Volume 2, Chapter 5: The
Earth Supports and Completes the Harmony
The
bottom of the ch’in is like the earth.
The body faces upward and is supportive. The form is in accordance with that of the face. In front and in back there are the ch’ih[1]
(池) (pool) and the chao[2]
(沼) (pond). Under the han (頷) (chin), on the left and right are
the two fu-chang (鳧掌) (lit., “wild duck” feet). Located at both sides of the middle of the
waist there are the two yen-tsu(雁足) (lit., “wild geese” feet). Underneath the border of the ch’eng-lu and
the bridge are seven chen (軫) (tuning pegs). The fu-chang contain (the pegs) and the feet
make the ch’in steady. The pegs are
tied on and can be turned. Under the
nut is the t’o (託) (receptor), which is sunken into
the tail portion and which receives and intercepts the han-hsuan (含絃) (lit “contains strings”).
The pool and the pond on the outside are even with the bottom face and
on the inside have around their circumference a rim, which serves to retain sound.
Although the bottom may seem entirely even and straight, actually both
the inner and outer shapes (of the bottom piece) together resemble a tile,
which faces up. The regions of the
head, tail, bridge, and nut are level and match up with the face board. Also the bottom on both sides, left and
right, has a rim that is level everywhere and tallies up with the top.[3]
The
method here involves taking a piece of 6/10’s inch thick wood with the length
and width of the top. [(Six) is an
old Yin number.] Now according to
the form of the body of the face, up and back, left and right, cut out the
bottom. Also in the center, lengthwise,
[ from the head to the tail in the middle.] rule in an ink line to serve
as the base line. [Top and bottom
both have a center line serving for a base line. One must rely on this for uniformity.] Now we choose
several of the sectional crosswise lines from the face and using a T-square,
draw them in. To begin with, draw in
crosswise lines, numbers two through five[4];
that is, the lines for the forehead, ch’eng-lu, bridge, and the beginning of
the neck. Also draw in line number
nine, which is the line for the center of the waist. Also draw in the eleventh and twelfth lines, which are for the
cap and the end of the tail. [ Seven
lines are thus selected.] Now from
the fourth line, [ at the inner bridge region] following the base line,
measure out nine inches. This marks
then the fourth hui position. Again
measure off nine inches to mark off the tenth hui position. Now measure off four and a half inches to
mark the thirteenth hui position. In
each case draw crosswise lines to note the position. Now in the middle between the fourth and seventh hui markers, [
at the fifth hui, sixth fen, second li, fifth hao (豪), or
halfway to the tenth hui] measure
off four inches up and down. [
Altogether equal to eight inches, which stands for the eight winds.] This
is the length for the dragon pool. In
the middle between the tenth and thirteenth hui positions, [at the eleventh
hui, third fen, fifth li position] measure off two inches up and down. [ Altogether equal to four inches, which
represent the four seasons.] This
is the length of the phoenix pool. Now
from the base line measure off 4/10’s of an inch for the width of the pool and
of the pond. [ Altogether 8/10’s of
an inch to the left and right.] At the center of the waist, away from the sides about 3-4/10’s of
an inch on both left and right, draw lines to make squares half an inch on a
side for the holes for the wild geese feet.
From the third crosswise line, [ this is the ch’eng-lu bridge border]
measure up and down 4/10’s of an inch. [
Altogether equal to 8/10’s of an inch.] Now from the base line measure out
on left and right two and 2/10’s inches.
[ Altogether four and 4/10’s inches.] These are the dimensions for the chen-ch’ih (軫池底)[5]
(peg pool). At the head section, under
the chin on both corners left and right, draw out one inch squares for the wild
duck feet. The t’o is put at the
extreme end of the tail. One must wait
until the top and bottom have been put together, and the han-hsuan[6]
on the tail made, with the base by the tail shrunken in, and only then make the
t’o. [ The extreme end of the base is shorter than the top (board) by
2-3/10’s of an inch.]
When all the
outside areas of the bottom have been measured, the demarcations clear, left
and right on the sides, up and down, then from the inside rim measure out
35/100’s of an inch.[7] Also rule in an even straight line which
will be construed as (marking out) the raised form. One will plane down to this line and stop. This is the thickness for the side of the
bottom board.
When the
lines and sections for these inner and outer parts have been divided up, it is
then appropriate to make the overturned tile form. This resembles a crescent moon, or a bow with the string drawn in towards the bow. This is because inside it is shallow and
concave and outside it is slightly bulging.
On the other hand, the outside shape looks level, upside down. It is not as obvious as the face, for it
just bulges slightly up out of the plane face.
Moreover
the outside has no influence on the sound, plus it does not bother the
fingering, so one need not be so painstaking about it. So going out left and right from the base
line, and starting from the center of the eleventh crosswise line, [ the cap
position.] the (inside) should gradually slope to the left and right rims
with a 
shape.
Also from this position there should be down to the beginning of the
neck, [ the fifth crosswise line.] on both sides left and right,
a 3-4/10’s of an inch border, forming straight lines up and down (the ch’in
lengthwise). Also at the square hole
positions of the wild geese feet, around the three sides, [ the square hole
has four sides, but discount the one next to the rim, this leaves the front,
back, and inner sides.] one should leave 3/10’s of an inch in the shape of
a half coin like 
. Also around the mouths of the pool and the
pond; that is, the four sides, [
front, back, left, and right make up the four sides] for each leave a
2/10’s of an inch rim and mark it out.
These (rims) are for retention of sound. Now starting from the 
( (TBD
SHAPE)-shaped eleventh crosswise line position and going down to the fifth
crosswise line position, [ beginning of the nape] everything can be
chiseled out except for those areas that should be left; that is, the rims of the sides and of the
pool and pond, plus the wild geese feet areas that are shaped like half-coins. Thus the inside will take on the hollow
overturned tile form. So then on the
left and right sides it is shallow, and it is deeper in the center. [ That is, the base line.] Altogether one should take out 3/10’s of an
inch. If one should make it too deep,
then the base will be too thin. In as
much as the bottom board originally was 6/10’s of an inch thick, then one
should scoop out five to six tenths or so. 4-5/10’s should be left. So then the bottom will still retain
25-26/100’s of an inch in thickness, or (in other words) 3/10’s is sufficient
(to hollow out). When hollowing it out
see that the body is made uniform; that
is, without any overly thick or thin places.
Also one must first clear up what places to leave alone by marking them
out clearly. Although one will be
unable to observe any of this from the outside, the work should still be done
well.
