Shuo Yuan (說苑) · Volume 9
鸞設於鑣，和設於軾；馬動而鸞鳴，鸞鳴而和應，行之節也。
The luan bells are set on the bit, and the he bells are set on the crossbar; when the horse moves the luan bells ring, and when the luan bells ring the he bells respond; this is the rhythm of traveling.
不富無以為大，不予無以合親；親疏則害，失眾則敗；不教而誅謂之虐，不戒責成謂之暴也。
Without wealth there is nothing with which to become great, and without giving there is nothing with which to gather kin; when kin and strangers are estranged there is harm, and losing the multitude leads to defeat; to execute without teaching is called cruelty, and to demand results without warning is called violence.
夫水出於山而入於海，稼生於田而藏於廩，聖人見所生則知所歸矣。
Water comes out of the mountains and enters the sea, grain grows in the fields and is stored in granaries; the sage, seeing what is born, knows where it returns.
天道布順，人事取予；多藏不用，是謂怨府，故物不可聚也。
The Way of Heaven spreads out smoothly; human affairs lie in taking and giving. To store much and not use it is called a storehouse of resentment, so goods must not be hoarded.
一圍之木持千鈞之屋，五寸之鍵而制開闔，豈材足任哉？蓋所居要也。
A log one armspan thick holds up a house of a thousand jun, and a five-inch bolt controls opening and closing; is it that the material is enough to bear it? It is because of the strategic position it occupies.
夫小快害義，小慧害道，小辨害治，苟心傷德，大政不險。蛟龍雖神，不能以白日去其倫；飄風雖疾，不能以陰雨揚其塵。邑名勝母，曾子不入；水名盜泉，孔子不飲，醜其聲也。婦人之口可以出走，婦人之喙可以死敗。
Small pleasures harm righteousness, small cleverness harms the Way, small sophistry harms governance, a casual heart harms virtue, and great government does not take dangerous roads. Though the flood-dragon is divine, it cannot leave its kind in broad daylight; though a whirlwind is swift, it cannot raise dust in rain. A city called Shengmu (Victory over Mother) was not entered by Master Zeng; a spring called Dao Quan (Thief Spring) was not drunk from by Confucius; they hated the name. A woman's mouth can make a man leave; a woman's beak can bring a man to death and defeat.
不修其身，求之於人，是謂失倫；不治其內，而修其外，是謂大廢。重載而危之，操策而隨之，非所以為全也。
Not cultivating oneself yet seeking from others is called losing the order; not governing the inside yet adorning the outside is called great ruin. Loading a heavy burden and then making it totter, following with a whip in hand, is not the way to seek completeness.
士橫道而偃，四支不掩，非士之過，有土之羞也。邦君將昌，天遺其道；大夫將昌，天遺其士；庶人將昌，必有良子。
When an officer lies fallen across the road with his limbs uncovered, it is not the officer's fault but the shame of those who hold land. When the ruler of a state is about to prosper, Heaven leaves him the Way; when a grandee is about to prosper, Heaven leaves him officers; when a commoner is about to prosper, he must have a good son.
賢師良友在其側，詩書禮樂陳於前，棄而為不善者，鮮矣。義士不欺心，仁人不害生；謀洩則無功，計不設則事不成；賢士不事所非，不非所事；愚者行間而益固，鄙人飾詐而益野；聲無細而不聞，行無隱而不明；至神無不化也，至賢無不移也。上不信，下不忠，上下不和，雖安必危。求以其道則無不得，為以其時則無不成。
With worthy teachers and good friends at your side and the Odes, Documents, Rites, and Music laid out before you, few abandon these to do what is not good. A righteous man does not deceive his own heart, a humane man does not harm life; if a plan leaks it has no success, and if a scheme is not set up the matter cannot be accomplished. A worthy officer does not do what he denies, and does not deny what he does; a fool goes by side doors and grows more shabby, a vulgar man whitewashes deceit and grows more coarse; no sound is so faint that it is not heard, and no conduct so hidden that it is not manifest; the utmost spirit has nothing it cannot transform, and the utmost worthy has nothing he cannot change. When the above does not trust and the below is not loyal, when above and below are not in harmony, even if there is peace there will certainly be danger. Seeking by the Way, there is nothing one cannot obtain; acting by the season, there is nothing one cannot accomplish.
