Shuo Yuan (說苑) · Volume 12

春秋曰：“庚戌天王崩。”傳曰：“天王何以不書葬？天子記崩不記葬，必其時也；諸侯記卒記葬，有天子在，不必其時也。”必其時奈何？天子七日而殯，七月而葬；諸侯五日而殯，五月而葬；大夫三日而殯，三月而葬；士庶人二日而殯，二月而葬。皆何以然？曰，禮不豫凶事，死而後治凶服，衣衰飾，修棺槨，作穿窆宅兆，然後喪文成，外親畢至，葬墳集，孝子忠臣之恩厚備盡矣。故天子七月而葬，同軌畢至；諸侯五月而葬，同會畢至；大夫三月而葬，同朝畢至；士庶人二月而葬，外姻畢至也。

The Spring and Autumn Annals says: "On the day gengxu the Heavenly King died." The tradition says: "Why is the Heavenly King's burial not recorded? For the Son of Heaven, death is recorded and burial is not, because one must follow the proper time; for feudal lords, death is recorded and burial is recorded, since the Son of Heaven exists, one need not follow the proper time." What does following the proper time mean? The Son of Heaven is placed in the coffin on the seventh day and buried in the seventh month; feudal lords on the fifth day and in the fifth month; grandees on the third day and in the third month; scholars and commoners on the second day and in the second month. Why is it all so? It is said: ritual does not prepare for ill-omened affairs in advance; after death one arranges the mourning clothes, dresses and adorns the body, prepares the coffin and outer coffin, digs the grave pit and plot, and only then is the form of mourning complete, the outer relatives all arrive, the burial mound is assembled, and the thick kindness of the filial son and loyal minister is fully carried out. So the Son of Heaven is buried in the seventh month so that those who share the same axle width all arrive; feudal lords are buried in the fifth month so that those who meet together all arrive; grandees are buried in the third month so that those of the same court arrive; scholars and commoners are buried in the second month so that in-laws all arrive.

延陵季子適齊，於其反也，其長子死於嬴博之間，因葬焉。孔子聞之，曰：“延陵季子吳之習於禮者也。”使子貢往而觀之，其穿，深不至泉；其斂，以時服；既葬，封壙墳掩坎，其高可隱也；既封，左袒右旋，其封且號者三。言曰：“骨肉歸復於土，命也。若魂氣則無不之也！無不之也！”而遂行。孔子曰：“延陵季子於禮其合矣。”

Jizi of Yanling went to Qi, and on his return his eldest son died between Ying and Bo, and he was buried there. Confucius heard of it and said: "Jizi of Yanling is a man of Wu well versed in ritual." He sent Zigong to go and watch. The pit he dug was not deep enough to reach the spring water; for the encoffining he used the clothes of the time; after the burial, he heaped up the grave mound and covered the pit, and its height was enough to lean on; after it was sealed, he bared his left arm and circled to the right, and wailed three times facing the mound. He said: "Bones and flesh return to the earth; this is fate. As for the soul-breath, there is nowhere it does not go! Nowhere it does not go!" Then he left. Confucius said: "Jizi of Yanling was in accord with ritual."

子生三年，然後免於父母之懷，故制喪三年，所以報父母之恩也。期年之喪通乎諸侯，三年之喪通乎天子，禮之經也。子夏三年之喪畢，見於孔子，孔子與之琴，使之弦，援琴而弦，衎衎而樂作，而曰：“先生制禮不敢不及也。”孔子曰：“君子也。”閔子騫三年之喪畢，見於孔子，孔子與之琴，使之弦，援琴而弦，切切而悲作，而曰：“先生制禮不敢過也。”孔子曰：“君子也。”子貢問曰：“閔子哀不盡，子曰君子也；子夏哀已盡，子曰君子也。賜也惑，敢問何謂？”孔子曰：“閔子哀未盡，能斷之以禮，故曰君子也；子夏哀已盡，能引而致之，故曰君子也。夫三年之喪，固優者之所屈，劣者之所勉。”

A child, after three years of life, leaves the arms of his parents, so the mourning dress is set at three years, in order to repay the parents' kindness. Mourning of one year extends to the feudal lords, and mourning of three years extends to the Son of Heaven; this is the constant of ritual. After Zixia completed the three-year mourning, he went to see Confucius, and Confucius gave him a zither and had him play the strings; he took the zither and played, joyful and the music rose, and said: "The late kings established ritual, and I dare not fall short." Confucius said: "A noble man." After Min Ziqian completed the three-year mourning, he went to see Confucius, and Confucius gave him a zither and had him play the strings; he took the zither and played, plaintive and sorrow rose, and said: "The late kings established ritual, and I dare not exceed." Confucius said: "A noble man." Zigong asked: "Min Zi's sorrow has not been exhausted and you say he is a noble man; Zixia's sorrow is exhausted and you say he is a noble man. Ci is confused; may I ask what you mean?" Confucius said: "Min Zi's sorrow has not been exhausted yet he could cut it off by ritual, so he is called a noble man; Zixia's sorrow was exhausted yet he could draw it out and reach ritual, so he is called a noble man. The three-year mourning is basically the constraint of the comfortable and the encouragement of those who do not have enough."

齊宣王謂田過曰：“吾聞儒者喪親三年，喪君三年；君與父孰重？”田過對曰：“殆不如父重。”王忿然怒曰：“然則何為去親而事君？”田過對曰：“非君之土地無以處吾親，非君之祿無以養吾親，非君之爵位無以尊顯吾親；受之君，致之親，凡事君所以為親也。”宣王邑邑無以應。

King Xuan of Qi said to Tian Guo: "I have heard that Confucians mourn three years for parents and three years for the ruler; which is weightier, the ruler or the father?" Tian Guo replied: "Probably not as heavy as the father." The King was angry and said: "Then why do they leave their parents to serve the ruler?" Tian Guo replied: "It is not that without the ruler's land there is no place to settle my parents, nor that without the ruler's salary there is nothing to support my parents, nor that without the ruler's rank there is nothing to honor my parents; what is received from the ruler is sent to the parents; all service to the ruler is for the sake of parents." King Xuan was downcast and had no reply.

古者有菑者謂之厲，君一時素服，使有司弔死問疾，憂以巫醫，匍匐以救之，湯粥以方之。善者必先乎鰥寡孤獨，及病不能相養，死無以葬埋，則葬埋之。有親喪者不呼其門，有齊衰大功，五月不服力役之徵，有小功之喪者未葬，不服力役之徵。其有重屍多死者，急則有聚眾，童子擊鼓苣火，入官宮裡用之，各擊鼓苣火，逐官宮裡。家之主人冠立於阼，事畢出乎里門，出乎邑門，至野外；此匍匐救厲之道也。師大敗亦然。

In antiquity a plague was called li; the ruler wore plain clothes for a time, sent officials to condole with the dead and inquire after the sick, used shamans and physicians to relieve distress, crawled to rescue, and prepared remedies with soups and gruels. Good was always extended first to widowers, widows, orphans and the childless, and to those so sick that they could not support one another and those who died with nothing for burial, whom the state buried. Those in mourning for a parent were not called at the door; those in second-grade or third-grade mourning were not conscripted for labor for five months, and those in the fourth-grade mourning not yet buried were not conscripted. When there were many corpses and many dead, in an emergency, the crowd was gathered, boys beat drums and raised torches, entered offices and lanes and were used, each beating drums and raising torches, and driving it away through offices and lanes. The master of the household put on his cap and stood at the eastern steps; when the work was done, they went out of the lane gate, out of the town gate, to the wilds; this is the principle of crawling to rescue from the plague. It is the same when an army is greatly defeated.

齋者思其居處也，思其笑語也，思其所為也；齋三日，乃見其所為齋者。祭之日，將入戶，僾然若有見乎其容；盤旋出戶，喟然若有聞乎嘆息之聲。先人之色，不絕於目；聲音咳唾，不絕於耳；嗜慾好惡，不忘於心；是則孝子之齋也。

One who fasts thinks of his dwelling, thinks of his laughter and speech, thinks of what he did; after fasting for three days, he sees the one for whom he fasts. On the day of the sacrifice, as he is about to enter the door, it is as if he sees his appearance; circling out of the door, he sighs as if hearing the sound of a sigh. The ancestors' countenance does not leave the eyes, their voice and cough do not leave the ears, and their likes and dislikes are not forgotten in the heart; this is the fasting of a filial son.

春祭曰祠，夏祭曰禴，秋祭曰嘗，冬祭曰烝；春薦韭卵，夏薦麥魚；秋薦黍豚，冬薦稻鴈。三歲一祫，五年一禘；祫者，合也；禘者，諦也。祫者大合祭於祖廟也，禘者諦其德而差優劣也。聖主將祭，必潔齋精思，若親之在；方興未登，●●憧憧，專一想親之容貌彷佛，此孝子之誠也。四方之助祭，空而來者滿而反，虛而至者實而還，皆取法則焉。

The spring sacrifice is called ci, the summer sacrifice yue, the autumn sacrifice chang, and the winter sacrifice zheng; in spring one offers chives and eggs, in summer wheat and fish, in autumn millet and piglet, and in winter rice and wild goose. Every three years there is a xia sacrifice, and every five years a di sacrifice; xia means joining, and di means careful examination. The xia is a great joint sacrifice in the ancestral temple, and the di is to examine carefully their virtue and distinguish better and worse. When a sage ruler is about to sacrifice, he must be pure and fast, sincerely think of them, as if the kin were before him; when he has just risen but not yet ascended, his spirit is unsettled and drifts back and forth (two characters are missing in the original), and he concentrates on imagining the appearance of his kin, which is the sincerity of a filial son. Those from the four quarters who come to assist the sacrifice come empty and return full, arrive hollow and return filled, all taking their model from this.

韓褐子濟於河，津人告之曰：“夫人過於此者，未有不快用者也；而子不用乎？”韓褐子曰：“天子祭海內之神，諸侯祭封域之內，大夫祭其親，士祭其祖禰。褐也，未得事河伯也。”津人申楫舟中水而運，津人曰：“向也，役人固已告矣，夫子不聽役人之言也；今舟中水而運，甚殆，治裝衣而下游乎！”韓子曰：“吾不為人之惡我而改吾志，不為我將死而改吾義。”言未已，舟泆然行。韓褐子曰：“詩云：‘莫莫葛藟，施於條枚；愷悌君子，求福不回。’鬼神且不回，況於人乎？”

Han Hezi was crossing the river, and the ferryman told him: "All who pass here hurry to make use of the god; are you not going to?" Han Hezi said: "The Son of Heaven sacrifices to the spirits within the seas, the feudal lords sacrifice within their domains, grandees sacrifice to their kin, and scholars sacrifice to their ancestors. I have not yet been able to serve the Earl of the River." The ferryman poled the boat and water entered the boat and swirled. The ferryman said: "Just now your servant already told you, but the Master did not listen to your servant's words; now water is coming into the boat and swirling and it is very dangerous; straighten your clothes and go to the lower reaches!" Master Han said: "I do not change my aim because others dislike me, and I do not change my righteousness because I am about to die." Before he had finished speaking, the boat suddenly moved freely. Han Hezi said: "The Book of Songs says: 'Dense kudzu and vines spread over the branches; the gentle and affable noble man seeks blessing without crookedness.' If even spirits are not crooked, how much more should people not be?"

