| | 樂記: |
賓牟賈侍坐於孔子，孔子與之言及樂，曰：「夫《武》之備戒之已久，何也？」對曰：「病不得眾也。」 |
| Yue Ji: |
Bin-mou Jia was sitting with Confucius. Confucius talked with him about music, and said, 'At (the performance of) the Wu, how is it that the preliminary warning (of the drum) continues so long?' The answer was, 'To show (the king's) anxiety that all his multitudes should be of one mind with him.' |
| | |
「詠嘆之，淫液之，何也？」對曰：「恐不逮事也。」 |
| |
'How is it that (when the performance has commenced) the singers drawl their notes so long, and the pantomimes move about till they perspire?' The answer was, 'To show his apprehension that some (princes) might not come up in time for the engagement.' |
| | |
「發揚蹈厲之已蚤，何也？」對曰：「及時事也。」 |
| |
'How is it that the violent movement of the arms and stamping fiercely with the feet begin so soon?' The answer was, 'To show that the time for the engagement had arrived.' |
| | |
「武坐致右憲左，何也？」對曰：「非武坐也。」 |
| |
'How is it that, (in the performance of the Wu,) the pantomimes kneel on the ground with the right knee, while the left is kept up?' The answer was, 'There should be no kneeling in the Wu.' |
| | |
「聲淫及商，何也？」對曰：「非《武》音也。」 |
| |
'How is it that the words of the singers go on to speak eagerly of Shang?' The answer was, 'There should be no such sounds in the Wu.' |
| | |
子曰：「若非《武》音，則何音也？」對曰：「有司失其傳也。若非有司失其傳，則武王之志荒矣。」子曰：「唯！丘之聞諸萇弘，亦若吾子之言是也。」 |
| |
'But if there should be no such sound in the Wu, where does it come from?' The answer was, 'The officers (of the music) failed to hand it down correctly. If they did not do so, the aim of king Wu would have been reckless and wrong.' The Master said, 'Yes, what I heard from Chang Hong was to the same effect as what you now say.' |
