07

吾寡見人之好徦者也。邇文之視，邇言之聽，徦則偭焉。或曰：「曷若茲之甚也？先王之道滿門。」曰：「不得已也，得已則已矣。得已而不已者，寡哉！」

I have rarely seen people who truly love what is far-reaching. Nearby writings they read, nearby words they heed, and the far-reaching they turn their backs on. Someone said: "Why would it come to this? Is the Way of the former kings not found in every household?" Yang Xiong said: "That is because one has no choice. When one can stop, one stops. Those who can stop and do not stop are very few!"

好盡其心於聖人之道者，君子也。人亦有好盡其心矣，未必聖人之道也。

One who likes to devote his full mind to the Way of the sages is a noble person. There are also people who like to devote their full mind, but not necessarily to the Way of the sages.

多聞見而識乎至道者，至識也；多聞見而識乎邪道者，迷識也。

One who hears much and sees much and recognizes the supreme Way has supreme knowledge; one who hears much and sees much and recognizes a crooked way has deluded knowledge.

如賢人謀之美也，詘人而從道；如小人謀之不美也，詘道而從人。

The fine plans of a worthy person bend people to follow the Way; the poor plans of a petty person bend the Way to follow people.

或問：「五經有辯乎？」曰：「惟五經為辯。說天者莫辯乎《易》，說事者莫辯乎《書》，說體者莫辯乎《禮》，說志者莫辯乎《詩》，說理者莫辯乎《春秋》。捨斯，辯亦小矣。」

Someone asked: "Is there eloquence in the five classics?" Yang Xiong said: "Only the five classics are truly eloquent. In speaking of Heaven, none is more eloquent than the Changes; in speaking of affairs, none more than the Documents; in speaking of form, none more than the Rites; in speaking of aspiration, none more than the Songs; in speaking of principle, none more than the Spring and Autumn Annals. Leave these aside, and eloquence becomes small."

春木之芚兮，援我手之鶉兮。去之五百歲，其人若存兮。或曰：「譊譊者天下皆說也，奚其存？」曰：「曼是為也，天下之亡聖也久矣。呱呱之子，各識其親；譊譊之學，各習其師。精而精之，是在其中矣。」

The spring wood sprouts, oh, so gentle as to clasp my hand. Five hundred years have passed since he left, yet it seems as if the man were still here. Someone said: "There is a hubbub and the whole world is talking; where is he still here?" Yang Xiong said: "Do not look at it so. The world has been without a sage for a long time. Wailing infants each recognize their own kin; the bustling scholars each study under their own teachers. Refine and refine again, and the sage is in it."

或曰：「良玉不彫，美言不文，何謂也？」曰：「玉不彫，璵璠不作器；言不文，典謨不作經。」

Someone said: "'Fine jade is not carved, fine words are not embellished'; what does this mean?" Yang Xiong said: "If jade is not carved, even yu-fan jade cannot become a vessel; if words are not embellished, even the Canon and Counsels cannot become classics."

或問：「司馬子長有言，曰五經不如《老子》之約也，當年不能極其變，終身不能究其業。」曰：「若是，則周公惑，孔子賊。古者之學耕且養，三年通一。今之學也，非獨為之華藻也，又從而繡其鞶帨，惡在《老》不《老》也？」或曰：「學者之說可約邪？」曰：「可約解科。」

Someone asked: "Sima Zichang said the five classics are not as concise as the Laozi, and in a year one cannot exhaust its changes, and in a lifetime one cannot exhaust its learning." Yang Xiong said: "If so, the Duke of Zhou was deluded and Confucius was a destroyer. The learning of antiquity was farming while nurturing, and mastering one classic in three years. The learning of today not only adds ornament to it but further embroiders its great sash and pendant cloth; why would one care whether it is the Laozi or not?" Someone said: "May scholars' accounts be made concise?" Yang Xiong said: "They may be made concise enough to explain the statutes."

或曰：「君子聽聲乎？」曰：「君子惟正之聽。荒乎淫，拂乎正，沈而樂者，君子不聽也。」

Someone said: "Does the noble person listen to music?" Yang Xiong said: "The noble person listens only to what is pure and proper. What is licentious, contrary to what is pure and proper, or indulged in as pleasure, the noble person does not listen to."

