| | 山木: |
孔子問子桑雽曰：「吾再逐於魯，伐樹於宋，削跡於衛，窮於商、周，圍於陳、蔡之間。吾犯此數患，親交益疏，徒友益散，何與？」 |
| The Tree on the...: |
Confucius asked Zi-sang Hu, saying, 'I was twice driven from Lu; the tree was felled over me in Song; I was obliged to disappear from Wei; I was reduced to extreme distress in Shang and Zhou; and I was kept in a state of siege between Chen and Cai. I have encountered these various calamities; my intimate associates are removed from me more and more; my followers and friends are more and more dispersed - why have all these things befallen me?' |
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子桑雽曰：「子獨不聞假人之亡與？林回棄千金之璧，負赤子而趨。或曰：『為其布與？赤子之布寡矣。為其累與？赤子之累多矣。棄千金之璧，負赤子而趨，何也？』林回曰：『彼以利合，此以天屬也。』夫以利合者，迫窮禍患害相棄也；以天屬者，迫窮禍患害相收也。夫相收之與相棄亦遠矣。且君子之交淡若水，小人之交甘若醴；君子淡以親，小人甘以絕。彼無故以合者，則無故以離。」 |
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Zi-sang Hu replied, 'Have you not heard of the flight of Lin Hui of Jia - how he abandoned his round jade symbol of rank, worth a thousand pieces of silver, and hurried away with his infant son on his back? If it be asked, "Was it because of the market value of the child?" But that value was small (compared with the value of the jade token). If it be asked again, "Was it because of the troubles (of his office)?" But the child would occasion him much more trouble. Why was it then that, abandoning the jade token, worth a thousand pieces of silver, he hurried away with the child on his back? Lin Hui (himself) said, "The union between me and the token rested on the ground of gain; that between me and the child was of Heaven's appointment." Where the bond of union is its profitableness, when the pressure of poverty, calamity, distress, and injury come, the parties abandon one another; when it is of Heaven's appointment, they hold in the same circumstances to one another. Now between abandoning one another, and holding to one another, the difference is great. Moreover, the intercourse of superior men is tasteless as water, while that of mean men is sweet as new wine. But the tastelessness of the superior men leads on to affection, and the sweetness of the mean men to aversion. The union which originates without any cause will end in separation without any cause.' |
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孔子曰：「敬聞命矣。」徐行翔佯而歸，絕學捐書，弟子無挹於前，其愛益加進。 |
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Confucius said, 'I have reverently received your instructions.' And hereupon, with a slow step and an assumed air of ease, he returned to his own house. There he made an end of studying and put away his books. His disciples came no more to make their bow to him (and be taught), but their affection for him increased the more. |
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異日，桑雽又曰：「舜之將死，真泠禹曰：『汝戒之哉！形莫若緣，情莫若率。緣則不離，率則不勞；不離不勞，則不求文以待形；不求文以待形，固不待物。』」 |
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Another day Sang Hu said further to him, 'When Shun was about to die, he charged Yu, saying, 'Be upon your guard. (The attraction of) the person is not like that of sympathy; the (power of) affection is not like the leading (of example). Where there is sympathy, there will not be separation; where there is (the leading of) example, there will be no toil. Where there is neither separation nor toil, you will not have to seek the decoration of forms to make the person attractive, and where there is no such need of those forms, there will certainly be none for external things.' |
| | 盜跖: |
孔子與柳下季為友。柳下季之弟名曰盜跖。盜跖從卒九千人，橫行天下，侵暴諸侯，穴室樞戶，驅人牛馬，取人婦女，貪得忘親，不顧父母兄弟，不祭先祖。所過之邑，大國守城，小國入保，萬民苦之。 |
| The Robber Zhi: |
Confucius was on terms of friendship with Liu-xia Ji, who had a brother named Dao Zhi. This Dao Zhi had 9,000 followers, who marched at their will through the kingdom, assailing and oppressing the different princes. They dug through walls and broke into houses; they drove away people's cattle and horses; they carried off people's wives and daughters. In their greed to get, they forgot the claims of kinship, and paid no regard to their parents and brethren. They did not sacrifice to their ancestors. Wherever they passed through the country, in the larger states the people guarded their city walls, and in the smaller the people took to their strongholds. All were distressed by them. |
