| | 楚白貞姬: |
貞姬者，楚白公勝之妻也。白公死，其妻紡績不嫁。吳王聞其美且有行，使大夫持金百鎰、白璧一雙以聘焉，以輜軿三十乘迎之，將以為夫人。 |
| | Zhenji was the wife of Bo Gong Sheng of Chu. After Bo Gong died, his wife wove and spun thread without remarrying. The King of Wu heard about her beauty and virtue, so he sent a court official carrying one hundred yi of gold and a pair of white jade discs to offer in marriage. He also arranged for thirty carriages to welcome her, intending to make her his wife.
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| | 楚白貞姬: |
大夫致幣，白妻辭之曰：「白公生之時，妾幸得充後宮，執箕帚，掌衣履，拂枕席，託為妃匹。白公不幸而死，妾願守其墳墓，以終天年。今王賜金璧之聘。夫人之位，非愚妾之所聞也。且夫棄義從欲者，汙也。見利忘死者，貪也。夫貪汙之人，王何以為哉！妾聞之：『忠臣不借人以力，貞女不假人以色。』豈獨事生若此哉，於死者亦然。妾既不仁，不能從死，今又去而嫁，不亦太甚乎！」遂辭聘而不行。吳王賢其守節有義，號曰楚貞姬。君子謂貞姬廉潔而誠信。夫任重而道遠，仁以為己任，不亦重乎！死而後已，不亦遠乎！《》云：「」此之謂也。 |
| | When the official presented the gifts, Bo Gong's wife declined and said: "While Lord Bo was alive, I was fortunate to serve in his palace, holding a broom and dustpan, managing clothes and shoes, tidying pillows and mats, and being honored as his wife." "Lord Bo unfortunately passed away. I wish to guard his tomb and spend the rest of my life in this way." "Now Your Majesty has bestowed a marriage proposal with gold and jade discs," "the position of a queen is not something I, an ignorant concubine, have ever heard myself worthy of." "To abandon righteousness and follow desire is to be defiled." "To see profit and forget death is greed." "What use would the King have for a greedy and corrupt person!" "I have heard it said: 'A loyal minister does not rely on others' power, and a chaste woman does not use her beauty to seek favor from others.'" "It is not only in serving the living that one should act this way, but also toward the dead." "I am already unkind and could not follow him in death; now to leave and remarry would be too much!" Thus, she declined the marriage proposal and did not go. The King of Wu admired her for upholding virtue and fidelity, and bestowed upon her the title "Chu Zhenji." The virtuous men praised Zhenji as upright, clean, and trustworthy. To bear a heavy burden and travel a long road, taking benevolence as one's own responsibility—would this not be a great weight! Not stopping until death—would this not mean going very far indeed! The Book of Songs says: "That beautiful Mengjiang, her virtuous reputation is never forgotten." This is what it means.
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| | 楚白貞姬: |
頌曰：白公之妻，守寡紡績，吳王美之，聘以金璧，妻操固行，雖死不易，君子大之，美其嘉績。 |
| | Ode: The wife of Bo Gong, who remained a widow and wove thread diligently. King Wu admired her and offered marriage with gold and jade discs. Yet the wife maintained her firm conduct; even in death she did not change. Virtuous men greatly praised her, commending her noble virtue.
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