時不至，不可強生也；事不究，不可強求也。貞良而亡，先人餘殃；猖獗而活，先人餘烈；權取重，澤取長。才賢而任輕，則有名，不肖任大，身死名廢。
When the time has not come, one cannot force growth; when affairs have not run their course, one cannot force them. That the loyal and good perish is the calamity left by their ancestors; that the wild and fierce survive is the surviving fire of their ancestors. In authority, take what is weighty; in favor, take what is lasting. One who is talented and worthy with light responsibility has a name; one who is unworthy with great responsibility dies and his name is ruined.
士不以利移，不為患改，孝敬忠信之事立，雖死而不悔。智而用私，不如愚而用公，故曰巧偽不如拙誠。學問不倦，所以治己也；教誨不厭，所以治人也，所以貴虛無者，得以應變而合時也。冠雖故，必加於首；履雖新，必關於足，上下有分，不可相倍。一心可以事百君，百心不可以事一君，故曰正而心，又少而言。
An officer is not shifted by profit and not changed by hardship; once the matters of filial piety, loyalty, and trustworthiness are established, he does not regret them even at death. Having wisdom but using it for private ends is not as good as being foolish but using it for the public; hence it is said that clever falsehood is not as good as clumsy sincerity. Not tiring of learning is how one governs oneself; not tiring of teaching is how one governs others. Therefore emptiness is valued because it allows one to respond to change and suit the time. Though a cap is old, it must be placed on the head; though shoes are new, they must be worn on the feet; high and low have distinctions and must not violate each other. One heart can serve a hundred rulers, but a hundred hearts cannot serve one ruler; hence it is said: correct that heart, and speak little.
萬物得其本者生，百事得其道者成；道之所在，天下歸之；德之所在，天下貴之；仁之所在，天下愛之；義之所在，天下畏之。屋漏者民去之，水淺者魚逃之，樹高者鳥宿之，德厚者士趨之，有禮者民畏之，忠信者士死之。衣雖弊，行必修；頭雖亂，言必治。時在應之，為在因之；所伐而當其福五之；所伐不當其禍十之。
The myriad things, obtaining their root, can live; the hundred affairs, obtaining their Way, can be accomplished. Where the Way is, the world turns to it; where virtue is, the world values it; where humaneness is, the world loves it; where righteousness is, the world reveres it. When the house leaks, the people leave it; when the water is shallow, the fish flee; when the tree is tall, the birds roost; when virtue is thick, officers hasten to it; when there is ritual, the people revere; the loyal and trustworthy officer dies for him. Though clothes may be ragged, conduct must be orderly; though hair may be tousled, speech must be coherent. The season lies in responding to it, action lies in following it; if the attack is fitting, the blessing is fivefold; if the attack is not fitting, the calamity is tenfold.
必貴以賤為本，必高以下為基。天將與之，必先苦之；天將毀之，必先累之。孝於父母，信於交友，十步之澤，必有香草；十室之邑，必有忠士。草木秋死，松柏獨在；水浮萬物，玉石留止。飢渴得食，誰能不喜？賑窮救急，何患無有？視其所以，觀其所使，斯可知已。乘輿馬不勞致千里，乘船楫不遊絕江海；智莫大於闕疑，行莫大於無悔也。制宅名子，足以觀士。利不兼，賞不倍；忽忽之謀，不可為也，惕惕之心，不可長也。
The noble must take the humble as root, and the high must take the low as foundation. When Heaven is about to give to someone, it must first make him suffer; when Heaven is about to ruin someone, it must first make him toil. Be filial to parents, and be trustworthy to friends. In a marsh of ten paces there must be fragrant herbs; in a town of ten households there must be a loyal officer. Grass and trees die in autumn, but pines and cypresses alone remain; water floats all things, but jade and stone stay and settle. When the hungry and thirsty get food, who would not be glad? In relieving the poor and rescuing from emergencies, why worry about not having enough? Look at what he uses it for; observe whom he employs, and you can know. Riding a carriage and horses, one can reach a thousand li without toil; riding in a boat with oars, one can cross rivers and seas without swimming. In wisdom there is nothing greater than leaving doubt aside; in conduct there is nothing greater than having no regret. Building a house and naming a son are enough to observe an officer. Profit is not gained twice, and reward is not doubled; hasty planning must not be done, and an anxious heart must not be encouraged.
