo wên 151 as a jade ear plug; likewise Mao's com. on Shih
ching 4.7b. Lei-chü, loc. cit., TPYL 819.10b, 577.8a, 826.8b have [OMITTED] for [OMITTED]. Shuo
wên 136 defines [OMITTED] as "a semicircle of jade," and Mao's com. on Shih ching 7.19a
includes it in a list of other girdle ornaments. I take [OMITTED] as the better reading, but
Shu-ch`ao, loc. cit., TPYL, 74.5a, and Jung-chai sui-pi, II 8.4a, all write [OMITTED]. (Chao 3.)

[4]

CHy says the ordinary editions of his time omitted the remainder of this story.
However, it is not omitted in the Yüan edition.

[5]

[OMITTED]: cf. Analects 187 (6/7).

[OMITTED]: LNC has [OMITTED]. Wang Chao-yüan, loc. cit., thinks both are phonetic
borrowings for [OMITTED] "fiery." Chao (3) agrees.

[7]

Read [OMITTED] for [OMITTED] with LNC to complete the parallel with the preceding phrase.
(CHy).

[8]

Cf. Li ki 1.29 (1A/3.31), also Mencius 307 (4A/17.1).

[9]

Cf. Shih 545 No. 260/8.

[10]

[OMITTED]: not in its usual (later) meaning of "irresponsible, unconscious."

[11]

Cf. Mém. hist. 3.240-1 for a discussion of their symbolism. Erh ya 5.19b gives
an alternative list.

[12]

[OMITTED]: cf. Shih 42 No. 27/4, where they are defined respectively as fine and
coarse cloth made of dolichos fiber. [OMITTED] is a variant of [OMITTED], and CHy writes the
latter. A liang was equal to about 15 g. in Han times; cf. Dubs, op. cit. 280.

[13]

[OMITTED]. The text is corrupt. (CHy). The Yüan ed. has [OMITTED] for
[OMITTED] and [OMITTED] for [OMITTED]. LNC has [OMITTED], likewise TPYL 819.10b, with
[OMITTED] for [OMITTED]. On the basis of these variants the last three characters in Text A could
be emended to [OMITTED]: "Your behavior is wrong for all time," but the sense is
feeble.

[14]

[OMITTED] or "How would I dare accept you?" TPYL, loc. cit., is an easier
reading: [OMITTED] "How dare I take it?" (Chao 5.)

[15]

[OMITTED]: The text seems to be corrupt. LNC is
also unintelligible: [OMITTED] probably would be a humble term
for husband as in LNC 6.10a: [OMITTED], and by emending [OMITTED]
as in LNC the whole passage might be construed, "You did not come soon enough,
and now I have a husband who looks after me." (Wang Li-ch`i.)

[16]

Shih 15. No. 9. Chou and CHy quote K`ung-ts`ung-tzŭ 1.79b-80a: "The Prince of
P`ing-yüan asked Tzŭ-kao, `I have heard that when your late master . . . traveled
south to A-ku, he exchanged words with a washerwoman. Could it have been really
so?' He replied, `. . . the A-ku story is of recent origin, probably concocted by those
who use that sort of thing to give currency to their ideas.' "