孔子曰：“無體之禮，敬也；無服之喪，憂也；無聲之樂，歡也；不言而信，不動而威，不施而仁。志也，鐘鼓之聲怒而擊之則武，憂而擊之則悲，喜而擊之則樂；其志變，其聲亦變。其志誠，通乎金石，而況人乎？”

Confucius said: "Ritual without ceremony is reverence; mourning without mourning dress is sorrow; music without sound is joy; trust without speaking, awe without acting, benevolence without giving; this is aim. The sound of bells and drums: strike them in anger and they sound martial, strike them in sorrow and they sound sad, strike them in joy and they sound happy; when the aim changes, the sound changes. When the aim is sincere, it reaches through metal and stone; how much more to people?"

公孟子高見顓孫子莫曰：“敢問君子之禮何如？”顓孫子莫曰：“去爾外厲，與爾內折，色勝而心自取之，去三者而可矣。”公孟不知以告曾子，曾子愀然逡巡曰：“大哉言乎！夫外厲者必內折，色勝而心自取之必為人役。是故君子德行成而容不知，聞識博而辭不爭，知慮微達而能不愚。”

Gongmeng Zigao saw Zhuansun Zimo and said: "May I ask what the noble man's ritual is like?" Zhuansun Zimo said: "Get rid of your outward severity and your inward diminishment, and of the winning look on the face while taking for oneself in the heart; if you remove these three, it is enough." Gongmeng did not understand and told this to Zengzi. Zengzi looked solemn and hesitated and said: "These words are great indeed! One who is outwardly severe must be diminished inwardly, and one who is winning in appearance and takes for himself in his heart must be used by others. Therefore the noble man's virtue is accomplished yet his appearance does not let others know it, his knowledge and learning are broad yet his words do not contend, his thoughts are subtle and penetrating yet his ability is not foolish."

曾子有疾，孟儀往問之。曾子曰：“鳥之將死，必有悲聲；君子集大辟，必有順辭。禮有三儀，知之乎？”對曰：“不識也。”曾子曰：“坐，吾語汝。君子修禮以立志，則貪慾之心不來；君子思禮以修身，則怠惰慢易之節不至；君子修禮以仁義，則忿爭暴亂之辭遠。若夫置樽俎、列籩豆，此有司之事也，君子雖勿能可也。”

When Zengzi was ill, Meng Yi went to visit him. Zengzi said: "When a bird is about to die, it must have a sad cry; when a noble man faces the great execution, he must have gentle words. Ritual has three forms; do you know them?" He answered: "I do not know them." Zengzi said: "Sit down, and I will tell you. When a noble man cultivates ritual to settle his aim, the greedy heart does not come; when a noble man thinks of ritual to cultivate himself, lazy and careless conduct does not arrive; when a noble man cultivates ritual for use in benevolence and righteousness, angry and violent speech keeps far away. As for setting out wine vessels and cutting boards and arranging bamboo and wooden dishes, that is the officials' business, and the noble man may do without it even if he cannot do it."

孔子曰可也簡。簡者，易野也，易野者，無禮文也。孔子見子桑伯子，子桑伯子不衣冠而處，弟子曰：“夫子何為見此人乎？”曰：“其質美而無文，吾欲說而文之。”孔子去，子桑伯子門人不說，曰：“何為見孔子乎？”曰：“其質美而文繁，吾欲說而去其文。”故曰，文質修者謂之君子，有質而無文謂之易野，子桑伯子易野，欲同人道於牛馬，故仲弓曰太簡。上無明天子，下無賢方伯，天下為無道，臣弒其君，子弒其父，力能討之，討之可也。當孔子之時，上無明天子也，故言雍也可使南面，南面者天子也，雍之所以得稱南面者，問子桑伯子於孔子，孔子曰：“可也簡。”仲弓曰：“居敬而行簡以道民，不亦可乎？居簡而行簡，無乃太簡乎？”子曰：“雍之言然！”仲弓通於化術，孔子明於王道，而無以加仲弓之言。

Confucius said "He is acceptable, he is simple." Simple means plain and unrefined, and plain and unrefined means without ritual form. Confucius went to see Zisang Bozi, who was sitting without clothes or cap. A disciple said: "Master, why do you see this man?" He said: "His substance is fine but he has no form, and I wanted to persuade him to add form." After Confucius left, Zisang Bozi's followers were displeased and said: "Why did he see Confucius?" He said: "His substance is fine but his form is elaborate, and I wanted to persuade him to remove his form." So it is said, one who cultivates both form and substance is called a noble man; one with substance but no form is called plain and unrefined. Zisang Bozi was plain and unrefined and wanted to make the Way of humans the same as that of oxen and horses, so Zhonggong said it was too simple. When there is no enlightened Son of Heaven above and no worthy regional governor below, and the world is without the Way, ministers kill their rulers and sons kill their fathers, if one's strength can punish them, one may punish them. At the time of Confucius there was no enlightened Son of Heaven above, so it was said that Yong could be made to face south, and facing south is the Son of Heaven. The reason Yong could be spoken of as facing south is that he asked Confucius about Zisang Bozi, and Confucius said: "He is acceptable, he is simple." Zhonggong said: "To dwell in reverence and act with simplicity in guiding the people, is that not acceptable? To dwell in simplicity and act with simplicity, would that not be too simple?" Confucius said: "Yong's words are right!" Zhonggong understood the art of instruction and Confucius understood the Way of kingship, and nothing could be added to Zhonggong's words.

孔子至齊郭門之外，遇一嬰兒挈一壺，相與俱行，其視精，其心正，其行端，孔子謂御曰：“趣驅之，趣驅之。”韶樂方作，孔子至彼，聞韶三月不知肉味。故樂非獨以自樂也，又以樂人；非獨以自正也，又以正人矣哉！於此樂者，不圖為樂至於此。黃帝詔伶倫作為音律，伶倫自大夏之西，乃之崑崙之陰，取竹於嶰谷，以生竅厚薄均者，斷兩節間，其長九寸而吹之，以為黃鐘之宮，日含少次，制十二管，以崑崙之下，聽鳳之鳴，以別十二律，其雄鳴為六，雌鳴亦六，以比黃鐘之宮，適合黃鐘之宮，皆可生之，而律之本也。故曰黃鐘微而均，鮮全而不傷，其為宮獨尊，象大聖之德，可以明至賢之功，故奉而薦之於宗廟，以歌迎功德，世世不忘。是故黃鐘生林鐘，林鐘生大呂，大呂生夷則，夷則生太簇，太簇生南呂，南呂生夾鍾，夾鍾生無射，無射生姑洗，姑洗生應鐘，應鐘生蕤賓。三分所生，益之以一分以上生；三分所生，去其一分以下生。黃鐘、大呂、太簇、夾鍾、姑洗、仲呂、蕤賓為上，林鐘、夷則、南呂、無射、應鐘為下。大聖至治之世，天地之氣，合以生風，日至則日行其風以生十二律，故仲冬短至則生黃鐘，季冬生大呂，孟春生太簇，仲春生夾鍾，季春生姑洗，孟夏生仲呂，仲夏生蕤賓，季夏生林鐘，孟秋生夷則，仲秋生南呂，季秋生無射，孟冬生應鐘。天地之風氣正，十二律至也。

Confucius went outside the outer gate of Qi and met an infant carrying a jug, and walked along with him. The child's gaze was sincere, his heart upright, and his walk correct. Confucius said to his driver: "Drive quickly, drive quickly." The Shao music was being played, and when Confucius reached there, he listened to the Shao for three months and did not know the taste of meat. So music is used not only for one's own pleasure but also to make others happy; not only to set oneself right but also to set others right! One who delights in this did not expect that making music would reach this point. The Yellow Emperor ordered Ling Lun to make the pitch pipes; Ling Lun went from west of Daxia to north of Kunlun, took bamboo in the Xie Valley, selected one with even hollow and even thickness, cut a length between two joints, nine inches long, to blow, and made it the gong note of Huangzhong, called Han Shao. Then he made twelve pipes in order, listened to the cries of the phoenix below Kunlun, in order to distinguish the twelve pitches; the male's cries were six and the female's cries were also six, and compared with the gong note of Huangzhong, they exactly fit the gong note of Huangzhong, and all could be generated from it, so it is the root of the pitches. So it is said that Huangzhong is subtle and even, fresh and complete without harm, and as the gong note it alone is honored, symbolizes the virtue of the great sage, and can make clear the merit of the utmost worthy, so it is held up and offered in the ancestral temple, used in songs to welcome merit and virtue, and is not forgotten through the ages. So Huangzhong produces Linzhong, Linzhong produces Dalu, Dalu produces Yize, Yize produces Taicu, Taicu produces Nanlu, Nanlu produces Jiazhong, Jiazhong produces Wuyi, Wuyi produces Guxi, Guxi produces Yingzhong, and Yingzhong produces Ruibin. Dividing what is produced into three parts and adding one part is upward production; dividing what is produced into three parts and removing one part is downward production. Huangzhong, Dalu, Taicu, Jiazhong, Guxi, Zhonglu and Ruibin are the upper ones; Linzhong, Yize, Nanlu, Wuyi and Yingzhong are the lower ones. In the age of the greatest sage and utmost order, the qi of Heaven and Earth unite to produce wind, and when the sun arrives, the sun moves that wind to produce the twelve pitches; so in the midwinter solstice Huangzhong is produced, in late winter Dalu, in early spring Taicu, in mid-spring Jiazhong, in late spring Guxi, in early summer Zhonglu, in midsummer Ruibin, in late summer Linzhong, in early autumn Yize, in mid-autumn Nanlu, in late autumn Wuyi, and in early winter Yingzhong. When the wind-qi of Heaven and Earth is correct, the twelve pitches arrive.

聖人作為■鼓控揭壎箎，比六者德音之音，然後鐘磬竽瑟以和之，然後干鏚旄狄以舞之；此所以祭先王之廟也，此所以獻酢酳之酬也，所以官序貴賤各得其宜也，此可以示後世有尊卑長幼之序也。

The sages made the hand-drum, the large drum, the zhu and yu instruments, the clay ocarina and the bamboo flute (the base text has a damaged character before 'drum'; going by the common phrase 'hand-drum, drum, zhu and yu', it should be the hand-drum). These six are matched as the sounds of virtuous music; then the bells, chime stones, reed organs and zithers answer them, and then shields, axes, yak tails and pheasant feathers dance to them. These are used to sacrifice in the temples of the former kings, to offer and return cups in the wine rites, and to let the order of officials and the noble and lowly each fit their place; they can show later generations the order of the honored and humble, old and young.