天與不取，反受其咎；時至不迎，反受其殃；天地無親，常與善人。天道有常，不為堯存，不為桀亡；積善之家，必有餘慶；積惡之家，必有餘殃。一噎之故，絕谷不食；一蹶之故，卻足不行。心如天地者明，行如繩墨者章。位高道大者從，事大道小者兇；言疑者無犯，行疑者無從；蠹蝝僕柱梁，蚊虻走牛羊。
When Heaven gives and one does not take it, one instead receives the blame; when the time arrives and one does not welcome it, one instead receives the calamity. Heaven and Earth have no private favorites and constantly give to good people. The Way of Heaven has its constancy; it does not exist because of Yao and does not perish because of Jie. A family that accumulates good surely has surplus blessings; a family that accumulates evil surely has surplus calamities. Because of choking once, to cut off grain and not eat; because of falling once, to withdraw one's feet and not walk: both are mistakes. When the mind is like Heaven and Earth, it is bright; when conduct is like the carpenter's line and ink, it is manifest. When the position is high and the Way great, people follow; when the matter is great and the Way small, there is misfortune. Do not offend those whose words are doubtful, and do not follow those whose conduct is doubtful. Borers and locust larvae can bring down pillars and beams, and gnats and gadflies can make cattle and sheep stampede.
謁問析辭勿應，怪言虛說勿稱；謀先事則昌，事先謀則亡。
When seeking an audience and asking questions, do not answer by analyzing wording; do not cite strange words or empty talk; when planning comes before the matter, one flourishes, and when the matter comes before planning, one perishes.
無以淫泆棄業，無以貧賤自輕，無以所好害身，無以嗜慾妨生，無以奢侈為名，無以貴富驕盈。喜怒不當，是謂不明，暴虐不得，反受其賊，怨生不報，禍生於福。一言而非，四馬不能追；一言不急，四馬不能及。順風而飛，以助氣力；銜葭而翔，以備矰弋。
Do not abandon your work because of licentiousness, do not belittle yourself because of poverty and lowliness, do not harm yourself with what you love, do not hinder life with appetites and desires, do not seek fame by extravagance, and do not be arrogant and full because of nobility and wealth. Joy and anger that are not fitting are called unclear; cruelty that is not carried out brings its own injury. If resentment arises and is not answered, calamity is born out of blessing. When a word is wrongly spoken, four horses cannot bring it back; when a word is not rushed, four horses cannot overtake it. Flying with the wind helps one's strength; flying with a reed in the beak guards against the arrow and line.
鏡以精明，美惡自服；衡平無私，輕重自得；蓬生枲中，不扶自直；白砂入泥，與之皆黑。
A mirror, being bright, shows beauty and ugliness by itself; a scale, being fair and without partiality, finds light and heavy by itself. Mugwort growing among hemp stands up straight without support; white sand falling into mud turns black along with it.
時乎，時乎！間不及謀；至時之極，間不容息；勞而不體，亦將自息；有而不施，亦將自得。
Time, oh time! There is no gap in which to plan; when time has reached its extreme, there is no room for even a breath. Toiling without rest, one will eventually stop of one's own accord; having something and not bestowing it, one will eventually obtain it by oneself.
