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《巧言 - Qiao Yan》

 English translation: James Legge [?]
Books referencing 《巧言》 Library Resources
1 巧言:
悠悠昊天、曰父母且。
无罪无辜、乱如此怃。
昊天已威、予慎无罪。
昊天泰怃、予慎无辜。
Qiao Yan:
O vast and distant Heaven,
Who art called our parent,
That without crime or offence,
I should suffer from disorders thus great!
The terrors of great Heaven are excessive,
But indeed I have committed no crime.
[The terrors of] great Heaven are very excessive,
But indeed I have committed no offence.

2 巧言:
乱之初生、僭始既涵。
乱之又生、君子信谗。
君子如怒、乱庶遄沮。
君子如祉、乱庶遄已。
Qiao Yan:
Disorder then comes to the birth,
When the first untruth is received.
Its further increase,
Is from our sovereign's believing the slanderers.
If he were to be angry [with them],
The disorder would probably quickly be abated;
If he were to show his joy [in the good],
The disorder would probably quickly cease.

3 巧言:
君子屡盟、乱是用长。
君子信盗、乱是用暴。
盗言孔甘、乱是用餤。
匪其止共、维王之邛。
Qiao Yan:
Our sovereign makes frequent covenants,
And the disorders are thereby increased.
He believes the scoundrels,
And the disorders thereby grow into oppression.
Their words are very sweet,
And the disorders thereby advance.
They do not discharge their duties,
But only create distress to the king.

4 巧言:
奕奕寝庙、君子作之。
秩秩大猷、圣人莫之。
他人有心、予忖度之。
跃跃毚兔、遇犬获之。
Qiao Yan:
Very grand is the ancestral temple; -
A true sovereign made it.
Wisely arranged are the great plans; -
Sages determined them.
What other men have in their minds,
I can measure by reflection.
Swiftly runs the crafty hare,
But it is caught by the hound.

5 巧言:
荏染柔木、君子树之。
往来行言、心焉数之。
蛇蛇硕言、出自口矣。
巧言如簧、颜之厚矣。
Qiao Yan:
Trees of soft wood, easily wrought,
Are planted by wise men.
The words of way-farers that come and go,
Can be discriminated by the mind.
Their easy and grand words,
[Only] issue from their mouths.
Their artful words, like organ-tongues,
Show how unblushing are their faces.

6 巧言:
彼何人斯、居河之麋。
无拳无勇、职为乱阶。
既微且尰、尔勇伊何。
为犹将多、尔居徒几何。
Qiao Yan:
Who are they?
They [are like men who] dwell on the banks of the river;
And they have neither strenghth nor courage,
While yet they rear the steps of disorder!
With legs ulcerated and swollen,
What courage can you have?
You form plans great and many,
But your followers about you are few.

URN: ctp:book-of-poetry/qiao-yan