鐘聲鏗鏗以立號，號以立橫，橫以立武，君子聽鐘聲則思武臣。石聲磬磬以立辯，辯以致死，君子聽磬聲則思死封疆之臣。絲聲哀哀以立廉，廉以立志，君子聽琴瑟之聲，則思志義之臣。竹聲濫濫以立會，會以聚眾，君子聽竽笙簫管之聲，則思畜聚之臣。鼓鞞之聲歡歡以立動，動以進眾，君子聽鼓鞞之聲，則思將帥之臣。君子之聽音，非聽其鏗鏘而已，彼亦有所合之也。

The sound of bells is ringing and is used to establish commands, commands to establish fullness, and fullness to establish martial spirit; when the gentleman hears the sound of bells he thinks of his martial ministers. The sound of stone chimes is clear and is used to establish discernment, and discernment to give one's life; when the gentleman hears the sound of chime stones he thinks of ministers who died at the border. The sound of strings is sad and is used to establish integrity, and integrity to establish will; when the gentleman hears the sound of zithers he thinks of ministers of will and righteousness. The sound of bamboo is broad and is used to establish assembly, and assembly to gather the multitude; when the gentleman hears the sound of reed organs, mouth organs, flutes and pipes he thinks of ministers who collect and store. The sound of drums is lively and is used to establish stirring, and stirring to advance the multitude; when the gentleman hears the sound of drums he thinks of ministers who are generals and commanders. When the gentleman listens to music, he does not merely listen to the ringing; there is also something that corresponds in it.

樂者，聖人之所樂也，而可以善民心，其感人深，其移風易俗，故先王著其教焉。夫民有血氣心知之性，而無哀樂喜怒之常，應感起物而動，然後心術形焉。是故感激憔悴之音作，而民思憂；嘽奔慢易繁文簡節之音作，而民康樂；粗屬猛奮廣賁之音作，而民剛毅；廉直勁正莊誠之音作，而民肅敬；寬裕肉好順成和動之音作，而民慈愛。流僻邪散狄成滌濫之音作，而民淫亂。是故先王本之情性，稽之度數，制之禮義；含生氣之和，道五常之行，使陽而不散，陰而不密，剛氣不怒，柔氣不懾；四暢交於中，而發作於外，皆安其位，不相奪也。然後立之學等，廣其節奏，省其文彩；以繩德厚，律小大之稱，比終始之序，以象事行，使親疏貴賤，長幼男女之理，皆形見於樂，故曰樂觀其深矣。土弊則草木不長，水煩則魚鱉不大，氣衰則生物不遂，世亂則禮慝而樂淫；是故其聲哀而不莊，樂而不安，慢易以犯節，流漫以忘本，廣則容奸，狹則思欲；感滌盪之氣，滅平和之德，是以君子賤之也。凡奸聲感人而逆氣應之，逆氣成象而淫樂興焉；正聲感人而順氣應之，順氣成象而和樂興焉。唱和有應，回邪曲直，各歸其分，而萬物之理，以類相動也。是故君子反情以和其志，比類以成其行，奸聲亂色，不習於聽，淫樂慝禮，不接心術，惰慢邪辟之氣，不設於身體；使耳目鼻口心智百體，皆由順正以行其義，然後發以聲音，文以琴瑟，動以干鏚，飾以羽旄，從以簫管；奮至德之光，動四氣之和，以著萬物之理。是故清明象天，廣大象地，終始象四時，周旋象風雨；五色成文而不亂，八風從律而不奸，百度得數而有常。小大相成，終始相生，唱和清濁，代相為經，故樂行而倫清，耳目聰明，血氣和平，移風易俗，天下皆寧，故曰樂者樂也。君子樂得其道，小人樂得其欲，以道制欲，則樂而不亂；

Music is what the sages delight in. It can make the people's hearts good, moves people deeply, and shifts habits and changes customs, so the former kings recorded its teaching. People have the nature of blood and breath and the mind's knowing, but have no constant rule of sorrow, joy, pleasure and anger; they move in response to outer things, and only then do the arts of the mind take form. So when sounds that are stirred and haggard arise, the people think and worry; when sounds that are broad, slow and easy, rich in pattern and simple in rhythm arise, the people are at ease and happy; when sounds that are rough, fierce, vigorous, broad and passionate arise, the people are firm and tough; when sounds that are upright, strong and correct, grave and sincere arise, the people are solemn and reverent; when sounds that are generous, rich, smooth and gently moving arise, the people are loving and kind. When sounds that are flowing, perverse, wicked, scattered, hurried and overflowing arise, the people are lewd and disorderly. So the former kings took feelings and nature as the root, examined measures and numbers, and regulated them by ritual and righteousness; they contained the harmony of the breath of life, guided the conduct of the five constant virtues, and made it so that yang does not scatter, yin does not close up tightly, the firm breath does not become angry and the soft breath does not become timid; the four being fully open and meeting within, and produced outwardly, all rest in their places and do not encroach on each other. Then they set up the grades of study, broadened the rhythm, and examined the patterns; used to measure the thickness of virtue, they fixed the names of small and large, ordered the sequence of beginning and end, to represent the conduct of affairs, so that the principles of near and distant, noble and humble, old and young, man and woman all appeared in music; therefore it is said that observing music is very deep. When the soil is exhausted, grass and trees do not grow; when water is troubled, fish and turtles do not grow large; when qi declines, living things cannot grow smoothly; when the age is disordered, ritual is wicked and music lewd. So its sound is sad and not grave, joyful and not steady, lazy and easy and transgressing the rhythm, scattering and spreading out to forget the root; if broad, it admits wickedness, if narrow, it broods on desire; it stirs up the dissolute breath and destroys the harmonious virtue, so the gentleman thinks little of it. Whenever a wicked sound moves people, a rebellious breath responds; when the rebellious breath takes form, lewd music arises. When a proper sound moves people, a compliant breath responds; when the compliant breath takes form, harmonious music arises. Where leading and answering have their echo, the crooked and the straight each go to their proper share, and the principles of the myriad things move each other according to kind. So the gentleman returns to his feelings to harmonize his will, and matches kinds to complete his conduct; wicked sounds and disordered colors are not absorbed in his hearing, lewd music and wicked ritual do not touch his mind, and lazy, slack and perverse breath is not placed in his body. He makes ears, eyes, nose, mouth, mind and knowledge and the hundred parts of the body all follow what is compliant and correct, in order to practice righteousness. Then he gives it voice, adorns it with zithers, stirs it with shields and axes, decorates it with feathers and yak tails, and follows it with flutes and pipes; he rouses the light of supreme virtue and stirs the harmony of the four breaths, in order to make clear the principles of the myriad things. So clarity is like Heaven, breadth like Earth, beginning and end like the four seasons, and turning about like wind and rain. The five colors form patterns without disorder, the eight winds follow the pitch-pipes without deviation, and the hundred kinds of measure obtain their number and have constancy. Small and large complete each other, beginning and end give birth to each other, leading and answering, clear and turbid, in turn make each other constant. So when music is practiced, human order is clear, ears and eyes are keen, blood and breath are balanced, customs are shifted and habits changed, and all under Heaven are at peace. So it is said that music is joy. The gentleman rejoices in obtaining the Way, and the petty man rejoices in obtaining his desires. If one governs desire with the Way, one is joyful and not disordered;

以欲忘道，則惑而不樂，是故君子反情以和其意，廣樂以成其教，故樂行而民向方，可以觀德矣。德者性之端也，樂者德之華也，金石絲竹，樂之器也。詩言其志，歌詠其聲，舞動其容，三者本於心，然後樂器從之；是故情深而文明，氣盛而化神，和順積中而英華髮外，惟樂不可以為偽。樂者，心之動也，聲者，樂之象也，文采節奏，聲之飾也。君子之動本，樂其象也，後治其飾，是故先鼓以警戒，三步以見方，再始以著往，復亂以飭歸；奮疾而不拔，極幽而不隱，獨樂其志，不厭其道，備舉其道，不私其欲。是故情見而義立，樂終而德尊，君子以好善，小人以飭過，故曰生民之道，樂為大焉。

if one forgets the Way because of desire, one is confused and not joyful. So the gentleman returns to his feelings to harmonize his intention, and broadens music to complete his teaching; so when music is practiced, the people turn to the right way, and virtue can be observed. Virtue is the beginning of nature; music is the flower of virtue; metal, stone, strings and bamboo are the instruments of music. Poetry gives voice to the will; song chants its sound; dance moves its bearing. These three are rooted in the heart, and then the instruments follow; so when feeling is deep the form is clear, when breath is full transformation reaches the divine, and when harmony and gentleness are accumulated within, the blossoming glory shows outside; only music cannot be faked. Music is the movement of the heart; sound is the image of music; pattern and rhythm are the adornment of sound. The gentleman stirs the root, rejoices in the image, and then orders the adornment. So he first strikes the drum to warn, in three steps shows the direction, begins again to show the going, and ends the disorder to put the return in order; stirred up and swift but not hasty, reaching the extreme of depth but not obscure; he rejoices alone in his will and does not tire of his Way; he carries out the Way completely and does not make his desire private. So feeling shows and righteousness is established, music ends and virtue is honored; the gentleman thereby loves the good, and the petty man thereby corrects his faults. So it is said that in the way of nourishing the people, music is the greatest.

樂之可密者，琴最宜焉，君子以其可修德，故近之。凡音之起，由人心生也；人心之動，物使之然也；感於物而後動，故形於聲；聲相應故生變，變成方故謂之音。比音而樂之，及干鏚羽旄謂之樂；樂者音之所由生也，其本在人心之感於物。是故其哀心感者，其聲■以殺；其樂心感者，其聲嘽以緩；其喜心感者，其聲發以散；其怒心感者，其聲壯以厲；其敬心感者，其聲直以廉；其愛心感者，其聲和以調。人之善惡非牲也，感於物而後動，是故先王慎所以感之，故禮以定其意，樂以和其性，政以一其行，刑以防其奸；禮樂刑政，其極一也，所以同民心而立治道也。

Among instruments of music, the one that can be most intimate is the zither; the gentleman, because it can cultivate virtue, keeps it close. Every sound that arises is born from the human heart; the heart's movement is made so by things; moved by things and then stirred, it takes form in sound; sounds answering one another give rise to change, and when change forms a pattern it is called tone. Arranging tones and performing them, adding shields, axes, feathers and yak tails, is called music. Music is what tones are born from, and its root lies in the human heart being moved by things. So when a sorrowful heart is moved, its sound is hurried and diminishing (the base text has a damaged character here; going by the common phrase 'hurried and diminishing', it should be 'hurried'); when a joyful heart is moved, its sound is broad and slow; when a pleased heart is moved, its sound is raised and scattered; when an angry heart is moved, its sound is strong and severe; when a reverent heart is moved, its sound is straight and pure; when a loving heart is moved, its sound is gentle and tuned. People's good and bad are not their nature; they are moved by things and then stirred. So the former kings were careful about what moves people, and used ritual to settle their intention, music to harmonize their nature, government to unify their conduct, and punishment to prevent wickedness; ritual, music, punishment and government are in their utmost one, used to unite the people's hearts and establish the way of order.

