1. Sima Qian 司馬遷 as a Reader of Master Kong‘s Utterances 司馬遷與西漢孔子語集 Bernhard Fuehrer 傅熊 School of Oriental and African Studies 亞非學院 (SOAS) University of London 倫敦大學

2. 何晏 (190-249) Lunyu jiie xu 論語集解序 (242) quotes Liu Xiang 劉向 (79-8 BC): Lu Lun 魯論 (20 pian), in new script (jinwen 今文 ) Qi Lun 齊論 (22 pian), in new script (jinwen 今文 ) Gu Lun 古論 (21 pian), in ancient script (guwen 古文 ) Kong Anguo 孔安國 (d.c.100 BC) and Ma Rong 馬融 (79-166) worked on Gu Lun 古論 Zheng Xuan 鄭玄 (127-200) based himself primarily on the Lu Lun, collated it against the Qi Lun and Gu Lun versions

3. Sima Qian 司馬遷 (c.145-c.85 BC) Earliest textual witnesses (about one generation after Sima Qian): Dingzhou bamboo strip fragment “Lunyu” 定州漢墓竹簡論語 : dating from around 55 BC Pyongyang /Lelang/Nangnang bamboo strip fragment “Lunyu” 平壤 / 樂浪竹簡 論語 : dating from date from 45 BC None carries the title Lunyu Shiji 史記 : Kong shi shu 孔氏書 / Kong shi guwen 孔氏古文 Shiji 67: 2226: 余以弟子名姓文字悉取《論語》弟子問并次 為篇。

4. References to the utterances of Confucius in Shiji: Kongzi yue 孔子曰 / Kongzi yue 《孔子》曰 Zhongni yue 仲尼曰 Shengren yue 聖人曰 Never: Lunyu yue 《論語》曰

5. Shiji 67: 2226: 則論言弟子籍，出孔氏古文近是。余以弟子名姓文 字悉取論語弟子問并次為篇。 The Diziji 弟子籍 (Register of Disciples) came from the ancient writings of Confucius’ household; it is close to the truth. I took the names of the disciples, then gathered all the records concerning them from among the questions posed in the Analects and arranged the information in one chapter. Then, the discussions [lun 論 ] and words [yan 言 ] in the Register of Disciples come from the ancient writings of Confucius’ household and are close to the truth. I took the names of the disciples, gathered all the records concerning them from among the questions posed in discussions [lun 論 ] with and speeches [yu 語 ] to disciples, and arranged the information in one chapter.

6. Orthography and lexicon (1) LY 3.8: 子夏問曰：『巧笑倩兮，美目盼兮，素以 為絢兮。』何謂也？子曰：繪事後素。曰：禮 後乎？子曰：起予者商也！始可與言詩已矣。 子夏問曰：『巧笑倩兮，美目盼兮，素以為絢 兮。』何謂也？ Shijing 詩經 : 美目盻兮 “beautiful eyes, black and white well defined” Shiji: 美目盼 / 盻兮. Commentaries to Shiji share a reference to the gloss by Ma Rong on the Lunyu and read “the beautiful eyes flashing”, a reading that attest to recontextualization of the Shijing quote and an interpretation that goes against mainstream Shijing exegesis.

7. Orthography and lexicon (2) LY 5.1: 子謂公冶長可妻也。雖在縲紲之中，非其罪也。 以其子妻之。 Shiji is internally consistent and has leixie zhi zhong 縲紲 之中 in its quote from the utterances of Confucius. Sima Qian’s biography in the Han shu writes 累紲, and orthography also transmitted in the Lunyu yishu as well as a number of Lunyu manuscripts up to the stelae of 1131 and 1143. It appears the graph 絏 can be regarded as a more recent variant that became widely used in this expression during the Tang when 紲 was to be avoided for taboo reasons.

8. Orthography and lexicon (3) LY 5.6: 子使漆雕開仕。對曰：吾斯之未能信。 子說。 diao as 彫 in Qidiao Kai 漆彫開 in Shiji represents an older layer also attested in in Lunyu jijie, Lunyu yishu and Lunyu zhushu, in Tang manuscripts as well as in the Tang (837) and Song stelae. Lu Deming gives 凋 as a graphic variant; Ruan Yuan takes 彫 as zheng zi 正字.