或問：「侍君子以博乎？」曰：「侍坐則聽言，有酒則觀禮，焉事博乎！」或曰：「不有博弈者乎？」曰：「為之猶賢於已耳。侍君子者賢於已乎？君子不可得而侍也。侍君子，晦斯光，窒斯通，亡斯有，辱斯榮，敗斯成。如之何賢於已也！」

Someone asked: "In serving a noble person, does one need games of chance?" Yang Xiong said: "When sitting in attendance, listen to his talk; when there is wine, observe the ceremonies; what need is there of games!" Someone said: "Is there not boxing and chess?" Yang Xiong said: "Doing that is only a little better than idling. Is one who serves a noble person better than idling? A noble person is not something one can simply serve. In serving a noble person, what is dim thereby becomes bright, what is blocked thereby becomes open, what is lacking thereby has, what is disgraced thereby is honored, and what has failed thereby succeeds. How can one say it is only a little better than idling!"

鷦明沖天，不在六翮乎？拔而傅屍鳩，其累矣夫。

The jiaoming bird soars into the sky; is it not by means of its six strong feathers? Pull them out and attach them to a cuckoo, and they become a burden.

雷震乎天，風薄乎山，雲徂乎方，雨流乎淵，其事矣乎？

Thunder shakes in the sky, wind presses near the mountains, clouds move to the four directions, and rain flows into the deep pools; each is doing its own work, is it not?

魏武侯與吳起浮於西河，寶河山之固，起曰：「在德不在固。」曰：「美哉言乎！」使起之固兵每如斯，則太公何以加諸？

Marquis Wu of Wei and Wu Qi were floating on the Western River, treating the river's and mountains' strategic strength as treasure; Wu Qi said: "It lies in virtue, not in strategic strength." Yang Xiong said: "How well said!" If Wu Qi had always been able to consolidate the army like this, how could Taigong have surpassed him?

或問：「周寶九鼎，寶乎？」曰：「器寶也。器寶，待人而後寶。」

Someone asked: "Zhou treated the nine tripods as treasure; do they count as treasure?" Yang Xiong said: "That is the treasure of an object. The treasure of an object must await the right person before it becomes a treasure."

齊桓、晉文以下，至於秦兼，其無觀已。或曰：「秦無觀，奚其兼？」曰：「所謂觀，觀德也。如觀兵，開闢以來，未有秦也。」

From Duke Huan of Qi and Duke Wen of Jin on down to when Qin annexed the world, there was nothing worth admiring. Someone said: "If Qin was not worth admiring, why could it annex the world?" Yang Xiong said: "What is called worth admiring is admired for virtue. If it is admired for soldiers, since the opening of heaven and earth none has matched Qin."

或問：「魯用儒而削，何也？」曰：「魯不用儒也。昔在姬公用於周，而四海皇皇，奠枕於京。孔子用於魯，齊人章章，歸其侵疆。魯不用真儒故也。如用真儒，無敵於天下，安得削？」

Someone asked: "Lu used Confucians and yet was weakened; why?" Yang Xiong said: "Lu did not actually use Confucians. In the past, the Duke of Zhou was employed in Zhou, and the four seas turned toward it with urgency, and he slept peacefully in the capital. Confucius was employed in Lu, the men of Qi were frightened and returned the territory they had seized. Lu failed to use a true Confucian. If it had used a true Confucian, it would have been without rival under Heaven; how could it have been weakened?"

灝灝之海濟，樓航之力也。航人無楫，如航何？

That the vast sea can be crossed is the power of the tower ships. A boatman without oars, what use is the boat?

或曰：「奔壘之車，沈流之航，可乎？」曰：「否。」或曰：「焉用智？」曰：「用智於未奔沈。大寒而後索衣裘，不亦晚乎？」

Someone said: "A chariot that has already charged into the enemy camp, a boat that has already sunk in the rapids; is there still hope?" Yang Xiong said: "No." Someone said: "Then where is wisdom to be used?" Yang Xiong said: "Wisdom must be used before the charge, before the sinking. To go looking for fur coats only after the great cold, is that not too late?"

乘國者，其如乘航乎？航安，則人斯安矣。

One who steers a state is like one steering a boat, is he not? When the boat is safe, the people are safe.

惠以厚下，民忘其死；忠以衛上，君念其賞。自後者，人先之；自下者，人高之。誠哉，是言也！

If you treat those below you generously with kindness, the people will forget their own deaths; if you guard those above with loyalty, the ruler will think of rewards. One who places himself behind is put in front by others; one who places himself below is raised up by others. These words are sincere!