凡音，生人心者也，情動於中而形於聲，聲成文謂之音。是故治世之音安以樂，其政和；亂世之音怨以怒，其政乖；亡國之音哀以思，其民困。聲音之道，與政通矣。宮為君，商為臣，角為民，徵為事，羽為物；五音亂則無法，無法之音：宮亂則荒，其君驕；商亂則陂，其官壞；角亂則憂，其民怨；徵亂則哀，其事勤；羽亂則危，其財匱；五者皆亂，代相凌謂之慢，如此則國之滅亡無日矣。鄭、衛之音，亂世之音也，比於慢矣；桑間、濮上之音，亡國之音也，其政散，其民流，誣上行私而不可止也。

All tones are born from the human heart. Feeling stirs within and takes form in sound; when sounds form a pattern, it is called tone. So the tones of a well-ordered age are calm and joyful, and its government is harmonious; the tones of a disordered age are resentful and angry, and its government is perverse; the tones of a ruined state are sad and brooding, and its people are distressed. The principle of sound is connected with government. Gong is the ruler, shang the ministers, jue the people, zhi affairs, and yu things; when the five tones are disordered, there is no law. Tones with no law: when gong is disordered, it is wild and the ruler arrogant; when shang is disordered, it is crooked and the officials corrupt; when jue is disordered, it is anxious and the people resentful; when zhi is disordered, it is sad and affairs laborious; when yu is disordered, it is perilous and wealth scarce; when all five are disordered and in turn encroach on each other, it is called neglect, and then the state's ruin is a matter of days. The tones of Zheng and Wei are the tones of a disordered age, close to neglect; the tones of Sangjian and Pushang are the tones of a ruined state, whose government is scattered and disordered, whose people flee, and where deceit prevails above and private conduct cannot be stopped.

凡人之有患禍者，生於淫泆暴慢，淫泆暴慢之本，生於飲酒；故古者慎其飲酒之禮，使耳聽雅音，目視正儀，足行正容，心論正道。故終日飲酒而無過失，近者數日，遠者數月，皆人有德焉以益善，詩云：“既醉以酒，既飽以德。”此之謂也。

All human trouble and disaster arise from licentiousness, violence and arrogance; the root of licentiousness, violence and arrogance arises from drinking wine. So the ancient rites of caution in drinking made the ears hear upright tones, the eyes see correct ceremony, the feet walk with correct bearing, and the mind discuss the correct Way. So one could drink all day without fault, near by days and far by months, and people all had virtue and so grew better. The Book of Poetry says: "Already drunk with wine, already full with virtue." This is what is meant.

凡從外入者，莫深於聲音，變人最極，故聖人因而成之以德曰樂，樂者德之風，詩曰：“威儀抑抑，德音秩秩。”謂禮樂也。故君子以禮正外，以樂正內；內須臾離樂，則邪氣生矣，外須臾離禮，則慢行起矣；故古者天子諸侯聽鐘聲，未嘗離於庭，卿大夫聽琴瑟，未嘗離於前；所以養正心而滅淫氣也。樂之動於內，使人易道而好良；樂之動於外，使人溫恭而文雅；雅頌之聲動人，而正氣應之；和成容好之聲動人，而和氣應之；粗厲猛賁之聲動人，而怒氣應之；鄭衛之聲動人，而淫氣應之。是以君子慎其所以動人也。

Of all that enters from outside, nothing goes deeper than sound, and nothing changes people to a greater extreme; so the sages used virtue to complete it, and called it music. Music is the wind of virtue. The Book of Poetry says: "Dignified is the bearing, orderly the virtuous sound." This speaks of ritual and music. So the gentleman uses ritual to set the outside right and music to set the inside right; if inside he leaves music for even a moment, wicked qi is born; if outside he leaves ritual for even a moment, lax conduct arises. So in ancient times the Son of Heaven and the feudal lords, hearing the sound of bells, never left the courtyard, and ministers and officials hearing the zithers never left their presence; this was used to nourish the correct mind and extinguish lewd qi. When music moves within, it makes people go easily toward the Way and love goodness; when music moves outside, it makes people gentle, respectful and refined. When the sounds of the Ya and Song odes move people, correct qi responds; when harmonious and fair-looking sounds move people, harmonious qi responds; when rough and fierce sounds move people, angry qi responds; when the sounds of Zheng and Wei move people, lewd qi responds. So the gentleman is careful about what moves people.

子路鼓瑟有北鄙之聲，孔子聞之曰：“信矣，由之不才也！”冉有侍，孔子曰：“求來，爾奚不謂由夫先王之制音也？奏中聲，為中節；流入於南，不歸於北。南者生育之鄉，北者殺伐之域；故君子執中以為本，務生以為基，故其音溫和而居中，以象生育之氣也。憂哀悲痛之感不加乎心，暴厲淫荒之動不在乎體，夫然者，乃治存之風，安樂之為也。彼小人則不然，執末以論本，務剛以為基，故其音湫厲而微末，以象殺伐之氣。和節中正之感不加乎心，溫儼恭莊之動不存乎體，夫殺者乃亂亡之風，奔北之為也。昔舜造南風之聲，其興也勃焉，至今王公述無不釋；紂為北鄙之聲，其廢也忽焉，至今王公以為笑。彼舜以匹夫，積正合仁，履中行善，而卒以興，紂以天子，好慢淫荒，剛厲暴賊，而卒以滅。今由也匹夫之徒，布衣之醜也，既無意乎先王之制，而又有亡國之聲，豈能保七尺之身哉？”冉有以告子路，子路曰：“由之罪也！小人不能，耳陷而入於斯。宜矣，夫子之言也！”遂自悔，不食七日而骨立焉，孔子曰：“由之改過矣。”

Zilu played the zither with a sound of the northern borderlands. Confucius heard it and said: "Truly, You has no talent!" Ran You stood in attendance, and Confucius said: "Qiu, come here; why did you not tell You that the former kings set up tones? They played sounds of central harmony as the measure of central harmony; flowing to the south, not turning to the north. The south is the land of birth and nurture, and the north is the realm of killing and attack; so the gentleman holds to the center as his root and takes living as his base, and so his tones are gentle and central, to represent the breath of birth and nurture. Sorrowful and grieving feelings are not placed in his heart, violent, lewd and wild movements are not in his body; thus it is the custom of preserving order and the conduct of peace and joy. The petty man is not like this; he holds to the tip and talks of the root, takes firmness as his base, so his tones are sorrowful, harsh and trifling, representing the breath of killing and attack. Feelings of harmony and measured correctness are not placed in his heart, and gentle, grave, respectful and solemn movements are not found in his body. That killing is the custom of chaos and ruin and the conduct of defeat and flight. Formerly Shun made the sound of the Southern Wind, and his rise was vigorous; to this day kings and dukes who speak of it find nothing not pleasing. Zhou made the sound of the northern borderlands, and his destruction was sudden; to this day kings and dukes take it as a joke. Shun, as a commoner, accumulated uprightness and joined benevolence, walked the middle way and practiced good, and finally rose; Zhou, as a Son of Heaven, liked laxity and wildness, was harsh, fierce and cruel, and finally perished. Now You is of the commoner kind, the same class as plain-clothed men, and neither has his mind on the institutions of the former kings, yet has the sound of a ruined state; how could he keep his seven-foot body?" Ran You told this to Zilu. Zilu said: "It is my fault! A petty man cannot, and my ears have sunk this far. How right the Master's words are!" Then he repented on his own, did not eat for seven days until his bones stuck out, and Confucius said: "You has corrected his fault."

孔子卦得賁，喟然仰而嘆息，意不平。子張進，舉手而問曰：“師聞賁者吉卦，而嘆之乎？”孔子曰：“賁非正色也，是以嘆之。吾思夫質素，白當正白，黑當正黑。夫質又何也？吾亦聞之，丹漆不文，白玉不雕，寶珠不飾，何也？質有餘者，不受飾也。”

Confucius divined and got the hexagram Bi (Adornment); he sighed deeply with his head raised and his heart was uneasy. Zizhang stepped forward, raised his hands and asked: "I have heard, Master, that Bi is an auspicious hexagram; why do you sigh over it?" Confucius said: "Bi is not the proper color, so I sigh. I think of plainness and simplicity: white should be truly white and black truly black. And what then is substance? I have also heard that vermilion lacquer needs no adornment, white jade needs no carving, and precious pearls need no decoration. Why? What has an excess of substance does not accept adornment."

信鬼神者失謀，信日者失時，何以知其然？夫賢聖周知，能不時日而事利；敬法令，貴功勞，不卜筮而身吉；謹仁義，順道理，不禱祠而福。故卜數擇日，潔齋戒，肥犧牲，飾圭璧，精祠祀，而終不能除悖逆之禍，以神明有知而事之，乃欲背道妄行而以祠祀求福，神明必違之矣。天子祭天地、五嶽、四瀆，諸侯祭社稷，大夫祭五祀，士祭門戶，庶人祭其先祖。聖王承天心，制禮分也。凡古之卜日者，將以輔道稽疑，示有所先而不敢自專也；非欲以顛倒之惡而幸安之全。孔子曰：“非其鬼而祭之，諂也。”是以泰山終不享李氏之旅，易稱東鄰殺牛，不如西鄰之禴祭，蓋重禮不貴牲也，敬實而不貴華。誠有其德而推之，則安往而不可。是以聖人見人之文，必考其質。

Those who believe in ghosts and spirits lose their plans; those who believe in day-diviners lose their opportunity. How is this known? The worthy and the sage know all around and can have affairs go smoothly without choosing days; they respect laws and decrees and value achievement, and are fortunate without divining; they carefully keep benevolence and righteousness and follow principle, and have blessing without prayer or sacrifice. So divining by numbers and choosing days, cleansing and fasting, fattening the sacrificial animals, decorating the jade tablets and discs, and sincerely sacrificing can never remove the disaster of rebellion; if one thinks the spirits have knowledge and serves them, yet wants to go against the Way and act wildly and seek blessings by sacrifice, the spirits will certainly turn against him. The Son of Heaven sacrifices to Heaven and Earth, the five sacred mountains and the four great rivers; feudal lords sacrifice to the altars of soil and grain; senior officials sacrifice to the five household spirits; scholar-officials sacrifice to the gate and door; and commoners sacrifice to their own ancestors. The sage kings received the mind of Heaven and set up the distinctions of ritual. In ancient times those who divined days did so to assist the right way and examine doubts, showing that there was something prior and that they did not dare decide on their own; it was not to seek by upside-down evil the safety of a lucky preservation. Confucius said: "To sacrifice to a ghost that is not one's to sacrifice to is flattery." So Mount Tai in the end did not enjoy the Ji family's sacrifice, and the Book of Changes says that the eastern neighbor killing an ox is not as good as the western neighbor's spring sacrifice, valuing ritual over the animal and reverence for substance over show. If one truly has that virtue and extends it, then where could it not work? So the sage, seeing a person's pattern, must examine his substance.