無不為者，無不能成也；無不欲者，無不能得也。眾正之積，福無不及也；眾邪之積，禍無不逮也。力勝貧，謹勝禍，慎勝害，戒勝災。為善者天報以德，為不善者天報以禍。君子得時如水，小人得時如火。謗道己者，心之罪也；尊賢己者，心之力也。心之得，萬物不足為也；心之失，獨心不能守也。子不孝，非吾子也；交不信，非吾友也。食其口而百節肥，灌其本而枝葉茂；本傷者枝槁，根深者末厚。為善者得道，為惡者失道。惡語不出口，苟言不留耳；務偽不長，喜虛不久。義士不欺心，廉士不妄取；以財為草，以身為寶。慈仁少小，恭敬耆老。犬吠不驚，命曰金城；常避危殆，命曰不悔。富必念貧，壯必念老，年雖幼少，慮之必早。夫有禮者相為死，無禮者亦相為死；貴不與驕期，驕自來；驕不與亡期，亡自至。踒人日夜願一起，盲人不忘視。知者始於悟，終於諧；愚者始於樂，終於哀。高山仰止，景行行止，力雖不能，心必務為。慎終如始，常以為戒；戰戰慄慄，日慎其事。聖人之正，莫如安靜；賢者之治，故與眾異。
If there is nothing one does not do, there is nothing one cannot accomplish; if there is nothing one does not want, there is nothing one cannot obtain. When many upright things accumulate, no blessing fails to arrive; when many crooked things accumulate, no calamity fails to catch up. Strength overcomes poverty, caution overcomes calamity, prudence overcomes harm, and preparedness overcomes disaster. To those who do good, Heaven repays with virtue; to those who do not do good, Heaven repays with calamity. The gentleman when he gets his time is like water, and the petty man when he gets his time is like fire. Slandering and speaking of oneself is the guilt of the heart; revering and regarding oneself as worthy is the strength of the heart. When the heart has gained something, the myriad things are not enough to act on it; when the heart has lost something, even the heart alone cannot hold fast. A son who is not filial is not my son; a friend who is not trustworthy is not my friend. Feed the mouth and the hundred joints are fat; water its root and branches and leaves flourish; where the root is injured the branch withers, and where the root is deep the tip is thick. One who does good gains the Way; one who does evil loses the Way. Let evil words not leave your mouth and casual words not stay in your ears; a fabricated undertaking cannot last, and a love of falsehood cannot endure. A righteous man does not deceive his own heart, and an incorruptible man does not take rashly; regard wealth as grass and regard the person as treasure. Be kind to the young and respectful to the aged. If the dog barks and one is not startled, one is called a city of gold; always avoiding danger is called no regret. When rich, one must think of the poor; when strong, one must think of the old; though young in years, one's planning must be early. Those with ritual die for each other, and those without ritual also die for each other; nobility does not make an appointment with arrogance, arrogance comes by itself; arrogance does not make an appointment with ruin, ruin arrives by itself. A lame man hopes day and night to be able to stand up, and a blind man does not forget to see. The wise begin with awakening and end in harmony; the foolish begin with pleasure and end in sorrow. A high mountain can be gazed up at and a great road can be walked on; though strength may not reach, the heart must strive to act. Be as careful at the end as at the beginning, always taking it as a warning; trembling and fearful, be cautious each day about your own affairs. In the sage's uprightness, nothing is better than stillness; the worthy's governing is inherently different from the multitude's.
好稱人惡，人亦道其惡；好憎人者，亦為人所憎。衣食足，知榮辱；倉廩實，知禮節。江河之溢，不過三日；飄風暴雨，須臾而畢。
One who likes to speak of others' faults will have others speak of his faults; one who likes to hate others is also hated by others. When clothing and food are sufficient, one knows honor and disgrace; when granaries are full, one knows ritual and restraint. The rivers rise and overflow, not beyond three days; a whirlwind and violent rain are over in a moment.
福生于微，禍生於忽；日夜恐懼，唯恐不卒。
Blessings are born from small things, and calamities are born from neglect; fear day and night, and fear only that one cannot finish well.