或曰：「弘羊榷利而國用足，盍榷諸？」曰：「譬諸父子，為其父而榷其子，縱利，如子何？卜式之云，不亦匡乎！」

Someone said: "Sang Hongyang monopolized trade and the state's funds were ample; why not monopolize too?" Yang Xiong said: "It is like father and son: to monopolize the son for the father's sake, even if there is profit, what becomes of the son? What Bu Shi said, is it not very upright!"

或曰：「因秦之法，清而行之，亦可以致平乎？」曰：「譬諸琴瑟鄭、衛調，俾夔因之，亦不可以致《簫韶》矣。」

Someone said: "If one follows Qin's laws and applies them calmly, can one also reach peace?" Yang Xiong said: "It is like tuning a zither and lute to the tunes of Zheng and Wei; even if one had Kui follow along and play, it would be impossible to produce the Xiaoshao."

或問：「處秦之世，抱周之書，益乎？」曰：「舉世寒，貂、狐不亦燠乎？」或曰：「炎之以火，沃之以湯，燠亦燠矣！」曰：「燠哉！燠哉！時亦有寒者矣。」

Someone asked: "Living in the age of Qin and holding the books of Zhou, is there any benefit?" Yang Xiong said: "When the whole world is cold, are sable and fox furs not warm?" Someone said: "If one roasts oneself over fire or pours hot water over oneself, one gets warm all right!" Yang Xiong said: "Warm! Warm! Even then there were people who were cold."

非其時而望之，非其道而行之，亦不可以至矣。

To hope for a time that is not that time, or to practice a way that is not that way, one will not arrive.

秦之有司負秦之法度，秦之法度負聖人之法度。秦弘違天地之道，而天地違秦亦弘矣。

Qin's officials failed Qin's laws, and Qin's laws failed the sages' laws. Qin greatly went against the Way of Heaven and Earth, and Heaven and Earth turned against Qin greatly too.

或問：「五百歲而聖人出，有諸？」曰：「堯、舜、禹，君臣也而竝；文、武、周公，父子也而處。湯、孔子數百歲而生。因往以推來，雖千一不可知也。」

Someone asked: "Is it true that a sage appears every five hundred years?" Yang Xiong said: "Yao, Shun and Yu were ruler and ministers yet existed at the same time; King Wen, King Wu and the Duke of Zhou were father and sons yet lived in the same age. Tang and Confucius were born several hundred years apart. Projecting from the past to the future, even one in a thousand years cannot be foretold."

聖人有以擬天地而參諸身乎！

The sage has that by which he matches Heaven and Earth and which he verifies in his own person, I suppose!

或問：「聖人有詘乎？」曰：「有。」曰：「焉詘乎？」曰：「仲尼於南子，所不欲見也；陽虎，所不欲敬也。見所不見，敬所不敬，不詘如何？」曰：「衛靈公問陳，則何以不詘？」曰：「詘身，將以信道也。如詘道而信身，雖天下不為也。」

Someone asked: "Does the sage ever yield?" Yang Xiong said: "Yes." Asked: "How does he yield?" Yang Xiong said: "Confucius, regarding Nanzi, did not want to see her; regarding Yang Hu, did not want to pay respect. To go see one he did not want to see and pay respect to one he did not want to respect, what is that if not yielding?" Asked: "When Duke Ling of Wei asked about battle formations, why did he not yield then?" Yang Xiong said: "To yield oneself is to extend the Way. If one were to yield the Way to extend oneself, he would not do it even for the whole world."

聖人重其道而輕其祿，眾人重其祿而輕其道。聖人曰：「於道行與？」眾人曰：「於祿殖與？」

The sage values the Way and treats salary lightly; the common person values salary and treats the Way lightly. The sage says: "Can the Way be carried out?" The common person says: "Can salary be increased?"

昔者齊、魯有大臣，史失其名。曰：「何如其大也？」曰：「叔孫通欲制君臣之儀，徵先生於齊、魯，所不能致者二人。」曰：「若是，則仲尼之開跡諸侯也，非邪？」曰：「仲尼開跡，將以自用也。如委己而從人，雖有規矩準繩，焉得而用之？」

In the past, Qi and Lu had great ministers whose names the historians lost. Asked: "What makes one great?" Yang Xiong said: "Shusun Tong wanted to establish the ceremonies between ruler and ministers and went to Qi and Lu to summon scholars; two of them could not be summoned." Asked: "If so, was Confucius wrong to open new ground among the feudal lords?" Yang Xiong said: "Confucius opened new ground so that he could be of use. If he bent himself to follow others, even with compass and plumb line, how could he be used?"