歷山之田者善侵畔，而舜耕焉；雷澤之漁者善爭陂，而舜漁焉；東夷之陶器窳，而舜陶焉。故耕漁與陶非舜之事，而舜為之，以救敗也。民之性皆不勝其欲，去其實而歸之華，是以苦窳之器，爭鬥之患起，爭鬥之患起，則所以偷也。所以然者何也？由離誠就詐，棄樸而取偽也，追逐其末而無所休止。聖人抑其文而抗其質，則天下反矣，詩云：“尸鳩在桑，其子七兮；淑人君子，其儀一兮。”傳曰：“尸鳩之所以養七子者，一心也；君子所以理萬物者，一儀也。以一儀理物，天心也；五者不離，合而為一，謂之天心。在我能因自深結其意於一，故一心可以事百君，百心不可以事一君，是故誠不遠也。夫誠者一也，一者質也；君子雖有外文，必不離內質矣。”

Those who plowed at Mount Li were good at encroaching on field boundaries, and Shun plowed there; those who fished at Leize were good at fighting over ponds, and Shun fished there; the pottery of the eastern barbarians was crude, and Shun made pottery there. So plowing, fishing and pottery were not Shun's duties; Shun did them in order to rescue what was spoiled. The people's nature cannot all overcome desire; they abandon substance and turn to show, so crude vessels and the troubles of strife arise; when the troubles of strife arise, that is why people turn to carelessness. Why is this so? Because they leave sincerity for deceit, discard simplicity and take falsehood, chasing the tips without rest. The sage suppresses pattern and lifts up substance, and the world returns. The Book of Poetry says: "The cuckoo is on the mulberry tree, and its young are seven; the good man, the gentleman, his demeanor is one." The commentary says: "The cuckoo can nurture seven young because it has one mind; the gentleman can govern the myriad things because he has one demeanor. To govern things with one demeanor is the mind of Heaven; when the five are not scattered but joined as one, it is called the mind of Heaven. In me, one can thereby deeply tie the intention to the one, so one mind can serve a hundred rulers, but a hundred minds cannot serve one ruler; so sincerity is not far. Sincerity is the one, and the one is substance; though the gentleman has outer pattern, he must not leave the inner substance."

衛有五丈夫，俱負缶而入井灌韭，終日一區。鄧析過，下車為教之，曰：“為機，重其後，輕其前，命曰橋。終日灌韭，百區不倦。”五丈夫曰：“吾師言曰：有機知之巧，必有機知之敗；我非不知也，不欲為也。子其往矣，我一心溉之，不知改已！”鄧析去，行數十里，顏色不悅懌，自病。弟子曰：“是何人也？而恨我君，請為君殺之。”鄧析曰：“釋之，是所謂真人者也。可令守國。”

In Wei there were five men, each carrying a clay jar down into a well to water leeks, watering one plot in a whole day. Deng Xi passed by, got down from his carriage and taught them: "Make a device, heavy behind and light in front, called a sweep. You can water leeks all day and a hundred plots without tiring." The five men said: "Our teacher said: Where there is cleverness of devices, there must be the ruin of devices; it is not that we do not know, but that we do not wish to do it. Go on your way; we water with one mind and do not know how to change!" Deng Xi left, and after walking several dozen li his face was displeased and he was unhappy within himself. His disciples said: "What kind of people are these, that they make our teacher resent them? Please let us kill them for you." Deng Xi said: "Stop; these are what are called true men. They could be left to guard a state."

禽滑釐問於墨子曰：“錦繡絺紵，將安用之？”墨子曰：“惡，是非吾用務也。古有無文者得之矣，夏禹是也。卑小宮室，損薄飲食，土階三等，衣裳細布；當此之時，黻無所用，而務在於完堅。殷之盤庚，大其先王之室，而改遷於殷，茅茨不剪，采椽不斲，以變天下之視；當此之時，文采之帛，將安所施？夫品庶非有心也，以人主為心，苟上不為，下惡用之？二王者以化身先於天下，故化隆於其時，成名於今世也。且夫錦繡絺紵，亂君之所造也，其本皆興於齊，景公喜奢而忘儉，幸有晏子以儉鐫之，然猶幾不能勝。夫奢安可窮哉？紂為鹿臺糟丘，酒池肉林，宮牆文畫，雕琢刻鏤，錦繡被堂，金玉珍瑋，婦女優倡，鐘鼓管絃，流漫不禁，而天下愈竭，故卒身死國亡，為天下戮，非惟錦繡絺紵之用耶？今當凶年，有欲予子隨侯之珠者，不得賣也，珍寶而以為飾；又欲予子一鍾粟者，得珠者不得粟，得粟者不得珠，子將何擇？”禽滑釐曰：“吾取粟耳，可以救窮。”墨子曰：“誠然，則惡在事夫奢也？長無用，好末淫，非聖人所急也。故食必常飽，然後求美；衣必常暖，然後求麗；居必常安，然後求樂。為可長，行可久，先質而後文，此聖人之務。”禽滑釐曰：“善。”

Qin Guli asked Mozi: "Brocade, embroidery, fine kudzu cloth and ramie: where will they be used?" Mozi said: "Alas, this is not what I put my strength into. In ancient times, one who gained something without ornament was Yu of Xia. His palace was low and small, his food and drink reduced and plain, his earth steps three tiers, and his robes of coarse cloth; at that time embroidered patterns had no use, and the aim was soundness and solidity. Pan Geng of Yin enlarged the dwellings of the former kings and moved the capital to Yin; the thatched roofs were not trimmed and the oak rafters were not shaved, in order to change the world's view; at that time, where were patterned silks to be used? The people do not each have a mind of their own but take the ruler as their mind; if those above do not do it, what use would those below have for it? The two kings used their own personal teaching as the lead for the world, so their teaching flourished in their time and their fame was established to this day. Moreover brocade, embroidery, fine kudzu cloth and ramie were made by disordered rulers; the root of them all arose from Qi. Duke Jing of Qi liked extravagance and forgot thrift, and fortunately had Master Yan to correct him by thrift, yet he almost could not prevail. How could extravagance ever come to an end? Zhou made the Deer Terrace and the mound of dregs, a pool of wine and a forest of meat, the palace walls painted with patterns, carved and engraved, brocade spread over the halls, gold, jade and rarities, women and entertainers, bells, drums, pipes and strings, indulging without prohibition, yet the world grew ever more parched, and so in the end he died and his state perished and he was slain by the world; was this not the use of brocade, embroidery, fine kudzu cloth and ramie? Now in a bad year, if someone wished to give you the Marquis of Sui's pearl but you could not take it to sell, and it could serve only as a decoration; and if he also wished to give you a zhong of grain, then one who gets the pearl cannot get grain and one who gets grain cannot get the pearl; which would you choose?" Qin Guli said: "I would take the grain, which can rescue the poor." Mozi said: "Truly so; then why engage in extravagance? To promote the useless and love the lewd cleverness of the tips is not what the sages urgently need. So one's food must always be enough before one seeks fineness; one's clothing must always be warm before one seeks beauty; one's dwelling must always be safe before one seeks joy. To do what can last, to practice what can endure, with substance first and pattern after: this is the sage's essential task." Qin Guli said: "Good."

秦始皇既兼天下，大侈靡，即位三十五年猶不息，治大馳道，從九原抵雲陽，塹山堙谷直通之。厭先王宮室之小，乃於豐鎬之間，文武之處，營作朝宮，渭南山林苑中作前殿，阿房東西五百步，南北五十丈，上可坐萬人，下可建五丈旗，周為閣道；自殿直抵南山之嶺以為闕，為複道，自阿房渡渭水屬咸陽，以象天極，閣道絕漢，抵營室也。又興驪山之役，錮三泉之底，關中離宮三百所，關外四百所，皆有鐘盤帷帳，婦女倡優。立石闕東海上朐山界中，以為秦東門。於是有方士韓客侯生，齊客盧生，相與謀曰：“當今時不可以居，上樂以刑殺為威，天下畏罪；持祿莫敢盡忠，上不聞過而日驕，下懾伏以慢欺而取容，諫者不用而失道滋甚。吾黨久居，且為所害。”乃相與亡去。始皇聞之大怒，曰：“吾異日厚盧生，尊爵而事之，今乃誹謗我，吾聞諸生多為妖言以亂黔首。”乃使御史悉上諸生，諸生傳相告，犯法者四百六十餘人，皆坑之。盧生不得，而侯生後得，始皇聞之，召而見之，升阿東之臺，臨四通之街，將數而車裂之。始皇望見侯生，大怒曰：“老虜不良，誹謗而主，乃敢復見我！”侯生至，仰臺而言曰：“臣聞知死必勇，陛下肯聽臣一言乎？”始皇曰：“若欲何言？言之！”侯生曰：“臣聞禹立誹謗之木，欲以知過也。今陛下奢侈失本，淫泆趨末，宮室臺閣，連屬增累，珠玉重寶，積襲成山，錦繡文采，滿府有餘，婦女倡優，數鉅萬人，鐘鼓之樂，流漫無窮，酒食珍味，盤錯於前，衣服輕暖，輿馬文飾，所以自奉，麗靡爛熳，不可勝極。黔首匱竭，民力單盡，尚不自知，又急誹謗，嚴威克下，下喑上聾，臣等故去。臣等不惜臣之身，惜陛下國之亡耳。聞古之明王，食足以飽，衣足以暖，宮室足以處，輿馬足以行，故上不見棄於天，下不見棄於黔首。