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孔子謂柳下季曰：「夫為人父者，必能詔其子；為人兄者，必能教其弟。若父不能詔其子，兄不能教其弟，則無貴父子兄弟之親矣。今先生，世之才士也，弟為盜跖，為天下害，而弗能教也，丘竊為先生羞之。丘請為先生往說之。」柳下季曰：「先生言『為人父者必能詔其子，為人兄者必能教其弟』，若子不聽父之詔，弟不受兄之教，雖今先生之辯，將奈之何哉？且跖之為人也，心如涌泉，意如飄風，強足以距敵，辯足以飾非，順其心則喜，逆其心則怒，易辱人以言。先生必無往。」 |
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Confucius spoke to Liu-xia Ji, saying, 'Fathers should be able to lay down the law to their sons, and elder to instruct their younger brothers. If they are unable to do so, they do not fulfil the duties of the relationships which they sustain. You, Sir, are one of the most talented officers of the age, and your younger brother is this Robber Zhi. He is a pest in the kingdom, and you are not able to instruct him better; I cannot but be ashamed of you, and I beg to go for you and give him counsel.' Liu-xia Ji replied, 'You say, Sir, that fathers must be able to lay down the law to their sons, and elder to instruct their younger brothers, but if sons will not listen to the orders of their fathers, nor the younger receive the lessons of their elder brothers, though one may have your powers of persuasion, what is to be done? And, moreover, Zhi is a man whose mind is like a gushing fountain, and his will like a whirlwind; he is strong enough to resist all enemies, and clever enough to gloss over his wrong-doings. If you agree with him, he is glad; if you oppose him, he is enraged; and he readily meets men with the language of abuse. You must not go to him.' |
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孔子不聽，顏回為御，子貢為右，往見盜跖。盜跖乃方休卒徒太山之陽，膾人肝而餔之。孔子下車而前，見謁者曰：「魯人孔丘，聞將軍高義，敬再拜謁者。」謁者入通，盜跖聞之大怒，目如明星，髮上指冠，曰：「此夫魯國之巧偽人孔丘非邪？為我告之：『爾作言造語，妄稱文、武，冠枝木之冠，帶死牛之脅，多辭繆說，不耕而食，不織而衣，搖脣鼓舌，擅生是非，以迷天下之主，使天下學士不反其本，妄作孝弟而儌倖於封侯富貴者也。子之罪大極重，疾走歸！不然，我將以子肝益晝餔之膳。』」 |
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Confucius, however, did not attend to this advice. With Yan Hui as his charioteer, and Zi-gong seated on the right, he went to see Dao Zhi, whom he found with his followers halted on the south of Tai-shan, and mincing men's livers, which he gave them to eat. Confucius alighted from his carriage, and went forward, till he saw the usher, to whom he said, 'I, Kong Qiu of Lu, have heard of the general's lofty righteousness,' bowing twice respectfully to the man as he said so. The usher went in and announced the visitor. But when Dao Zhi heard of the arrival, he flew into a great rage; his eyes became like blazing stars, and his hair rose up and touched his cap. 'Is not this fellow,' said he, 'Kong Qiu, that artful hypocrite of Lu? Tell him from me, "You invent speeches and babble away, appealing without ground to (the examples of) Wen and Wu. The ornaments on your cap are as many as the branches of a tree, and your girdle is (a piece of skin) from the ribs of a dead ox, The more you talk, the more nonsense you utter. You get your food without (the labour of) ploughing, and your clothes without (that of) weaving. You wag your lips and make your tongue a drum-stick. You arbitrarily decide what is right and what is wrong, thereby leading astray the princes throughout the kingdom, and making its learned scholars not occupy their thoughts with their proper business. You recklessly set up your filial piety and fraternal duty, and curry favour with the feudal princes, the wealthy and the noble. Your offence is great; your crime is very heavy. Take yourself off home at once. If you do not do so, I will take your liver, and add it to the provision for to-day's food."' |
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孔子復通曰：「丘得幸於季，願望履幕下。」謁者復通，盜跖曰：「使來前！」孔子趨而進，避席反走，再拜盜跖。盜跖大怒，兩展其足，案劍瞋目，聲如乳虎，曰：「丘來前！若所言，順吾意則生，逆吾心則死。」 |
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But Confucius sent in another message, saying, 'I enjoy the good will of (your brother) Ji, and I wish and hope to tread the ground beneath your tent.' When the usher had communicated this message, Dao Zhi said, 'Make him come forward.' On this Confucius hastened forwards. Declining to take a mat, he drew hastily back, and bowed twice to Dao Zhi, who in a great rage stretched his legs apart, laid his hand on his sword, and with glaring eyes and a voice like the growl of a nursing tigress, said, 'Come forwards, Zhi. If what you say be in accordance with my mind, you shall live; but, if it be contrary to it, you shall die.' |