已雕已琢，還反於樸，物之相反，復歸於本。循流而下，易以至；倍風而馳，易以遠。兵不豫定，無以待敵；計不先慮，無以應卒。中不方，名不章，外不圜，禍之門。直而不能枉，不可與大任；方而不能圜，不可與長存。慎之於身，無曰云云，狂夫之言，聖人擇焉。能忍恥者安，能忍辱者存，唇亡而齒寒，河水崩，其懷在山。毒智者莫甚於酒，留事者莫甚於樂，毀廉者莫甚於色，摧剛者反己於弱。富在知足，貴在求退，先憂事者後樂，先傲事者後憂。福在受諫，存之所由也。恭敬遜讓，精廉無謗，慈仁愛人，必受其賞，諫之不聽，後無與爭，舉事不當，為百姓謗，悔在於妄，患在於先唱。
Having carved and polished, one must return to the uncarved; when things go to the opposite extreme, they return to the root. Going down with the current, it is easy to arrive; galloping with the wind at one's back, it is easy to go far. If weapons are not prepared beforehand, there is nothing with which to face the enemy; if plans are not considered first, there is nothing with which to respond to the sudden. If the inside is not upright, the reputation is not manifest; if the outside is not rounded, it is the gate of calamity. One who is straight but cannot bend should not be given great responsibility; one who is square but cannot be round should not be kept long as a companion. Be careful with yourself and do not say 'this way or that'; even a madman's words are selected by the sage. One who can bear shame is secure; one who can bear disgrace survives. When the lips are gone the teeth are cold; when a river breaks its banks, its embrace is still in the mountains. Nothing poisons wisdom more than wine, nothing delays affairs more than pleasure, nothing ruins integrity more than female beauty, and what breaks the firm and strong in turn drops oneself into weakness. Wealth lies in knowing contentment, and nobility lies in seeking to withdraw. One who first worries over a matter is happy afterward, and one who first is arrogant over a matter grieves afterward. Blessing lies in accepting remonstrance; this is the way by which one survives. One who is respectful and yielding, pure and free of slander, kind and loving to others will surely receive his reward; if remonstrance is not heeded, do not afterward contend with him; if affairs are not handled properly, one is slandered by the people. Regret lies in rash action, and hardship lies in being the first to lead.
蒲且修繳，鳧鴈悲鳴；逄蒙撫弓，虎豹晨嗥。河以委蛇故能遠，山以凌遲故能高，道以優遊故能化，德以純厚故能豪。言人之善，澤於膏沐；言人之惡，痛於矛戟。為善不直，必終其曲；為醜不釋，必終其惡。
When Pu Ju prepared his arrows and lines, the wild ducks and geese cried out sadly; when Pang Meng stroked his bow, tigers and leopards howled at dawn. A river is far because it twists and winds, a mountain is high because it slopes gradually, the Way can transform because it is leisurely, and virtue can be outstanding because it is pure and thick. Speaking of another's good, the grace is richer than ointment; speaking of another's evil, the pain is deeper than a spear or halberd. One who does good but is not upright will surely end in crookedness; one who does ugly and does not let go will surely end in that evil.
一死一生，乃知交情；一貧一富，乃知交態；一貴一賤，交情乃見；一浮一沒，交情乃出。德義在前，用兵在後。初沐者必拭冠，新浴者必振衣。敗軍之將，不可言勇；亡國之臣，不可言智。
Only through one dying and one living does one know friendship; only through one poor and one rich does one know the attitude of friends; only through one noble and one lowly does friendship appear; only through one rising and one sinking does friendship come out. Virtue and righteousness come first, and using the army comes after. One who has just washed his hair must wipe his cap, and one who has just bathed must shake out his clothes. A defeated general cannot speak of courage; a minister of a perished state cannot speak of wisdom.
坎井無黿鼉者，隘也；園中無修林者，小也。小忠，大忠之賊也；小利，大利之殘也。自清絕易，清人絕難；水激則悍，矢激則遠；人激於名，不毀為聲。下士得官以死，上士得官以生。禍福非從地中出，非從天上來，己自生之。
In a shallow well there are no great turtles and crocodiles, because it is narrow; in a garden there are no tall trees, because it is small. Small loyalty is the bane of great loyalty; small profit is the ruin of great profit. It is easy to be lofty and sever ties with people, but hard to make the lofty sever ties with people. Water that is agitated becomes fierce, an arrow that is shot hard goes far; a person stirred by fame, even without ruin, can make a name. A low officer, getting office, dies because of it; a high officer, getting office, lives because of it. Calamity and blessing do not come out of the ground and do not come from the sky; one produces them oneself.
