The Image of Music and Sound in Xunzi's 'On Music': A Study of Character, Cosmos, and the Cultivation of Rites and Music

Section 9: "Qin is Pleasantly Feminine" ($\text{qín fù hǎo}$) — The Imagery of the Qin

"The qín is pleasantly feminine" ($\text{qín fù hǎo}$)—This states the quality of the qín (guqin) is "pleasantly feminine" ($\text{fù hǎo}$).

The interpretation of these three characters has varied historically. The key lies in how "feminine" ($\text{fù}$) is understood.

First, some scholars interpret "feminine" ($\text{fù}$) as meaning "gentle and graceful" ($\text{róu wǎn}$). "Pleasantly feminine" ($\text{fù hǎo}$) describes a sound that is gentle and beautiful, reflecting the actual quality of the qín's sound. The qín has few strings (five or seven in the pre-Qin era); its range is focused, and its tone is quiet and subtly graceful, more reserved and introverted than the sè, hence described as "pleasantly feminine" ($\text{fù hǎo}$).

Second, some scholars take "feminine" ($\text{fù}$) as a variant of "to spread" ($\text{fū}$), making "pleasantly feminine" ($\text{fù hǎo}$) mean "spread beautifully" ($\text{pū hǎo}$), describing the ubiquitous beauty of the qín's sound.

Third, some interpret "pleasantly feminine" ($\text{fù hǎo}$) literally as "like the pleasantness of a woman" ($\text{rú fù rén zhī hǎo}$), describing the qín's sound as gentle and soft like a woman's grace. This interpretation, while direct, is not necessarily derogatory; pre-Qin thought did not universally view "feminine beauty" as inferior but as a distinct quality.

Regardless of interpretation, "pleasantly feminine" ($\text{fù hǎo}$) describes a sound quality of gentleness, subtlety, and beauty. This contrasts sharply with the drum's "grand beauty" ($\text{dà lì}$) and the bell's "comprehensive substantiality" ($\text{tǒng shí}$). The drum and bell possess qualities of strength and depth; the qín possesses qualities of gentleness and subtlety. It is this balance of hard and soft that constitutes perfect "harmony" ($\text{hé}$) in the ensemble.

The qín's status in pre-Qin culture was highly unique. It was not merely an instrument but a tool for self-cultivation for the gentleman. Master Kong played the qín throughout his life. Although the Records of the Grand Historian ($\text{Shǐ Jì}$) is a Han work, the account of Confucius learning the qín from Master Xiangzi likely preserves a pre-Qin tradition. The Analects, in the chapter Yang Huo ($\text{Yáng Huò}$), records Confucius saying:

"When the Master arrived in Wu Cheng, he heard the sound of strings and song. The Master smiled slightly and said, 'Why use an ox-slaughtering knife to carve a chicken$24'" ($\text{Gē yán, zǐ zài qí wén xián gē zhī shēng, fū zǐ wǎn ěr ér xiào yuē: 'Gē jī yān yòng niú dāo$25')

"Strings and song" ($\text{xián gē}$) meant playing the qín or sè to accompany singing, a common practice in pre-Qin education. The "pleasantly feminine" ($\text{fù hǎo}$) quality of the qín—its gentle beauty—corresponds to its function of "self-cultivation" ($\text{xiū shēn}$) and "moral guidance" ($\text{jiào huà}$): it does not subdue men through force but transforms them through gentle persuasion.

We must again ask: why are the qín and sè distinguished$26 Both are silk-stringed instruments, yet their qualities differ.

The answer lies in their structural differences. The sè has many strings (twenty-five or more), giving it a broad range and moderate volume; its sound unfolds gently, like wind warming the earth—hence, "easily good" ($\text{yì liáng}$). The qín has few strings (five or seven); while its range is not narrow, the fewer strings mean each must bear more expressive responsibility. Performance emphasizes subtle finger techniques (such as vibrato, gliding, bending, etc.), resulting in a tone that is more reserved, internalized, subtle, and refined—hence, "pleasantly feminine" ($\text{fù hǎo}$).

The sè's "easily good" ($\text{yì liáng}$) leans toward expansion, mildness, and breadth; the qín's "pleasantly feminine" ($\text{fù hǎo}$) leans toward internalization, subtlety, and grace. The two are Yin and Yang, hard and soft, complementing each other.