After the First Emperor of Qin had annexed the whole world, he became greatly extravagant, and in the thirty-fifth year of his reign he still did not stop. He built broad imperial roads running straight from Jiuyuan to Yunyang, cutting through mountains and filling valleys. Finding the palaces of the former kings too small, he built the Court Palace between Feng and Hao on the old site of King Wen and King Wu, and built the front hall in the Shanglin park south of the Wei River. The Epang palace measured five hundred paces east to west and fifty zhang north to south; ten thousand people could sit on its upper level and a banner five zhang high could stand beneath. Covered walkways ran around it, and from the hall they led straight to the ridge of the Southern Mountain, where gate towers were made. He built double-level walkways crossing the Wei River from Epang to Xianyang, to symbolize the Celestial Pole, with the walkway cutting across the Milky Way to reach the constellation Yingshi. He also started work on Mount Li, pouring molten bronze to seal off the three springs below. In the Guanzhong region there were three hundred detached palaces and four hundred beyond the pass, all with bells, drums, curtains and tents, women, and entertainers. On the border of Mount Qu by the East Sea he set up stone gate towers as the eastern gate of Qin. Then two magicians, Master Hou, a guest from Han, and Master Lu, a guest from Qi, plotted together and said: "We cannot stay at this time. His Majesty loves to establish his awe by punishment and killing, and the whole world fears giving offense; those who draw stipend dare not give their loyalty, His Majesty cannot hear of his faults and grows prouder day by day, those below cower and use laxity and deceit to curry favor, remonstrators are not used, and the loss of the Way grows worse. If our group stays long, we will be harmed by him." They fled together. The First Emperor heard of it and was enraged, saying: "I treated Lu generously in the past and served him with honored rank, yet now he slanders me. I have heard that the scholars often spread wild talk to disturb the black-haired people." He sent imperial censors to have all the scholars reported, and the scholars denounced one another; more than four hundred and sixty had broken the law, and all were buried alive. Lu was not caught, but Master Hou was caught later. When the First Emperor heard of it, he summoned him, went up onto the terrace east of Epang overlooking the four crossing streets, and was about to enumerate his crimes and then have him torn apart by chariots. The First Emperor saw Master Hou and said in rage: "You old slave, no good, slandering your lord, and you dare come to see me again!" When Master Hou arrived, he looked up to the terrace and said: "I have heard that one who knows he is about to die is surely brave; will Your Majesty hear a word from me?" The First Emperor said: "What do you want to say? Speak!" Master Hou said: "I have heard that Yu set up the slander tree in order to know his faults. Now Your Majesty is extravagant and has lost the root, and indulges to the point of chasing the branch tips; palaces, terraces and pavilions link and pile up layer upon layer, pearls, jade and heavy treasures are heaped like mountains, brocade and embroidery fill the storehouses with surplus, women and entertainers number in the tens of thousands, the music of bells and drums is unrestrained without end, and wine, food, and rare delicacies are mixed together before you; your clothes are light and warm, your carriages and horses decorated, all to nourish yourself, splendid and lavish without limit. The black-haired people are depleted and dried up, the strength of the people is exhausted, yet you do not know it and are eager to stop slander, suppressing those below with severe awe, so that those below are mute and those above are deaf. This is why we left. We do not regret our own bodies; we regret the ruin of Your Majesty's state. I have heard that the enlightened kings of antiquity had food enough to be full, clothes enough to be warm, palaces enough to live in, and carriages and horses enough to travel, and so above they were not abandoned by Heaven, and below they were not abandoned by the black-haired people.

堯茅茨不剪，采椽不斲，土階三等，而樂終身者，俗以其文采之少，而質素之多也。丹朱傲虐好慢淫，不修理化，遂以不升。今陛下之淫，萬丹朱而十昆吾桀紂，臣恐陛下之十亡也，而曾不一存。”始皇默然久之，曰：“汝何不早言？”侯生曰：“陛下之意，方乘青雲飄搖於文章之觀，自賢自健，上侮五帝，下凌三王，棄素樸，就末技，陛下亡徵見久矣。臣等恐言之無益也，而自取死，故逃而不敢言。今臣必死，故為陛下陳之，雖不能使陛下不亡，欲使陛下自知也。”始皇曰：“吾可以變乎？”侯生曰：“形已成矣，陛下坐而待亡耳！若陛下欲更之，能若堯與禹乎？不然無冀也。陛下之佐又非也，臣恐變之不能存也。”始皇喟然而嘆，遂釋不誅。後三年始皇崩；二世即位，三年而秦亡。

(Master Hou continued:) "Yao's thatched roof was not trimmed, his oak rafters were not carved, and his earthen stairs had three steps, yet he was happy all his life, because there was little ornament and much plainness. Danzhu was arrogant and cruel, fond of laxity and licentiousness, and did not cultivate teaching, and in the end could not advance. Now Your Majesty's licentiousness is ten thousand times that of Danzhu and ten times that of Kunwu, Jie, and Zhou, and I fear Your Majesty has ten parts of ruin and not one part of survival." The First Emperor was silent for a long time and said: "Why did you not say this earlier?" Master Hou said: "Your Majesty's mind is riding the blue clouds and drifting amid the sights of ornament, considering yourself worthy and strong, insulting the Five Emperors above and encroaching upon the Three Kings below, abandoning simplicity and drawing near the skills of the branch tips; the signs of Your Majesty's ruin have shown themselves for a long time. We feared that speaking would do no good and only bring our own death, so we fled and did not dare speak. Now I will certainly die, so I explain this for Your Majesty; though I cannot keep Your Majesty from ruin, I wish Your Majesty to know it yourself." The First Emperor said: "Can I change?" Master Hou said: "The shape is already formed, and Your Majesty is merely sitting and waiting for ruin! If Your Majesty wished to change, could you become like Yao and Yu? Otherwise there is no hope. And Your Majesty's assistants are not right either; I fear that even a change could not preserve you." The First Emperor sighed and set him free without killing him. Three years later the First Emperor died; the Second Emperor took the throne, and in three years Qin was destroyed.

魏文侯問李克曰：“刑罰之源安生？”李克曰：“生於奸邪淫泆之行。凡奸邪之心，飢寒而起，淫泆者，久飢之詭也；雕文刻鏤，害農事者也；錦繡纂組，傷女工者也。農事害，則飢之本也；女工傷，則寒之源也。飢寒並至而能不為奸邪者，未之有也；男女飾美以相矜而能無淫泆者，未嘗有也。故上不禁技巧，則國貧民侈，國貧窮者為奸邪，而富足者為淫泆，則驅民而為邪也；民以為邪，因之法隨，誅之不赦其罪，則是為民設陷也。刑罰之起有原，人主不塞其本，而替其末，傷國之道乎？”文侯曰：“善。”以為法服也。

Marquis Wen of Wei asked Li Ke: "Where does the root of punishment come from?" Li Ke said: "It comes from treacherous and licentious conduct. All treacherous hearts rise from hunger and cold; licentiousness is the depravity after long hunger and distress. Carving patterns and engraving ornaments harm farm work; brocade, embroidery and woven cords harm women's work. When farm work is harmed, it is the root of hunger; when women's work is injured, it is the source of cold. When hunger and cold arrive together and yet people do not become treacherous, there has never been such a case; when men and women adorn their looks to show off to each other and yet there is no licentiousness, that too has never been. So if those above do not forbid cleverness in crafts, the state becomes poor and the people extravagant; when the state is poor, the poor do treachery and the well-off do licentiousness, which is driving the people to do evil. When the people have already done evil, laws and orders follow, and executing without pardoning their crimes is digging pitfalls for the people. Punishment has its root where it arises; if a ruler does not stop up the root but changes the tips, is it not a road that harms the state?" Marquis Wen said: "Good." He took it to heart as a rule.

秦穆公閒，問由余曰：“古者明王聖帝，得國失國當何以也？”由余曰：“臣聞之，當以儉得之，以奢失之。”穆公曰：“願聞奢儉之節。”由余曰：“臣聞堯有天下，飯於土簋，啜於土鈃，其地南至交趾，北至幽都，東西至日所出入，莫不賓服。堯釋天下，舜受之，作為食器，斬木而裁之，銷銅鐵，修其刃，猶漆黑之以為器。諸侯侈國之不服者十有三。舜釋天下而禹受之，作為祭器，漆其外而朱畫其內，繒帛為茵褥，觴勺有彩，為飾彌侈，而國之不服者三十有二。夏后氏以沒，殷周受之，作為大器，而建九傲，食器雕琢，觴勺刻鏤，四壁四帷，茵席雕文，此彌侈矣，而國之不服者五十有二。君好文章，而服者彌侈，故曰儉其道也。”由余出，穆公召內史廖而告之曰：“寡人聞鄰國有聖人，敵國之憂也。今由余聖人也，寡人患之。吾將奈何？”內史廖曰：“夫戎闢而遼遠，未聞中國之聲也，君其遺之女樂以亂其政，而厚為由余請期，以疏其間，彼君臣有間，然後可圖。”君曰：“諾。”乃以女樂三九遺戎王，因為由余請期；戎王果具女樂而好之，設酒聽樂，終年不遷，馬牛羊半死。由余歸諫，諫不聽，遂去，入秦，穆公迎而拜為上卿。問其兵勢與其地利，既已得矣，舉兵而伐之，兼國十二，開地千里。穆公奢主，能聽賢納諫，故霸西戎，西戎淫於樂，誘於利，以亡其國，由離質樸也。

Duke Mu of Qin, at leisure, asked You Yu: "The enlightened kings and sage emperors of antiquity, by what did they gain or lose their states?" You Yu said: "I have heard that they gained it through frugality and lost it through extravagance." Duke Mu said: "I would like to hear the measure of extravagance and frugality." You Yu said: "I have heard that when Yao held the world, he ate from earthen dishes and drank soup from earthenware bowls (the base text writes a variant character for this vessel), and his land reached Jiaozhi in the south, Youdu in the north, and as far as where the sun rises and sets east and west, and none did not submit. When Yao put down the world and Shun received it, he made food vessels by cutting and shaping wood, smelting copper and iron, refining blades, and even lacquering them black to make vessels. Among the lords, thirteen were extravagant and their states did not submit. When Shun put down the world and Yu received it, he made sacrificial vessels lacquered outside and painted red inside, made cushions of silk, and cups and ladles with painted decoration; the ornament was more extravagant, and thirty-two states did not submit. When the House of Xia perished and the Yin and Zhou received the world, they made grand vessels and set up the nine-tasseled banner (the base text writes a variant here; according to the Han Feizi's report of You Yu's words, it is the nine tassels), the food vessels were carved, the cups and ladles engraved, with walls on four sides and curtains on four sides, and mats carved with patterns; this was more extravagant still, and fifty-two states did not submit. When a ruler loves ornament, those who submit become more extravagant, so it is said that frugality is the proper path." After You Yu left, Duke Mu summoned the Grand Scribe Liao and told him: "I have heard that a sage in a neighboring state is a worry to the rival state. Now You Yu is a sage, and I am concerned. What shall I do?" The Grand Scribe Liao said: "The Rong are remote and far away and have never heard the music of the Central States. Your lordship could send them female musicians to disrupt their government, and then, with generous intent, ask on You Yu's behalf for a delay, to distance the gap between their ruler and ministers; once ruler and ministers are at odds, a plan can be made." The ruler said: "Good." He sent the twenty-seven female musicians, three times nine, to the King of the Rong, and asked for a delay for You Yu. The King of the Rong indeed set out the musicians and loved them, held banquets and listened to music, and for a whole year did not move camp, and half of his horses, cattle, and sheep died. You Yu returned and remonstrated, but the remonstrance was not heard, and so he left and entered Qin, where Duke Mu welcomed him and appointed him senior minister. Having asked about the Rong's military strength and the advantages of the terrain and obtained it, he raised troops and attacked, annexed twelve states, and opened a thousand li of land. Duke Mu was an extravagant ruler, but he could listen to the worthy and accept remonstrance, so he became hegemon of the western Rong; the western Rong sank into music and were led astray by profit, and so lost their state, because they left simplicity."