或問：「孔子之時，諸侯有知其聖者與？」曰：「知之。」「知之則曷為不用？」曰：「不能。」曰：「知聖而不能用也，可得聞乎？」曰：「用之，則宜從之；從之，則棄其所習，逆其所順，彊其所劣，捐其所能，沖沖如也。非天下之至，孰能用之？」

Someone asked: "In Confucius's time, did any feudal lord know he was a sage?" Yang Xiong said: "They knew." "If they knew, why did they not use him?" Yang Xiong said: "They could not." Asked: "They knew he was a sage and could not use him; can you explain?" Yang Xiong said: "To use him, one must follow him; to follow him, one must abandon what one is used to, go against what one has complied with, force oneself in one's weak points, and drop what one is able to do, in a rush. Who but one utterly impartial to the world could use him?"

或問：「孔子知其道之不用也，則載而惡乎之？」曰：「之後世君子。」曰：「賈如是，不亦鈍乎？」曰：「眾人愈利而後鈍，聖人愈鈍而後利。關百聖而不慙，蔽天地而不恥，能言之類，莫能加也。貴無敵，富無倫，利孰大焉？」

Someone asked: "Confucius knew his Way would not be used; so where did he carry it?" Yang Xiong said: "To the noble persons of later ages." Asked: "Peddling it like this, is that not too slow?" Yang Xiong said: "Common people grow slower the more they seek profit, but the sage grows more profitable the slower he is. To connect with the sages of a hundred generations without shame, to cover Heaven and Earth without embarrassment, none among those who can speak surpasses him. In honor he has no rival, in wealth he has no equal; is there any profit greater than this?"

或曰：「孔子之道不可小與？」曰：「小則敗聖，如何！」曰：「若是，則何為去乎？」曰：「愛日。」曰：「愛日而去，何也？」曰：「由群婢之故也，不聽正，諫而不用。噫者！吾於觀庸邪？無為飽食安坐而厭觀也。由此觀之，夫子之日亦愛矣。」或曰：「君子愛日乎？」曰：「君子仕則欲行其義，居則欲彰其道。事不厭，教不倦，焉得日？」

Someone said: "Could Confucius's Way not have been made smaller?" Yang Xiong said: "To make it smaller would ruin the sage; how could that do!" Asked: "If so, why did he leave the state of Lu?" Yang Xiong said: "He cherished his days." Asked: "He cherished his days yet left; why?" Yang Xiong said: "It was because of that crowd of maids and concubines, who did not listen to right words, and his remonstrance was not used. Alas! Was I going to watch the mediocre? One need not eat one's fill and sit at ease while watching wearily. Seen this way, the Master also cherished his days." Someone said: "Does the noble person cherish his days?" Yang Xiong said: "The noble person in office wants to practice righteousness, and in retirement wants to make the Way clear. Not tiring of his work and not wearying in teaching, where would he find spare days?"

或問：「其有繼周者，雖百世可知也。秦已繼周矣，不待夏禮而治者，其不驗乎？」曰：「聖人之言天也，天妄乎？繼周者未欲太平也，如欲太平也，捨之而用它道，亦無由至矣。」

Someone asked: "'If any succeed Zhou, even a hundred generations hence can be foreseen.' Qin has already succeeded Zhou, and governed without waiting for the rites of Xia; are Confucius's words not borne out?" Yang Xiong said: "The sage's words are Heaven; would Heaven be false? Those who succeeded Zhou did not yet want peace; if they had wanted peace, leaving it aside and using other ways would also not have reached it."

赫赫乎日之光，群目之用也；渾渾乎聖人之道，群心之用也。

The brilliant light of the sun is what the many eyes use; the thick and deep Way of the sages is what the many hearts use.

或問：「天地簡易，而聖人法之，何五經之支離？」曰：「支離蓋其所以為簡易也。已簡已易，焉支焉離？」

Someone asked: "Heaven and Earth are simple and easy, and the sage models himself on them; why are the five classics so fragmented?" Yang Xiong said: "Fragmentation is precisely why they are simple and easy. Already simple and already easy, where is there fragmenting or splitting?"