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孔子曰：「丘聞之，凡天下有三德：生而長大，美好無雙，少長貴賤見而皆說之，此上德也；知維天地，能辯諸物，此中德也；勇悍果敢，聚眾率兵，此下德也。凡人有此一德者，足以南面稱孤矣。今將軍兼此三者，身長八尺二寸，面目有光，脣如激丹，齒如齊貝，音中黃鐘，而名曰盜跖，丘竊為將軍恥不取焉。將軍有意聽臣，臣請南使吳、越，北使齊、魯，東使宋、衛，西使晉、楚，使為將軍造大城數百里，立數十萬戶之邑，尊將軍為諸侯，與天下更始，罷兵休卒，收養昆弟，共祭先祖。此聖人才士之行，而天下之願也。」 |
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Confucius replied, 'I have heard that everywhere under the sky there are three (most excellent) qualities. To be naturally tall and large, to be elegant and handsome without a peer, so that young and old, noble and mean, are pleased to look upon him - this is the highest of those qualities. To comprehend both heaven and earth in his wisdom, and to be able to speak eloquently on all subjects - this is the middle one of them. To be brave and courageous, resolute and daring, gathering the multitudes round him, and leading on his troops - this is the lowest of them. Whoever possesses one of these qualities is fit to stand with his face to the south, and style himself a Prince. But you, General, unite in yourself all the three. Your person is eight cubits and two inches in height; there is a brightness about your face and a light in your eyes; your lips look as if stained with vermilion; your teeth are like rows of precious shells; your voice is attuned to the musical tubes, and yet you are named "The Robber Zhi." I am ashamed of you, General, and cannot approve of you. If you are inclined to listen to me, I should like to go as your commissioner to Wu and Yue in the south; to Qi and Lu in the north; to Sung and Wei in the cast; and to Jin and Chu in the west. I will get them to build for you a great city several hundred li in size, to establish under it towns containing several hundred thousands of inhabitants, and honour you there as a feudal lord. The kingdom will see you begin your career afresh; you will cease from your wars and disband your soldiers; you will collect and nourish your brethren, and along with them offer the sacrifices to your ancestors: this will be a course befitting a sage and an officer of ability, and will fulfil the wishes of the whole kingdom.' |
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盜跖大怒曰：「丘來前！夫可規以利而可諫以言者，皆愚陋恆民之謂耳。今長大美好，人見而悅之者，此吾父母之遺德也。丘雖不吾譽，吾獨不自知邪？且吾聞之：『好面譽人者，亦好背而毀之。』今丘告我以大城眾民，是欲規我以利而恆民畜我也，安可久長也？城之大者，莫大乎天下矣。堯、舜有天下，子孫無置錐之地，湯、武立為天子而後世絕滅，非以其利大故邪？ |
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'Come forward, Qiu,' said Dao Zhi, greatly enraged. 'Those who can be persuaded by considerations of gain, and to whom remonstrances may be addressed with success, are all ignorant, low, and ordinary people. That I am tall and large, elegant and handsome, so that all who see me are pleased with me - this is an effect of the body left me by my parents. Though you were not to praise me for it, do I not know it myself? And I have heard that he who likes to praise men to their face will also like to speak ill of them behind their back. And when you tell me of a great wall and a multitudinous people, this is to try to persuade me by considerations of gain, and to cocker me as one of the ordinary people. But how could such advantages last for long? Of all great cities there is none so great as the whole kingdom, which was possessed by Yao and Shun, while their descendants (now) have not so much territory as would admit an awl. Tang and Wu were both set up as the Sons of Heaven, but in after ages (their posterity) were cut off and extinguished - was not this because the gain of their position was so great a prize? |
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且吾聞之：古者禽獸多而人少，於是民皆巢居以避之，晝拾橡栗，暮栖木上，故命之曰有巢氏之民。古者民不知衣服，夏多積薪，冬則煬之，故命之曰知生之民。神農之世，臥則居居，起則于于，民知其母，不知其父，與麋鹿共處，耕而食，織而衣，無有相害之心，此至德之隆也。然而黃帝不能致德，與蚩尤戰於涿鹿之野，流血百里。堯、舜作，立群臣，湯放其主，武王殺紂。自是之後，以強陵弱，以眾暴寡。湯、武以來，皆亂人之徒也。 |