經侯往適魏太子，左帶羽玉具劍，右帶環佩，左光照右，右光照左；坐有頃，太子不視也，又不問也。經侯曰：“魏國亦有寶乎？”太子曰：“有。”經侯曰：“其寶何如？”太子曰：“主信臣忠，百姓上戴。此魏之寶也。”經侯曰：“吾所問者，非是之謂也。乃問其器而已。”太子曰：“有。徒師沼治魏而市無豫賈，郄辛治陽而道不拾遺，芒卯在朝而四鄰賢士無不相因而見。此三大夫乃魏國之大寶。”於是經侯默然不應，左解玉具，右解環佩，委之坐，愆然而起，默然不謝，趨而出，上車驅去。魏太子使騎操劍佩逐與經侯，使告經侯曰：“吾無德所寶，不能為珠玉所守；此寒不可衣，飢不可食，無為遺我賊。”於是經侯杜門不出，傳死。

Lord Jing went to see the Crown Prince of Wei, wearing on the left a jade-fitted sword adorned with feathers and on the right a ring pendant, so that the light of the left shone on the right and the light of the right shone on the left. After he had sat for a while, the Crown Prince did not look at them and did not ask. Lord Jing said: "Does Wei also have treasures?" The Crown Prince said: "It does." Lord Jing said: "What are they like?" The Crown Prince said: "The ruler is sincere and trustworthy, the ministers are loyal, and the hundred clans look up and support them. These are the treasures of Wei." Lord Jing said: "What I asked about is not that; I only asked about objects." The Crown Prince said: "There are. Tu Shizhao governs Wei, and in the market there are no prices raised in advance; Xi Xin governs Yang, and on the road nobody picks up lost things; Mang Mao is at court, and the worthy scholars of the four neighboring states all come in a stream to seek an audience. These three grand masters are the great treasures of Wei." Lord Jing fell silent and did not answer; he took off the jade-fitted sword on the left and the ring pendant on the right, set them on the seat, rose apologetically without speaking in thanks, hurried out, mounted his carriage and drove off. The Crown Prince of Wei sent a horseman to chase after Lord Jing with the sword and pendant, telling him to say: "I have no virtue to be treasure, and cannot be guarded by pearls and jade; these cannot be worn when cold nor eaten when hungry; do not leave things that would harm me." Lord Jing shut his door and did not go out, and soon died.

晉平公為馳逐之車，龍旌象色，掛之以犀象，錯之以羽芝，車成題金千鎰，立之於殿下，令群臣得觀焉。田差三過而不一顧，平公作色大怒，問田差“爾三過而不一顧，何為也？”田差對曰：“臣聞說天子者以天下，說諸侯者以國，說大夫者以官，說士者以事，說農夫者以食，說婦姑者以織。桀以奢亡，紂以淫敗，是以不敢顧也。”平公曰：“善。”乃命左右曰：“去車！”

Duke Ping of Jin had a racing carriage made, with dragon banners and ivory colors, hung with rhinoceros horn and ivory and inlaid with feathered fungus patterns; the carriage was inscribed with a value of a thousand yi of gold. He set it up below the hall for his ministers to view. Tian Cha passed by three times without a single glance. Duke Ping changed color in anger and asked Tian Cha: "You passed three times without a single glance; why?" Tian Cha replied: "I have heard that in speaking to the Son of Heaven, one uses the world; in speaking to a lord, one uses the state; in speaking to a grand master, one uses office; in speaking to a scholar, one uses affairs; in speaking to a farmer, one uses food; in speaking to a wife and mother-in-law, one uses weaving. Jie was ruined through extravagance, and Zhou was lost through license, and so I did not dare look." Duke Ping said: "Good." He ordered his attendants: "Take the carriage away!"

魏文侯御廩災，文侯素服闢正殿五日，群臣皆素服而吊，公子成父獨不弔。文侯復殿，公子成父趨而入賀，曰：“甚大善矣！夫御廩之災也。”文侯作色不悅，曰：“夫御廩者，寡人寶之所藏也，今火災，寡人素服闢正殿，群臣皆素服而吊；至於子，大夫而不弔。今已復辟矣，猶入賀何為？”公子成父曰：“臣聞之，天子藏於四海之內，諸侯藏於境內，大夫藏於其家，士庶人藏於篋櫝。非其所藏者必有天災，必有人患。今幸無人患，乃有天災，不亦善乎！”文侯喟然嘆曰：“善！”

When the Imperial Granary of Marquis Wen of Wei caught fire, Marquis Wen wore plain clothes and avoided the main hall for five days, and his ministers all wore plain clothes and came to condole. Only Prince Chengfu did not condole. When Marquis Wen returned to the main hall, Prince Chengfu hurried in to congratulate him, saying: "How excellent, the fire at the Imperial Granary!" Marquis Wen changed color and said unhappily: "The Imperial Granary is where I store my treasures. Now there has been a fire, and I wore plain clothes and avoided the main hall, and my ministers all wore plain clothes and came to condole; but you, a grand master, did not condole. Now that I have returned to the main hall, what do you come in to congratulate for?" Prince Chengfu said: "I have heard that the Son of Heaven stores within the four seas, lords store within their borders, grand masters store in their houses, and scholars and commoners store in chests and boxes. What is not what one should store will surely bring a heavenly calamity and a human disaster. Now fortunately there is no human disaster, only a heavenly one; is that not excellent!" Marquis Wen sighed and said: "Good!"

齊桓公謂管仲曰：“吾國甚小，而財用甚少，而群臣衣服輿駕甚汰，吾欲禁之，可乎？”管仲曰：“臣聞之，君嘗之，臣食之；君好之，臣服之。今君之食也必桂之漿，衣練紫之衣，狐白之裘。此群臣之所奢汰也。詩云：‘不躬不親，庶民不信。’君欲禁之，胡不自親乎？”桓公曰：“善。”於是更制練帛之衣，大白之冠，朝一年而齊國儉也。

Duke Huan of Qi said to Guan Zhong: "My state is very small and its resources few, yet my ministers' clothes and carriages are very extravagant. I wish to forbid it; may I?" Guan Zhong said: "I have heard that when the ruler tastes, the ministers eat; when the ruler likes, the ministers wear. Now your lordship's food is surely cassia-flower juice, and you wear purple silk that has been refined and a white fox robe. That is why the ministers are extravagant. The Book of Poetry says: 'If one does not act oneself, the people do not trust.' If you wish to forbid it, why not do it yourself?" Duke Huan said: "Good." He then changed to clothes of refined silk and a plain white cap, and after a year of attending court like this, Qi became frugal.

季文子相魯，妾不衣帛，馬不食粟。仲孫它諫曰：“子為魯上卿，妾不衣帛，馬不食粟，人其以子為愛，且不華國也。”文子曰：“然乎？吾觀國人之父母衣麤食蔬，吾是以不敢。且吾聞君子以德華國，不聞以妾與馬。夫德者得於我，又得於彼，故可行；若淫於奢侈，沈於文章，不能自反，何以守國？”仲孫它慚而退。

When Ji Wenzi was chancellor of Lu, his concubines did not wear silk and his horses did not eat grain. Zhongsun Ta remonstrated: "You are the senior minister of Lu, yet your concubines do not wear silk and your horses do not eat grain; others may think you are stingy, and you do not add glory to the state." Wenzi said: "Is that so? When I see the parents of the people of the state wearing coarse clothes and eating vegetables, I do not dare. Moreover I have heard that a gentleman adds glory to the state through virtue; I have not heard of doing it through concubines and horses. Virtue is something I have gained and others gain too, and so it can be put into practice; if one sinks into extravagance and falls into ornament and cannot return by oneself, with what could one guard a state?" Zhongsun Ta withdrew in shame.

趙簡子乘弊車瘦馬，衣羖羊裘，其宰進諫曰：“車新則安，馬肥則往來疾，狐白之裘溫且輕。”簡子曰：“吾非不知也。吾聞之，君子服善則益恭，細人服善則益倨；我以自備，恐有細人之心也。傳曰：周公位尊愈卑，勝敵愈懼，家富愈儉，故周氏八百餘年，此之謂也。”

Zhao Jianzi rode in a worn-out carriage drawn by a thin horse and wore a black ram-skin robe. His steward remonstrated: "A new carriage is stable, a fat horse goes quickly, and a white fox robe is warm and light." Jianzi said: "It is not that I do not know. I have heard that a gentleman who wears fine things becomes more respectful, while a petty man who wears fine things becomes more arrogant. I use this to guard myself, fearing I may have the heart of a petty man. The records say: the Duke of Zhou was more humble the more honored his position, more cautious the more he won over enemies, and more frugal the richer his household; and so the House of Zhou lasted more than eight hundred years. This is what it means."

魯築郎囿，季平子欲速成，叔孫昭子曰：“安用其速成也？以虐其民，其可乎？無囿尚可乎，惡聞嬉戲之遊，罷其所治之民乎？”

When Lu built the Lang hunting park, Ji Pingzi wanted it finished in haste. Shusun Zhaozi said: "Why is there any need to finish it in haste? Is it acceptable to use this to mistreat his people? Even without a park it would probably be fine; how can one bear to wear out the people one governs for the sake of hearing play and amusement?"

衛叔孫文子問於王孫夏曰：“吾先君之廟小，吾欲更之，可乎？”對曰：“古之君子，以儉為禮；今之君子，以汰易之。夫衛國雖貧，豈無文履一奇，以易十稷之繡哉？以為非禮也。”文子乃止。

Shusun Wenzi of Wei asked Wangsun Xia: "The temple of my late ruler is small, and I wish to change it; may I?" He replied: "The gentlemen of antiquity treated frugality as ritual; the gentlemen of today change it with extravagance. Though Wei is poor, does it lack a single patterned shoe to trade for ten bolts of brocade? It is only that they consider this not in accord with ritual." Wenzi then stopped.

