Ancient China · Courtier

Chunyu Kun 淳于髡

Attested BC 370 - BC 280

Passages: 14
Chapters: 2
Histories: 2

Overview

The translated histories identify Chunyu Kun as a courtier, official, philosopher, and scholar. This record brings together 14 passages from 2 chapters across 2 histories, with names, dates, relationships, offices, and events preserved as source-backed claims.

Names

Type	English	Chinese	Pinyin
Personal	Chunyu Kun	淳于髡	Chunyu Kun
Personal name	Chunyu Kun	淳于髡
Personal name	Chunyu Kun	淳于髡	Chunyu Kun
Alternate name	Kun	髡	Kun
Title	Master Chunyu	淳于先生	Chunyu Xiansheng

Identity

Historicity: Historical
Identification: Named
Sex: Male

Value: male
Strongly inferred · shiji:074:s0048

Roles

Courtier
Official
Philosopher
Scholar
Writer

Life and dates

Attested activity

Source Date: Text: 俳優淳于髡、優孟 · Western Year: BC 350
Explicit event contextual date · hanshu:099:s0112
Western Interval: Start: BC 320 · End: BC 280 · Source Date: Text: 淳于髡，齊人也。
Explicit event contextual date · shiji:074:s0048, shiji:074:s0047
Source Date: Text: 見髡於梁惠王 · Western Interval: Start: BC 370 · End: BC 319
Explicit event contextual date · shiji:074:s0051

Career and standing

Label: Ranked Grandee / 列大夫 · Action: appointed
Explicit · shiji:074:s0073
Status: never held office · Action: lifelong · Negated: true · Label: did not serve in office / 終身不仕
Explicit · shiji:074:s0066
Status: declined office · Action: refused minister-chancellor rank
Explicit · shiji:074:s0064

Places and affiliations

Place: Qi / 齊
Explicit · shiji:074:s0048
Organization: Jixia Academy / 稷下 · Relation: member-of
Explicit · shiji:074:s0047

Learning and skills

Statement: studies having no particular master / 學無所主
Explicit · shiji:074:s0049
Skill: broad learning and strong memory / 博聞彊記
Explicit · shiji:074:s0049

Works and attributed material

Kind: speech · Role: speaker · Other Person Id: King Hui of Liang (梁惠王)
Explicit · shiji:074:s0056, shiji:074:s0057, shiji:074:s0058

Events and relationships

Kind: audience · Role: visitor · Action: spoke three days and nights without tiring · Other Person Id: King Hui of Liang (梁惠王)
Explicit · shiji:074:s0063
Relation: admired · Person Id: Yan Ying (晏)
Explicit · shiji:074:s0050

Assessments and attributes

Assessment: roasts the hub and outdoes them (炙毂过髡) · Provenance: Mode: named-source-report · Source Work: Qi popular song / 齊人頌
Explicit · shiji:074:s0080

References in the histories

Open any source group to read the Chinese and English passage in context.

Book of Han, Chapter 99Volume 87b: Yang Xiong 2 · 1 passage

又頗似俳優淳于髡、優孟之徒，非法度所存，賢人君子詩賦之正也，於是輟不復為。 It smacked too much of court buffoons like Chunyu Kun or You Meng—far from the norm for poetry and fu that gentlemen should keep—so he gave the genre up.

Records of the Grand Historian, Chapter 74Biographies of Mengzi and Xun Qing · 13 passages

自騶衍與齊之稷下先生，如淳于髡、慎到、環淵、接子、田駢、騶奭之徒，各著書言治亂之事，以干世主，豈可勝道哉！ From Zou Yan and the masters of Qi's Jixia Academy, such as Chunyu Kun, Shen Dao, Huan Yuan, Jie Zi, Tian Pian, and Zou Shi and their kind, each wrote books discussing matters of governance and chaos to seek the world's lords—how could one recount them all!

淳于髡，齊人也。 Chunyu Kun was a man of Qi.

客有見髡於梁惠王，惠王屏左右，獨坐而再見之，終無言也。 A guest introduced Kun to King Hui of Liang. The king dismissed his attendants, sat alone, and received him twice, but in the end Kun said nothing.

惠王怪之，以讓客曰：「子之稱淳于先生，管、晏不及，及見寡人，寡人未有得也。 King Hui was astonished and reproached the guest, saying: "You praised Master Chunyu as surpassing Guan and Yan, but when I met him, I gained nothing from it.

客以謂髡。 The guest told this to Kun.

髡曰：「固也。 Kun replied, "Indeed.

客具以報王，王大駭，曰：「嗟乎，淳于先生誠聖人也！ The guest reported everything to the king, who was greatly astonished and exclaimed, "Alas! Master Chunyu is truly a sage!

前淳于先生之來，人有獻善馬者，寡人未及視，會先生至。 Before Master Chunyu arrived, someone had presented me with a fine horse. I had not yet examined it when the master came.

後淳于髡見，壹語連三日三夜無倦。 After that, when Chunyu Kun was received, he spoke continuously for three days and three nights without tiring.

惠王欲以卿相位待之，髡因謝去。 King Hui wished to honor him with the rank of minister and chancellor, but Kun declined and departed.

於是齊王嘉之，自如淳于髡以下，皆命曰列大夫，為開第康莊之衢，高門大屋，尊寵之。 The King of Qi praised this. From Chunyu Kun on down, all were given the rank of Ranked Grandee. Residences were opened for them on broad, smooth avenues, with high gates and large houses. They were honored and favored.

淳于髡久與處，時有得善言。 Chunyu Kun dwelt with him for a long time, and from time to time obtained good sayings from him.

故齊人頌曰：「談天衍，雕龍奭，炙轂過髡。」 Therefore, the people of Qi sang: "Yan discourses on Heaven, Shi carves dragons, Kun roasts the hub and outdoes them."