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'And moreover I have heard that anciently birds and beasts were numerous, and men were few, so that they lived in nests in order to avoid the animals. In the daytime they gathered acorns and chestnuts, and in the night they roosted on the trees; and on account of this they are called the people of the Nest-builder. Anciently the people did not know the use of clothes. In summer they collected great stores of faggots, and in winter kept themselves warm by means of them; and on account of this they are called the people who knew how to take care of their lives. In the age of Shen Nong, the people lay down in simple innocence, and rose up in quiet security. They knew their mothers, but did not know their fathers. They dwelt along with the elks and deer. They ploughed and ate; they wove and made clothes; they had no idea of injuring one another: this was the grand time of Perfect virtue. Huang-Di, however, was not able to perpetuate this virtuous state. He fought with Chi-you in the wild ofZhuo-lu till the blood flowed over a hundred li. When Yao and Shun arose, they instituted their crowd of ministers. Tang banished his lord. King Wu killed Zhou. Since that time the strong have oppressed the weak, and the many tyrannised over the few. From Tang and Wu downwards, (the rulers) have all been promoters of disorder and confusion. |
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今子修文、武之道，掌天下之辯，以教後世，縫衣淺帶，矯言偽行，以迷惑天下之主，而欲求富貴焉，盜莫大於子。天下何故不謂子為盜丘而乃謂我為盜跖？子以甘辭說子路而使從之，使子路去其危冠，解其長劍，而受教於子，天下皆曰『孔丘能止暴禁非』。其卒之也，子路欲殺衛君而事不成，身菹於衛東門之上，是子教之不至也。子自謂才士聖人邪！則再逐於魯，削跡於衛，窮於齊，圍於陳、蔡，不容身於天下。子教子路菹此患，上無以為身，下無以為人，子之道豈足貴邪？ |
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'You yourself now cultivate and inculcate the ways of Wen and Wu; you handle whatever subjects are anywhere discussed for the instruction of future ages. With your peculiar robe and narrow girdle, with your deceitful speech and hypocritical conduct, you delude the lords of the different states, and are seeking for riches and honours. There is no greater robber than you are - why does not all the world call you the Robber Zhi, instead of styling me the Robber Zhi? You prevailed by your sweet speeches on Zi-lu, and made him your follower; you made him put away his high cap, lay aside his long sword, and receive your instructions, so that all the world said, "Kong Qiu is able to arrest violence and repress the wrong-doer;" but in the end, when Zi-lu wished to slay the ruler of Wei, and the affair proved unsuccessful, his body was exhibited in pickle over the eastern gate of the capital - so did your teaching of him come to nothing. Do you call yourself a scholar of talent, a sage? Why, you were twice driven out of Lu; you had to run away from Wei; you were reduced to extremity in Qi; you were held in a state of siege between Chen and Cai; there is no resting-place for your person in the kingdom; your instructions brought Zi-lu to pickle. Such have been the misfortunes (attending your course). You have done no good either for yourself or for others - how can your doctrines be worth being thought much of? |
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世之所高，莫若黃帝，黃帝尚不能全德，而戰涿鹿之野，流血百里。堯不慈，舜不孝，禹偏枯，湯放其主，武王伐紂，文王拘羑里。此六子者，世之所高也，孰論之，皆以利惑其真而強反其情性，其行乃甚可羞也！ |
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'There is no one whom the world exalts so much as it does Huang-Di, and still he was not able to perfect his virtue, but fought in the wilderness of Zhuo-lu, till the blood flowed over a hundred li. Yao was not kind to his son. Shun was not filial. Yu was paralysed on one side. Tang banished his sovereign. King Wu smote Zhou. King Wen was imprisoned in You-li. These are the six men of whom the world thinks the most highly, yet when we accurately consider their history, we see that for the sake of gain they all disallowed their true (nature), and did violence to its proper qualities and tendencies: their conduct cannot be thought of but with deep shame. |
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世之所謂賢士，伯夷、叔齊，伯夷、叔齊辭孤竹之君，而餓死於首陽之山，骨肉不葬。鮑焦飾行非世，抱木而死。申徒狄諫而不聽，負石自投於河，為魚鱉所食。介子推至忠也，自割其股以食文公，文公後背之，子推怒而去，抱木而燔死。尾生與女子期於梁下，女子不來，水至不去，抱梁柱而死。此六子者，無異於磔犬、流豕、操瓢而乞者，皆離名輕死，不念本養壽命者也。 |