晉文公合諸侯而盟曰：“吾聞國之昏，不由聲色，必由奸利好樂，聲色者，淫也；貪奸者，惑也，夫淫惑之國，不亡必殘。自今以來，無以美妾疑妻，無以聲樂妨政，無以姦情害公，無以貨利示下。其有之者，是謂伐其根素，流於華葉；若此者，有患無憂，有寇勿弭。不如言者盟示之。”於是君子聞之曰：“文公其知道乎？其不王者猶無佐也。”

Duke Wen of Jin convened the lords and made a covenant, saying: "I have heard that a state's confusion comes not from sound and beauty, but surely from liking treacherous profit and amusement. Sound and beauty are licentious, greed and treachery are deluding; a state that is licentious and deluded, if not destroyed, will surely be ruined. From now on, do not use a beautiful concubine to cast suspicion on the legitimate wife, do not use music to harm government affairs, do not use illicit affairs to harm public business, and do not use goods and profit to show off to those below. One who does this is called cutting down his own root and plainness, and letting it flow away to flowers and leaves; for one who is so, there is no need to worry for him in time of trouble and no need to put down bandits for him. Whoever does not follow what has been said, let it be publicly shown by the covenant." The gentlemen who heard of it said: "Duke Wen perhaps knew the Way. That he did not become king was still because he lacked assistants."

晏子飲景公酒，日暮，公呼具火，晏子辭曰：“詩曰：‘側牟之俄。’言失德也；‘屢舞傞傞。’言失容也。‘既醉以酒，既飽以德。’‘既醉而出，並受其福。’賓主之禮也。‘醉而不出，是謂伐德。’賓主之罪也。嬰已卜其日，未卜其夜。”公曰：“善。”舉酒而祭之，再拜而出，曰：“豈過我哉？吾托國於晏子也。以其家貧善寡人，不欲淫侈也，而況與寡人謀國乎？”

Yan Zi invited Duke Jing to drink wine, and at dusk the duke called for torches to be prepared. Yan Zi declined, saying: "The Book of Poetry says: 'The hat tilts crooked.' This refers to losing virtue (the base text writes the first words in a variant, which is the line about the tilted cap in the poem); 'repeatedly dancing in a swirl' refers to losing proper bearing. 'Already drunk with wine, already full with virtue.' 'Already drunk and going out, host and guest both receive blessing.' This is the ritual of host and guest. 'Drunk but not going out, this is called harming virtue.' This is the fault of host and guest. I have divined for this day, but I have not divined for this night." The duke said: "Good." He raised his cup to make an offering, bowed twice and went out, and said: "Is it my fault? I have entrusted the state to Yan Zi. Because his own household is poor, he treats me well and does not wish for lavishness; how much more when planning state affairs with me?"

楊王孫病且死，令其子曰：“吾死欲裸葬，以返吾真，必無易吾意。”祁侯聞之，往諫曰：“竊聞王孫令葬必裸而入地，必若所聞，愚以為不可。令死人無知則已矣，若死有知也，是戮屍於地下也，將何以見先人？愚以為不可！”王孫曰：“吾將以矯世也。夫厚葬誠無益於死者，而世以相高，靡財殫幣而腐之於地下，或乃今日入而明日出，此真與暴骸於中野何異？且夫死者終生之化，而物之歸者；歸者得至，而化者得變，是物各返其真。其真冥冥，視之無形，聽之無聲，乃合道之情。夫飾外以誇眾，厚葬以矯真，使歸者不得至，化者不得變，是使物各失其然也。且吾聞之，精神者，天之有也，形骸者，地之有也；精神離形而各歸其真，故謂之鬼。鬼之為言歸也，其屍塊然獨處，豈有知哉？厚裹之以幣帛，多送之以財寶，以奪生者財用。古聖人緣人情，不忍其親，故為之制禮；今則越之，吾是以欲裸葬以矯之也。昔堯之葬者，空木為櫝，葛藟為緘；其穿地也，下不亂泉，上不洩臭。故聖人生易尚，死易葬，不加於無用，不損於無益，謂今費財而厚葬，死者不知，生者不得用，謬哉！可謂重惑矣。”祁侯曰：“善。”遂裸葬也。

Yang Wangsun, gravely ill and about to die, ordered his son: "When I die I wish to be buried naked, to return to my true state; you must not change my intent." The Marquis of Qi heard of it and went to remonstrate: "I have privately heard that Wangsun has ordered that he be buried naked in the earth. If it is really as I have heard, I think it is not acceptable. If the dead have no awareness, so be it; but if the dead have awareness, this is mutilating the corpse beneath the ground; with what will you see your ancestors? I think it cannot be done!" Wangsun said: "I will use it to correct the customs of the world. Lavish burial truly does the dead no good, yet the world uses it to compete with each other in showing off, wasting wealth and exhausting silks to let it rot in the ground; some are buried today and dug up tomorrow, which is truly no different from leaving bones exposed in the open fields. Moreover, death is the change at the end of a person's life and also the return of things; the returning reach their destination and the transforming complete their change, and this is each thing returning to its true state. That truth is dark and obscure; looking at it you see no form, listening to it you hear no sound; only then does one accord with the nature of the Way. To decorate the outside to boast to the crowd, and to bury lavishly to confuse the truth, prevents the returning from arriving and the transforming from changing, and makes things each lose their original state. Moreover I have heard that spirit belongs to Heaven and the form and bones belong to Earth; the spirit leaves the form and each returns to its true state, and so it is called gui. The meaning of gui is 'returning.' The corpse lies there alone as a lump, how could it have awareness? To wrap it thickly in silks and send it off with many treasures is to take away the resources of the living. The sages of antiquity followed human feelings and could not bear to treat their kin so, so they made rites for them; but now it has gone beyond, and so I wish to be buried naked to correct it. In the past, Yao's burial used a hollow log as a box and kudzu vines as ropes; when they dug the earth, below they did not disturb the springs, and above they did not let the foul smell escape. So the sage in life was easy to honor, and in death easy to bury, not applying effort to what is useless and not adding expense to what is no benefit. To say that now wealth is wasted for lavish burial, which the dead do not know and the living cannot use, is absurd! It can be called a double delusion." The Marquis of Qi said: "Good." And so he was buried naked.

魯有儉者，瓦鬲煮食，食之而美，盛之土鈃之器，以進孔子。孔子受之，歡然而悅，如受太牢之饋。弟子曰：“瓦甂，陋器也；煮食，薄膳也。而先生何喜如此乎？”孔子曰：“吾聞好諫者思其君，食美者念其親，吾非以饌為厚也，以其食美而思我親也。”

In Lu there was a frugal man who cooked food in an earthen pot, found it delicious, and offered it, in an earthenware bowl (the base text writes a variant of the character for this vessel), to Confucius. Confucius accepted it and was delighted, as if receiving a gift of the great sacrifice. His disciples said: "An earthen pot is a crude vessel, and the food cooked in it is a thin meal. Why does the Master delight in it to this degree?" Confucius said: "I have heard that one who likes to remonstrate thinks of his lord, and one who eats good food thinks of his parents. I do not think this food is rich; it is because he ate something delicious and thought of his parents, and so I think of mine."

晏子病將死，斷楹內書焉，謂其妻曰：“楹也，語子壯而視之！”及壯發書，書之言曰：“布帛不窮，窮不可飾；牛馬不窮，窮不可服；士不可窮，窮不可任。窮乎？窮乎？窮也！”

When Yan Zi was gravely ill and about to die, he split open a pillar and put a book inside, and told his wife: "Pillar, tell my son to look at it when he is grown!" When his son had grown and opened the book, the words in it said: "Do not use up all the cloth and silk, for if used up they cannot be decorated; do not use up all the oxen and horses, for if used up they cannot be driven; scholars may not be used up, for if used up they cannot be employed. Used up? Used up? It is used up indeed!"

仲尼問老聃曰：“甚矣！道之於今難行也！吾比執道委質以當世之君，而不我受也。道之於今難行也。”老子曰：“夫說者流於聽，言者亂於辭，如此二者，則道不可委矣。”

Zhongni asked Lao Dan: "It is too much! The Way is hard to practice nowadays! Recently I have held to the Way and presented myself with a gift of allegiance to the rulers of the age, and they do not accept me. The Way is hard to practice nowadays." Laozi said: "Those who persuade lose it in what is heard, and those who set up their words become confused in their wording. With these two, the Way cannot be entrusted."

子貢問子石：“子不學詩乎？”子石曰：“吾暇乎哉？父母求吾孝，兄弟求吾悌，朋友求吾信。吾暇乎哉？”子貢曰：“請投吾詩，以學於子。”

Zigong asked Zishi: "Do you not study the Poetry?" Zishi said: "Do I have leisure? My parents ask me for filial piety, my brothers ask me for fraternal duty, and my friends ask me for trustworthiness. Do I have leisure?" Zigong said: "Please let me put aside my Poetry and learn from you."

公明宣學於曾子，三年不讀書。曾子曰：“宣，而居參之門，三年不學，何也？”公明宣曰：“安敢不學？宣見夫子居宮庭，親在，叱吒之聲未嘗至於犬馬，宣說之，學而未能；宣見夫子之應賓客，恭儉而不懈惰，宣說之，學而未能；宣見夫子之居朝廷，嚴臨下而不毀傷，宣說之，學而未能。宣說此三者學而未能，宣安敢不學而居夫子之門乎？”曾子避席謝之曰：“參不及宣，其學而已。”

Gongming Xuan studied with Master Zeng and for three years did not read books. Master Zeng said: "Xuan, you live at Shen's gate and for three years have not studied; why?" Gongming Xuan said: "How dare I not study? I saw that the Master, living in his house with his parents present, never let a scolding voice fall on dog or horse; I liked this, and studied it but have not yet been able to do it. I saw the Master receiving guests, respectful and frugal without laziness; I liked this, and studied it but have not yet been able to do it. I saw the Master at court, dignified toward his subordinates yet without harming them; I liked this, and studied it but have not yet been able to do it. I like these three things and have studied them without yet being able to do them; how dare I not study and yet live at the Master's gate?" Master Zeng left his mat and apologized: "I, Shen, am not equal to Xuan, only in the matter of book learning."

魯人身善織屨，妻善織縞，而徙于越。或謂之曰：“子必窮！”魯人曰：“何也？”曰：“屨為履，縞為冠也，而越人徒跣剪髮，遊不用之國，欲無窮得乎？”

A man of Lu was good at weaving hemp sandals, and his wife was good at weaving plain silk, and they moved to Yue. Someone said to him: "You will surely be poor!" The man of Lu said: "Why?" He said: "Hemp sandals are for wearing and plain silk is for making caps, but the people of Yue go barefoot and cut their hair short; if you travel to a country that does not use these things, can you hope not to be poor?"