9. Orthography and lexicon (4) LY 7.31: 陳司敗問昭公知禮乎。孔子曰：知禮。 孔子退，揖巫馬期而進之曰： … Wuma Qi 巫馬期 in current versions of Lunyu and the Han shu. Shiji and Lü shi Chunqiu 呂氏春秋 write 巫馬旗 Zhai Hao 翟灝 (1736-1788): 旗 As 期 does not seem to be attested as a phonetic loan for 旗 in pre-Han literature, one may argue Sima Qian adhered to a textual tradition that was later superseded.

10. Orthography and lexicon (5) LY 7.17: 子曰：加我數年，五、十以學易，可以 無大過矣。 Shiji: 假我數年 ; also Fengsu tongyi 風俗通義 (c.195) a) jia 加 (to add) as phonetic loan for jia 假 (if) b) 加 deriving from a slip of brush due to phonetic similarity (Zhu Xi) “If I had few more years” 假我數年 vs. “Give me few more years” 加我數年 Depending on how the remaining part of LY 7.17 is interpreted, the different perceptions of the studies conducted by Confucius that feature in the exegetical traditions of the Lunyu are informed by and emerge from the way in which this textual discrepancy is negotiated.

11. Orthography and lexicon (6) LY 2.18: 子張學干祿。子曰：多聞闕疑，慎言其餘， 則寡尤；多見闕殆，慎行其餘，則寡悔；言寡尤， 行寡悔，祿在其中矣。 Shiji: 子張問干祿 … Liu Baonan 劉寳楠 (1791-1855): Gu Lun 古論 wrote 問 ; Lu Lun 魯論 had 學. This hypothesis derives from assumptions regarding Sima Qian’s affinity with the guwen tradition. NOTE: With the actual textual evidence long lost verification or falsification based on undisputable textual witnesses was already impossible for Liu Baonan.

12. Orthography and lexicon (7) Taboo characters / 諱字 : Sima Qian changed the wording on some occasions but did not implement taboo roles on others, e.g.: LY 12.2: 在邦無怨 / Shiji: 在邦無怨 LY 5.2: 邦有道 / Shiji: 國有道 LY 12.2 not in Dingzhou corpus; Pyongyang corpus (slips 7, 23) has 在邦無怨

13. Orthography and lexicon (8) With regard to grammatical function words the extant textual witnesses testify to considerable instabilities in the transmission of the Lunyu up to the beginning of the Song. Some of these textual variations attested in manuscript copies relate to scribal practices and manuscript culture, others reflect textual divergences in different lines of the transmission of the main text of the Lunyu. LY 3.14: 子曰：周監於二代，郁郁乎文哉！吾從周。 Shiji: 周監二代

14. Orthography and lexicon (9) LY 5.13: 子貢曰：夫子之文章，可得而聞也；夫子之 言性與天道，不可得而聞也。 Shiji: … 夫子言天道與性命，弗可得聞也已。 / Lunyu jijie: … 弗可得聞也已。 Lunyu yishu: … 不可得而聞也已矣。 / P 3643 Tang mss: … 不可得而聞也已。 Zheng Xuan / Tang mss: 可得而聞也 contracted to 可得聞 and drops all finals: 不可得而文 ( 聞 ). With respect to the finals, Sima Qian’s wording is identical to that attested in early copies of the Lunyu jijie. In his Shiji Jijie Pei Yin 裴駰 (5th cent.) defines the reading of this passage, especially the terms xing 性 and tiandao 天道, by reference to the Lunyu jijie with no clarification on the term ming 命 in this context. The expression xing yu tiandao 性與天道 as an emblematic formula in characterisations of the teachings of Confucius that appears in the Shiji as tiandao yu xingming 天道與性命. Questions: Does the inverted order and inclusion of ming (fate) among the subjects elaborated on by Confucius reflect Sima Qian’s assessment of his teachings? Does this passage allows the reader to speculate about Sima Qian’s philosophical background or persuasions? Does the wording transmitted in the Shiji derive from textual divergences in his source material?

15. Inspired utilisation of given material - a creative act? LY 2.19: 哀公問曰：何為則民服。孔子對曰：舉直錯諸枉，則民服； 舉枉錯諸直，則民不服。 LY 12.22: 樊遲問仁。子曰：愛人。問知。子曰：知人。樊遲未達。 子曰：舉直錯諸枉，能使枉者直。樊遲退。見子夏曰：鄉也， 吾見於夫子而問知，子曰，『舉直錯諸枉，能使枉者直。』何 謂也？子夏曰：富哉言乎！舜有天下，選於眾，舉皋陶，不仁 者遠矣。湯有天下，選於眾，舉伊尹，不仁者遠矣。 Shiji: 魯哀公問政，對曰：政在選臣。季康子問政，曰：舉 直錯諸枉，則枉者直。 compressed answer, change of interlocutor and alteration of message in Shiji (considered a misreading by Pei Yin) Question: What was Sima Qian’s text base?