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'Among those whom the world calls men of ability and virtue were (the brothers) Bo-yi and Shu-Qi. They declined the rule of Gu-zhu, and died of starvation on the hill of Shou-yang, leaving their bones and flesh unburied. Bao Qiao vaunted his conduct, and condemned the world, but he died with his arms round a tree. When Shen-tu Di's remonstrances were not listened to, he fastened a stone on his back, and threw himself into the He, where he was eaten by the fishes and turtles. Jie Zi-tui was the most devoted (of followers), and cut a piece from his thigh as food for duke Wen. But when the duke afterwards overlooked him (in his distribution of favours), he was angry, and went away, and was burned to death with a tree in his arms. Wei Sheng had made an appointment with a girl to meet him under a bridge; but when she did not come, and the water rose around him, he would not go away, and died with his arms round one of the pillars. (The deaths of) these four men were not different from those of the dog that is torn in pieces, the pig that is borne away by a current, or the beggar (drowned in a ditch) with his alms-gourd in his hand. They were all caught as in a net by their (desire for) fame, not caring to nourish their life to its end, as they were bound to do. |
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世之所謂忠臣者，莫若王子比干、伍子胥，子胥沈江，比干剖心。此二子者，世謂忠臣也，然卒為天下笑。自上觀之，至於子胥、比干，皆不足貴也。 |
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'Among those whom the world calls faithful ministers there have been none like the prince Bi-gan and Wu Zi-xu. But Zi-xu's (dead) body was cast into the Jiang, and the heart of Bi-gan was cut out. These two were what the world calls loyal ministers, but the end has been that everybody laughs at them. Looking at all the above cases, down to those of Zi-xu and Bi-gan, there is not one worthy to be honoured. |
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丘之所以說我者，若告我以鬼事，則我不能知也；若告我以人事者，不過此矣，皆吾所聞知也。今吾告子以人之情：目欲視色，耳欲聽聲，口欲察味，志氣欲盈。人上壽百歲，中壽八十，下壽六十，除病瘦、死喪、憂患，其中開口而笑者，一月之中不過四五日而已矣。天與地無窮，人死者有時，操有時之具而託於無窮之間，忽然無異騏驥之馳過隙也。不能說其志意，養其壽命者，皆非通道者也。丘之所言，皆吾之所棄也，亟去走歸，無復言之！子之道，狂狂汲汲，詐巧虛偽事也，非可以全真也，奚足論哉？」 |
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'And as to the admonitions which you, Qiu, wish to impress on me, if you tell me about the state of the dead, I am unable to know anything about it; if you tell me about the things of men (alive), they are only such as I have stated, what I have heard and know all about. I will now tell you, Sir, my views about the condition of man. The eyes wish to look on beauty; the ears to hear music; the mouth to enjoy flavours; the will to be gratified. The greatest longevity man can reach is a hundred years; a medium longevity is eighty years; the lowest longevity is sixty. Take away sickness, pining, bereavement, mourning, anxieties, and calamities, the times when, in any of these, one can open his mouth and laugh, are only four or five days in a month. Heaven and earth have no limit of duration, but the death of man has its (appointed) time. Take the longest amount of a limited time, and compare it with what is unlimited, its brief existence is not different from the passing of a crevice by one of king Mu's horses. Those who cannot gratify their will and natural aims, and nourish their appointed longevity, are all unacquainted with the (right) Way (of life). I cast from me, Zhi, all that you say. Be quick and go. Hurry back and say not a word more. Your Way is only a wild recklessness, deceitful, artful, vain, and hypocritical. It is not available to complete the true (nature of man); it is not worth talking about!' |
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孔子再拜趨走，出門上車，執轡三失，目芒然無見，色若死灰，據軾低頭，不能出氣。歸到魯東門外，適遇柳下季。柳下季曰：「今者闕然數日不見，車馬有行色，得微往見跖邪？」孔子仰天而歎曰：「然。」柳下季曰：「跖得無逆汝意若前乎？」孔子曰：「然。丘所謂無病而自灸也，疾走料虎頭，編虎須，幾不免虎口哉！」 |
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Confucius bowed twice, and hurried away. He went out at the door, and mounted his carriage. Thrice he missed the reins as he tried to take hold of them. His eyes were dazed, and he could not see; and his colour was that of slaked lime. He laid hold of the cross-bar, holding his head down, and unable to draw his breath. When he got back, outside the east gate of (the capital of) Lu, he encountered Liu-xia Ji, who said to him, 'Here you are, right in the gate. For some days I have not seen you. Your carriage and horses are travel-stained - have you not been to see Dao Zhi?' Confucius looked up to heaven, sighed, and said, 'Yes.' The other went on, 'And did he not set himself in opposition to all your views, as I said he would do?' 'He did. My case has been that of the man who cauterised himself without being ill. I rushed away, stroked the tiger's head, played with his whiskers, and narrowly escaped his mouth.' |
