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优孟者，楚优人也。庄王之时有爱马，衣以文绣，置之华屋之下，席以露床，啖以枣脯，马病肥死，使以大夫礼葬之，下令有谏者死。优孟入门大哭曰：马者，王之所爱也。以楚国堂堂之大，何求不得，而以大夫礼葬之，薄，请以人君礼葬之，以雕玉为棺，文梓为椁，发卒穿圹，老弱负土，庙食太牢，奉以万户，诸侯闻之，皆知大王贱人而贵马。王曰：寡人过一至此乎。为之奈何。孟曰：请为大王六畜葬之人腹肠，于是王乃使以马属大官，无令天下久闻也。 |
| | You Meng was a court jester of the State of Chu. During King Zhuangwang's reign, there was a beloved horse. It was dressed in embroidered garments and kept under a luxurious pavilion, resting on a fine mat, and fed with dates and dried meat. The horse became sick from overfeeding and died. The king ordered it to be buried with the rites for an official, and issued a decree that anyone who dared to advise against this would be put to death. You Meng entered the gate and wailed loudly, saying: "The horse was something His Majesty loved dearly." "Given the vast and mighty state of Chu, what could His Majesty not obtain? Yet to bury it with the rites for an official is too meager. I request that it be buried with the ceremonies reserved for a ruler: carve jade into its coffin, use finely grained cypress wood for its outer case, mobilize soldiers to dig the grave, and have the elderly and weak carry the soil. Offer lavish sacrifices of three animals in the temple, and assign ten thousand households to serve it. When feudal lords hear about this, they will all know that Great King considers people lowly but horses precious." {{The two characters 'da wang' were missing originally; added here King Zhuangwang said: "Have I gone so far wrong as this?" "What should I do about it?" Meng said: "Please allow me to handle the matter for His Majesty. Let us bury the horse as one would a domestic animal, using intestines and entrails of an animal." Thus, King Zhuangwang ordered that the horse be handed over to the chief cook and not let it remain in public knowledge for long.
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楚相孙叔敖死，其子穷困负薪，孟即为敖衣冠，抵掌谈语，岁馀，像孙叔敖，王大惊，以为叔敖复生也。欲以为相。孟曰：楚相不足为也。如孙叔敖之为楚相，尽忠为廉以治楚，楚得以霸，今死，其子无立锥之地，贫困负薪以自饮食，楚相不足为也。于是庄王谢优孟，乃召叔敖子封之寝丘。 |
| | When Sun Shuao, the prime minister of Chu, died, his son was poor and had to cut firewood for a living. You Meng then dressed as Shuao, clasped hands with him in conversation, After more than a year, You Meng resembled Sun Shuao so closely that King Zhuangwang was greatly astonished and believed it to be Shuao reborn. He wanted to appoint him as prime minister. Meng said: "The position of prime minister in Chu is not worth being." "When Sun Shuao served as prime minister of Chu, he devoted his loyalty and upheld integrity to govern the state, enabling Chu to become dominant. Now that he is dead, his son has not even a place to put a cone, living in poverty and cutting firewood just to support himself with food and drink. Therefore, the position of prime minister in Chu does not deserve to be held." Thus King Zhuangwang apologized to You Meng, and summoned Shuao's son, bestowing upon him the fief of Qinqi.
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优旃者，秦倡侏儒也。善为笑言，然合大道，秦始皇帝议欲大苑囿，东至函谷关，西至雍陈仓。优旃曰：善，多纵禽兽于其中，寇从东方来，令糜鹿触之足矣。始皇以故辍止，二世立，又欲漆其城。优旃曰：善，漆城虽于百姓愁费，然佳哉。漆城荡荡，寇来不能上，即欲就之，易为漆耳，顾难为荫室，于是二世笑之，以其故止。 |
| | You Zhan was a court entertainer and a short-statured dwarf in the Qin dynasty. He was good at making humorous remarks, yet his words aligned with the principles of governance. Emperor Qin Shi Huang proposed to greatly expand the royal hunting grounds, extending eastward to Hangu Pass and westward to Yong Chencang. You Zhan said: "That is excellent. Release many wild animals into it. If bandits come from the east, let the deer and antelope gore them." Emperor Qin Shi Huang therefore abandoned the plan. When Second Emperor ascended the throne, he wanted to paint the city walls with lacquer. You Zhan said: "Good! Although painting the city wall would be a burden and expense for the people, it is indeed beautiful." "A lacquered city wall is smooth and level; bandits coming would not be able to climb it. Even if they wanted to approach, it would only require some lacquer, but it's difficult to provide shade for the palace chambers." Thus Emperor Er Shi laughed at this suggestion and abandoned the plan because of it.
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魏文侯时，西门豹为邺令，邺三老廷掾常岁赋敛百姓，收取其钱，得数百万，用其二三十万为河伯娶妇，与祝巫共分其馀钱，人家有好女者，持女逃亡，以故城中益空无人，又困贫。俗曰：不为河伯娶妇，水来漂没，至为河伯娶妇，送女河上，豹往会之。曰：是女不好，烦大巫妪入报，更求好女，后日送之，即使吏卒共抱大巫妪投之河中，有顷。曰：巫妪何久也。弟子趣之，复以弟子一人投河中，有顷。曰：弟子何久也。复使投之，凡投三弟子也。豹曰：巫妪，弟子，女子也。不能白事，烦三老为入白之，复投三老。豹曰：巫妪三老不来奈何，欲复使掾趣之，皆叩头破额血流。豹曰：若皆罢归去，吏民大惊恐，从是已后，不敢言为河伯娶妇，豹发民凿十二渠，引河水灌田，民烦苦不欲。豹曰：民可与乐成，不可与虑始，今虽患苦，然期令子孙思我，至今皆得水利，民人以给足，故豹为邺令，泽流后世无绝已时。 |
| | During the reign of Duke Wen of Wei, Xi Men Bao served as magistrate of Ye. The three elders and officials in charge at Ye collected taxes from the people every year, gathering hundreds of thousands of coins, using twenty or thirty thousand of them to hold a marriage ceremony for the River God Hebo, while dividing the remaining money with the fortune-tellers and witches. When families had beautiful daughters, they would take their daughters and flee, so that the city became increasingly deserted and empty, leaving its people in poverty. return home, the officials and people will be greatly frightened." From then on, no one dared to speak of marrying a daughter to Hebo. Bao mobilized the people to dig twelve canals, leading river water into the fields. The people found this burdensome and did not want it. Bao said: "The people can share in the joy of completion, but cannot be involved in considering the beginning. Although they suffer hardship now, I hope future generations will remember me. Until today, all have benefited from water resources, and the people are well-provided for. Therefore, Bao serving as magistrate of Ye brought benefits that flowed to later generations without end."
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子産治郑，民不能欺，子贱治单父，人不忍欺，西门豹治邺，人不敢欺，三子之才能谁冣贤哉。辨治者当能别之。 |
| | Zi Chan governed Zheng, and the people could not deceive him. Zi Jian governed Danfu, and the people did not dare to be disrespectful toward him. Xi Men Bao governed Ye, and the people dared not deceive him. Among these three men, whose talent was most virtuous? Those who discern governance should be able to distinguish between them.
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