16. Omission and addition of words and phrases (1) LY 3.9: 夏禮吾能言之，杞不足徵也；殷禮吾能言之， 宋不足徵也；文獻不足故也；足，則吾能徵之矣。 Shiji: 夏禮吾能言之，杞不足徵也。殷禮吾能言之，宋 不足徵也。足，則吾能徵之矣。 文獻不足故也 attested in Dingzhou slips, and in Tang manuscript fragments of Zheng Xuan’s version and of the Lunyu jijie. Questions: a) In view of his work as a historian the omission (assuming the phrase appeared in his text material) may be perceived as an indication of Sima Qian not exactly sharing the assessment of relevant source material put forward by Confucius. b) Phrase 文獻不足故也 as a commentary note that slipped into the Lunyu text at an early stage?

17. Omission and addition of words and phrases (2) LY 5.3: 子謂子賤，君子哉若人！魯無君子者，斯 焉取斯 ? Shiji: 孔子謂子賤君子哉！魯無君子，斯焉取斯？ The generalizing phrase 若人 (“such as he”) is attested consistently in the transmission of the Lunyu including fragments of Zheng Xuan’s version from Turfan and the Lunyu jijie mss fragments from Dunhuang, as well as in a parallel in the Kongzi jiayu.

18. Omission and addition of words and phrases (3) LY 7.19: 其為人也，發憤忘食，樂以忘憂，不知老之 將至云爾。 Shiji: 其為人也，學道不倦，誨人不厭，發憤忘食， 樂以忘憂，不知老之將至云爾。 Questions: a) merging 7.19 & 7.2 by interpolation? 學而不厭，誨人不 倦 from LY 7.2 ( 學而不厭，誨人不倦 ) with a slightly altered wording: xue er 學而 (to learn / study and / but) of LY 7.2 becomes xue dao 學道 (to study the Way) in Shiji. b) philosophical reasons behind the change of message and clarification of the subject of studies via verb-object phrase? c) text base with different record of the utterances of Confucius?

19. Omission and addition of words and phrases (4) LY 6.9: 季氏使閔子騫為費宰。閔子騫曰：善為 我辭焉；如有復我者，則吾必在汶上矣。 Shiji: … 如有復我者，必在汶上矣。 Dingzhou fragment only has 我必在汶上矣 Tang mss of Zheng Xuan’s version and Shiji drop the words ze wu 則吾 Questions: a) Do the wordings transmitted in the Zheng commentary and in Shiji derive from the same source? b) Does this version preserve an alternative reading that was deemed inferior by later collators of the Lunyu who judged the wording ze wu bu zai Wen shang yi the better option?

20. Historicising and re-contextualising LY 7.23: 子曰：天生德於予，桓魋其如予何！ Sima Qian creates context saying that this statement was made after Huan Tui (who disliked Confucius and his pupils travelling through his state) cut down a tree beneath which the Master and his disciples practiced ceremonies in an attempt to kill him. Jiang Xi 江熙 (4th cent.): an allegory on how to deal with xiaoren 小人 Huang Kan: Huan Tui as a malicious person who wanted to harm (hai 害 ) Confucius. Xing Bing 邢昺 (931-1010) mentions the tree that features in the Shiji narrative Zhu Xi 朱熹 (1130-1200) disregards Sima Qian’s version of events Liu Baonan and Liu Gongmian 劉恭冕 (1824-1883) re- integrate the Shiji narrative in Lunyu reception

21. Summary (1) support for the argument that Sima Qian followed variants which became obsolete in the later textual transmission. in his references to utterances attributed to Confucius Sima Qian applied a broad repertoire of techniques common and widely attested in traditional literature. hardly any of these techniques support a solid case for perceiving the parallels in the Shiji as a reasonably reliable representation of the (unknown) text body that was labelled as Gu Lun. examples presented illustrate a) uncertainties and complexities regarding Sima Qian’s source material, and b) the liberties Sima Qian took and the creativity he applied in appropriating and weaving given material into his narrative.

22. Summary (2) application of a received text to a specific context a the primary task of the exegete: the Shiji may be read as an early hermeneutical attempt to contextualise and clarify the transmitted utterances of Master Kong. parts of the Shiji take on the function of a commentary. Sima Qian’s work constitutes no less than the earliest extant text material that provides interpretation, contextualisation and application of a significant portion of the utterances attributed to Master Kong.