| | 天道: |
是故古之明大道者，先明天而道德次之，道德已明而仁義次之，仁義已明而分守次之，分守已明而形名次之，形名已明而因任次之，因任已明而原省次之，原省已明而是非次之，是非已明而賞罰次之。賞罰已明而愚知處宜，貴賤履位，仁賢不肖襲情，必分其能，必由其名。以此事上，以此畜下，以此治物，以此修身，知謀不用，必歸其天，此之謂太平，治之至也。 |
| The Way of Heaven: |
Therefore the ancients who clearly understood the great Dao first sought to apprehend what was meant by Heaven, and the Dao and its characteristics came next. When this was apprehended, then came Benevolence and Righteousness. When these were apprehended, then came the Distinction of duties and the observance of them. This accomplished, there came objects and their names. After objects and their names, came the employment of men according to their qualities: on this there followed the examination of the men and of their work. This led to the approval or disapproval of them, which again was succeeded by the apportioning of rewards and penalties. After this the stupid and the intelligent understood what was required of them, and the honourable and the mean occupied their several positions. The good and the able, and those inferior to them, sincerely did their best. Their ability was distributed; the duties implied in their official names were fulfilled. In this way did they serve their superiors, nourish their inferiors, regulate things, and cultivate their persons. They did not call their knowledge and schemes into requisition; they were required to fall back upon (the method of) Heaven: this was what is called the Perfection of the Rule of Great Peace. |
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故《》曰：「有形有名。」形名者，古人有之，而非所以先也。古之語大道者，五變而形名可舉，九變而賞罰可言也。驟而語形名，不知其本也；驟而語賞罰，不知其始也。倒道而言，迕道而說者，人之所治也，安能治人！驟而語形名賞罰，此有知治之具，非知治之道；可用於天下，不足以用天下。此之謂辯士，一曲之人也。禮法度數，形名比詳，古人有之，此下之所以事上，非上之所以畜下也。 |
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Hence it is said in the Book, 'There are objects and there are their names.' Objects and their names the ancients had; but they did not put them in the foremost place. When the ancients spoke of the Great Dao, it was only after four other steps that they gave a place to 'Objects and their Names,' and after eight steps that they gave a place to 'Rewards and Penalties.' If they had all at once spoken of 'Objects and their Names,' they would have shown an ignorance of what is the Root (of government); if they had all at once spoken of 'Rewards and Penalties,' they would have shown an ignorance of the first steps of it. Those whose words are thus an inversion of the (proper) course, or in opposition to it, are (only fit to be) ruled by others - how can they rule others? To speak all at once of 'Objects and their Names,' and of 'Rewards and Penalties,' only shows that the speaker knows the instruments of government, but does not know the method of it, is fit to be used as an instrument in the world, but not fit to use others as his instruments: he is what we call a mere sophist, a man of one small idea. Ceremonies, laws, numbers, measures, with all the minutiae of jurisprudence, the ancients had; but it is by these that inferiors serve their superiors; it is not by them that those superiors nourish the world. |
| | 讓王: |
孔子窮於陳、蔡之間，七日不火食，藜羹不糝，顏色甚憊，而弦歌於室。顏回擇菜，子路、子貢相與言曰：「夫子再逐於魯，削迹於衛，伐樹於宋，窮於商、周，圍於陳、蔡，殺夫子者無罪，藉夫子者無禁。弦歌鼓琴，未嘗絕音，君子之無恥也若此乎？」顏回無以應，入告孔子。孔子推琴喟然而歎曰：「由與賜，細人也。召而來！吾語之。」 |
| Kings who have wished...: |
When Confucius was reduced to extreme distress between Zhan and Cai, for seven days he had no cooked meat to eat, but only some soup of coarse vegetables without any rice in it. His countenance wore the appearance of great exhaustion, and yet he kept playing on his lute and singing inside the house. Yan Hui (was outside), selecting the vegetables, while Zi-lu and Zi-gong were talking together, and said to him, 'The Master has twice been driven from Lu; he had to flee from Wei; the tree (beneath which he rested) was cut down in Sung; he was reduced to extreme distress in Shang and Zhou; he is held in a state of siege here between Zhan and Cai; any one who kills him will be held guiltless; there is no prohibition against making him a prisoner. And yet he keeps playing and singing, thrumming his lute without ceasing. Can a superior man be without the feeling of shame to such an extent as this?' Yan Hui gave them no reply, but went in and told (their words) to Confucius, who pushed aside his lute, and said, 'You and Ci are small men. Call them here, and I will explain the thing to them.' |
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子路、子貢入。子路曰：「如此者可謂窮矣。」孔子曰：「是何言也！君子通於道之謂通，窮於道之謂窮。今丘抱仁義之道，以遭亂世之患，其何窮之為？故內省而不窮於道，臨難而不失其德，天寒既至，霜露既降，吾是以知松柏之茂也。陳、蔡之隘，於丘其幸乎！」孔子削然反琴而弦歌，子路扢然執干而舞。子貢曰：「吾不知天之高也，地之下也。」 |
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When they came in, Zi-lu said, 'Your present condition may be called one of extreme distress.' Confucius replied, 'What words are these! When the Superior man has free course with his principles, that is what we call his success; when such course is denied, that is what we call his failure. Now I hold in my embrace the principles of benevolence and righteousness, and with them meet the evils of a disordered age - where is the proof of my being in extreme distress? Therefore looking inwards and examining myself, I have no difficulties about my principles; though I encounter such difficulties (as the present), I do not lose my virtue. It is when winter's cold is come, and the hoar-frost and snow are falling, that we know the vegetative power of the pine and cypress. This strait between Zhan and Cai is fortunate for me.' He then took back his lute so that it emitted a twanging sound, and began to play and sing. (At the same time) Zi-lu, hurriedly, seized a shield, and began to dance, while Zi-gong said, 'I did not know (before) the height of heaven nor the depth of the earth.' |
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古之得道者，窮亦樂，通亦樂。所樂非窮通也，道德於此，則窮通為寒暑風雨之序矣。故許由娛於潁陽，而共伯得乎共首。 |
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The ancients who had got the Dao were happy when reduced to extremity, and happy when having free course. Their happiness was independent of both these conditions. The Dao, and its characteristics - let them have these and distress and success come to them as cold and heat, as wind and rain in the natural order of things. Thus it was that Xu You. found pleasure on the north of the river Ying, and that the earl of Gong enjoyed himself on the top of mount (Gong). |