或曰：「聖人無益於庸也。」曰：「世人之益者，倉廩也，取之如單。仲尼，神明也，小以成小，大以成大，雖山川、丘陵、草木、鳥獸，裕如也。如不用也，神明亦末如之何矣！」

Someone said: "The sage is of no benefit to ordinary people." Yang Xiong said: "What the world calls benefit is a granary: take from it and it is emptied. Confucius was a divine intelligence; for small purposes he achieved small things, and for great purposes great things, and even mountains and rivers, hills, plants and trees, birds and beasts were treated with more than enough generosity. If people do not use him, even a divine intelligence cannot do anything about it!"

或問：「聖人占天乎？」曰：「占天地。」「若此，則史也何異？」曰：「史以天占人，聖人以人占天。」

Someone asked: "Does the sage observe the heavens?" Yang Xiong said: "He observes heaven and earth." "If so, how is he different from the court historian?" Yang Xiong said: "The historian uses heaven to observe humans, while the sage uses humans to observe heaven."

或問：「星有甘、石，何如？」曰：「在德不在星。德隆則晷星，星隆則晷德也。」

Someone asked: "What about the astronomers Gan De and Shi Shen?" Yang Xiong said: "It lies in virtue, not in the stars. When virtue flourishes, one measures the stars by the sun's shadow; when the stars flourish, one measures virtue by the stars."

或問「大人」。曰：「無事從小為大人。」「請問小。」曰：「事非禮義為小。」

Someone asked about the "great person." Yang Xiong said: "One who does not start from small matters is a great person." "May I ask what is small?" Yang Xiong said: "When a matter is not in accord with ritual and righteousness, that is small."

聖人之言遠如天，賢人之言近如地。

The words of the sage are as far as heaven; the words of the worthy are as near as earth.

瓏玲其聲者，其質玉乎？

A sound that rings clear and fine: is its substance jade, perhaps?

聖人矢口而成言，肆筆而成書。言可聞而不可殫，書可觀而不可盡。

The sage's casual speech becomes words, and his brush becomes a book. His words can be listened to but never listened to in full, and his books can be read but never read to the end.

周之人多行，秦之人多病。行有之也，病曼之也。周之士也貴，秦之士也賤；周之士也肆，秦之士也拘。

The people of Zhou mostly practiced, while the people of Qin mostly had faults. They practiced because they had something, and had faults because they lacked something. The scholars of Zhou were esteemed and those of Qin were despised; the scholars of Zhou were relaxed and those of Qin were constrained.

月未望則載魄於西，既望則終魄於東，其遡於日乎？

When the moon is not yet full, its dark part grows from the west; once full, the dark part ends in the east. Is that not facing the sun?

彤弓盧矢，不為有矣。

A red bow and black arrows do not count as true possession.

聆聽前世，清視在下，鑑莫近於斯矣。

Listen to the previous dynasty and look clearly at what is below; no warning is nearer than this.

或問：「何如動而見畏？」曰：「畏人。」「何如動而見侮？」曰：「侮人。」夫見畏與見侮，無不由己。

Someone asked: "How should one act in order to be held in awe?" Yang Xiong said: "Hold others in awe." "How should one act in order to be insulted?" Yang Xiong said: "Insult others." Being held in awe and being insulted both come from oneself without exception.

或問「禮難以彊世」。曰：「難故彊世。如夷俟居肆，羈角之哺果而啗之，奚其彊？或性或彊，及其名一也。」

Someone asked about "ritual being hard to urge upon people." Yang Xiong said: "It is hard, and that is why people must be urged. Like the barbarians who squat when sitting, or a child who swallows fruit held in his mouth, what need is there to urge them? Some act from their nature and some act from being urged, but once they reach renown they are the same."

見弓之張兮，弛而不失其良兮。或曰：「何謂也？」曰：「㯳之而已矣。」

See the bow drawn; when released it does not lose its fine quality. Someone said: "What does this mean?" Yang Xiong said: "It is enough to prop the bow up with a bow-frame."

川有防，器有範，見禮教之至也。

Rivers have embankments and vessels have molds; from this one sees the utmost of ritual teaching.

經營然後知幹、楨之克立也。

Only after the planning is done does one know that the skeleton can stand.

莊、楊蕩而不法，墨、晏儉而廢禮，申、韓險而無化，鄒衍迂而不信。

Zhuangzi and Yang Zhu were unrestrained and out of keeping with rules; Mozi and Yanzi were frugal and did away with ritual; Shen Buhai and Han Fei were severe and had no teaching; Zou Yan was fanciful and not to be believed.

聖人之材，天地也；次，山陵川泉也；次，鳥獸草木也。

The material of the sage is heaven and earth; next come mountains, hills, rivers and springs; after that come birds, beasts, grasses and trees.