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

Confucius left [the capital of] Wei by the east gate and met
Ku-pu Tzŭ-ch`ing.[2] He said, "My disciples, draw my chariot
aside. A man is coming who will undoubtedly [want to] physiognomize
me. Pay attention [to what he says]."

Ku-pu Tzŭ-ch`ing also said, "My disciples, draw my chariot
aside. A saint is coming." Confucius got down and walked. Ku-pu
Tzŭ-ch`ing came to meet him, and for fifty paces regarded him.
Then he followed him for fifty paces, looking at him. He turned
to Tzŭ-kung and said, "Who is this man?"

Tzŭ-kung said, "He is my teacher. His name is K`ung Ch`iu,
of Lu."

Ku-pu Tzŭ-ch`ing said, "So that is K`ung Ch`iu of Lu! I have
certainly heard of him."

Tzŭ-kung said, "How does my teacher impress you?"

Ku-pu Tzŭ-ch`ing said, "He has Yao's forehead and Shun's
eyes,[3] Yü's neck and Kao-yao's mouth.[4] Viewed from the front he
is complete as though he possessed territory.[5] Viewed from the

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back, he has high shoulders and a weak back;[6] only in this is he
inferior to [those] saints." Tzŭ-kung sighed. Ku-pu Tzŭ-ching
said, "What are you worried about? For his unprepossessing
face[7] he is not hated, nor is he employed for his reed mouth[8] (?).
Viewed from afar he is uneasy[9] as the dog in a house of mourning.
What are you grieved about? What are you grieved about?"

Tzŭ-kung reported this to Confucius, who found nothing to
disclaim, excepting only [the part about] the dog in a house of
mourning. He said, "How should I dare?"

Tzŭ-kung said, " `For his unprepossessing face he is not hated,
nor is he employed for his reed mouth'; this I understand. I do
not understand why you should disclaim that about the dog in a
house of mourning."

The Master said, "Tz`ŭ, have you never seen the dog in a house
of mourning? After [the body] is put into the coffin, and that put
into the outer coffin, vessels are set out for the sacrifice.[10] Everywhere
[the dog] looks, no one is about, and he has the idea of
wanting to let himself go.[11] (?) Above there is no enlightened
king and below no sage overseers of provinces;[12] the Kingly Way
is declining, government and teaching are lost. The strong oppress
the weak and the many are cruel to the few. The people give rein
to their desires and no one can regulate them. That man certainly

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took me as one who wishes to play that part.[13] How should I
dare?"

[1]

Shih chi 47.13a (Mém. hist. 5.337-8) gives another version. Chia-yü 5.23a-b follows
Shih chi with slight modifications. Chavannes (op. cit. 338-40, note 6) translates the
HSWC passage.

[2]

Hsün-tzŭ 3.1a mentions Ku-pu Tzŭ-ch`ing as a famous physiognomist.

[3]

Shun, like Yao, had eyes with double pupils; cf. Hsün-tzŭ 3.3a: [OMITTED],
and Yang Liang's com. (Chou.)

[4]

Hsün-tzŭ says, "Kao-yao had the appearance of a split mellon." [OMITTED]
[OMITTED]. (Chou.)

[5]

[OMITTED] is corrupt. (Chao 222.) Emend [OMITTED] to [OMITTED] after KTCY 2.1a (No.11).
"One in possession of territory" is one who rules a fief, hence Chavannes' "semble
quelqu'un qui doit regner" is not far off.

[6]

KTCY adds [OMITTED].

[7]

[OMITTED]: see notes 3, 4 above; cf. also Huai-nan tzŭ 16.16a: [OMITTED] "King
Wên had a sunken chest" (Hsü Shên's com.: [OMITTED]). Hsün-tzŭ 3.2b says, "Chung-ni
had a small, square face" (?) (Yang Liang's com.) [OMITTED].
(Chou.)

[8]

[OMITTED] is given only for this passage by PWYF. I do not understand its force here.

[9]

[OMITTED]: Shih chi has [OMITTED]; Chia-yü [OMITTED] and I take [OMITTED] in that sense.

[10]

For [OMITTED] Pei Yin's com. on Shih chi has [OMITTED] "there is the mat for the
sacrifice." Chou prefers that reading.

[11]

[OMITTED]. Chavannes translates, "il a l'intention de veiller a tout (c'est-a-dire que,
en l'absence de toute personne vaquant aux occupations habituelles de la famille, c'est
le chien qui sent qu'il doit veiller à tout)." This makes good sense, but I do not find
[OMITTED] with the meaning "to watch over." If the dog "extends himself" it may come
to the same thing, or possibly it implies that he can indulge his proclivities for taking
what ordinarily is forbidden him.

[12]

[OMITTED] is superfluous. (Chou.) KTCY lacks it, (Chao), and I omit it in the
translation.

[13]

Here there must be a reflection of the recurring theme in Kung-yang chuan 5.3b
(and passim; cf. Combined Concordances s.v. [OMITTED]): [OMITTED] ○
[OMITTED]. "No Son of Heaven above,
no overseers below, and the feudal lords of the empire destroying one another:—let
anyone whose strength is enough to save them, save them; it will be all right."