The Image of Music and Sound in Xunzi's 'On Music': A Study of Character, Cosmos, and the Cultivation of Rites and Music
This paper offers an in-depth interpretation of the 'Image of Music and Sound' (Sheng Yue zhi Xiang) discussed in Xunzi's 'On Music,' clarifying the Pre-Qin meaning of 'Xiang' (image/analogy) and elucidating how the qualities of sound correspond to the myriad things in the cosmos. It further situates this correspondence within Xunzi's Confucian framework of 'transforming human nature through rites and music' to explore the cosmological significance and pedagogical function of music.
Section 1: General Overview: The System of Ten Instruments and Ten Virtues
The passage "The Imagery of Sound and Music" uses extremely concise language to describe the qualities of ten instruments (drum, bell, chime stone, yú, shēng, xiāo, guǎn, yuè, xūn, chí, sè, qín) plus song and dance—a total of twelve items—describing the character of each. These twelve items can be grouped as follows:
| Category | Instrument/Activity | Quality Description |
|---|---|---|
| Percussion (Leather) | Drum ($\text{gǔ}$) | Grandly Beautiful ($\text{dà lì}$) |
| Percussion (Metal) | Bell ($\text{zhōng}$) | Comprehensively Substantial ($\text{tǒng shí}$) |
| Percussion (Stone) | Chime Stone ($\text{qìng}$) | Pure and Regulated ($\text{lián zhì}$) |
| Wind (Gourd/Reed) | Yú, Shēng, Xiāo | Harmonious ($\text{hé}$) |
| Wind (Bamboo) | Guǎn, Yuè | Emitting Fierceness ($\text{fā měng}$) |
| Wind (Earth/Bamboo) | Xūn, Chí | Expansive and Ample ($\text{wēng bó}$) |
| String (Plucked) | Sè | Easily Good ($\text{yì liáng}$) |
| String (Plucked) | Qín | Pleasantly Feminine ($\text{fù hǎo}$) |
| Human Voice | Song ($\text{gē}$) | Purely Exhaustive ($\text{qīng jìn}$) |
| Body | Dance ($\text{wǔ}$) | Combines the Intent of the Dao of Heaven ($\text{yì tiān dào jiān}$) |
The arrangement of these twelve items is not arbitrary but follows an inherent logic. Generally speaking, the passage moves from percussion (drum to chime stone), to wind instruments (yú, shēng, xiāo to xūn, chí), to string instruments (sè, qín), concluding with song and dance. This sequence closely corresponds to the pre-Qin classification of the "Eight Tones" ($\text{bā yīn}$).
The "Eight Tones," as recorded in the Rites of Zhou ($\text{Zhōu Lǐ}$), Spring and Autumn Festivals: Grand Master ($\text{Chūn Guān: Dà Shī}$):
"All are spread forth by the Eight Tones: metal, stone, earth, leather, silk, wood, gourd, and bamboo."
Metal refers to bells, stone to chime stones, earth to xūn, leather to drums, silk to qín and sè, wood to the striking block (zhù) and the tiger scraper (yǔ), gourd to shēng and yú, and bamboo to xiāo, guǎn, yuè, and chí. Although Master Xunzi does not strictly follow the order of the Eight Tones, the instruments discussed cover the majority of these material categories.
More noteworthy is that Xunzi’s description of each instrument’s quality is highly precise and inherently suggestive. We will proceed with a line-by-line interpretation.