窮鄉多曲學：小辯害大智，巧言使信廢，小惠妨大義。不困在於早慮，不窮在於早豫。欲人勿知，莫若勿為；欲人勿聞，莫若勿言。
Remote villages have many one-sided teachings: small sophistry harms great wisdom, clever words ruin credibility, and small favors hinder great righteousness. Not being in distress lies in planning early; not being exhausted lies in preparing early. If you want people not to know, it is better not to do it; if you want people not to hear, it is better not to say it.
非所言勿言，以避其患；非所為勿為，以避其危；非所取勿取，以避其詭；非所爭勿爭，以避其聲。明者視於冥冥，謀於未形；聰者聽於無聲，慮者戒於未成。世之溷濁而我獨清，眾人皆醉而我獨醒。
Do not say what should not be said, in order to avoid its trouble; do not do what should not be done, in order to avoid its danger; do not take what should not be taken, in order to avoid its deceit; do not contend for what should not be contended for, in order to avoid its reputation. The clear-sighted see in the dark and plan before things take shape; the keen of hearing listen where there is no sound, and the good at foresight take warning before things are accomplished. The age is muddy and I alone am clear; all are drunk and I alone am sober.
乖離之咎，無不生也；毀敗之端，從此興也。江河大潰從蟻穴，山以小阤而大崩，淫亂之漸，其變為興，水火金木轉相勝。卑而正者可增，高而倚者且崩；直如矢者死，直如繩者稱。
There is no blame of estrangement that does not arise; the beginning of ruin starts from here. Great breaches of rivers begin from an ant's hole; a mountain collapses greatly from a small crumbling. At the beginning of licentiousness, its change becomes flourishing, and water, fire, metal, and wood in turn overcome each other. What is low and upright can be raised; what is high and slanting is about to collapse. One who is straight as an arrow dies; one who is straight as an ink line is praised.
禍生於欲得，福生於自禁；聖人以心導耳目，小人以耳目導心。
Calamity arises from wanting to obtain; blessing arises from restraining oneself. The sage leads the ears and eyes with the heart; the petty man leads the heart with the ears and eyes.
為人上者，患在不明；為人下者，患在不忠。人知糞田，莫知糞心，端身正心，全以至今，見亡知存，見霜知冰。廣大在好利，恭敬在事親，因時易以為仁，因道易以達人。營於利者多患，輕諾者寡信。
For one who is above, the trouble is not being clear; for one who is below, the trouble is not being loyal. People know to fertilize their fields but do not know to fertilize their hearts. Correct the body and correct the heart, and preserve this up to the present. Seeing destruction one knows survival; seeing frost one knows ice. Greatness lies in loving benefit, and reverence lies in serving one's parents. Following the time, it is easy to be humane; following the Way, it is easy to reach others. One who seeks profit has many troubles, and one who promises lightly has little credibility.
欲賢者莫如下人，貪財者莫如全身；財不如義高，勢不如德尊。父不能愛無益之子，君不能愛不軌之民；君不能賞無功之臣，臣不能死無德之君。問善御者莫如馬，問善治者莫如民。以卑為尊，以屈為伸，聖人所因，上法於天。
For wanting to be worthy, nothing is better than dwelling below others; for greed for wealth, nothing is better than preserving oneself. Wealth is not as lofty as righteousness, and power is not as honored as virtue. A father cannot love a son who is of no benefit, and a ruler cannot love people who do not keep the rules; a ruler cannot reward a minister without merit, and a minister cannot die for a ruler without virtue. If you ask who is good at driving, no one is clearer than the horse; if you ask who is good at governing, no one is clearer than the people. To take the lowly as honored and the bent as straightened is what the sage follows, taking his model from Heaven above.
君子行德以全其身，小人行貪以亡其身，相勸以禮，相強以仁，得道於身，得譽於人。
The gentleman practices virtue to preserve himself; the petty man practices greed to destroy himself. Encourage each other with ritual, urge each other on with humaneness; in oneself gain the Way, and in others gain reputation.
知命者不怨天，知己者不怨人；人而不愛則不能仁，佞而不巧則不能信；言善毋及身，言惡毋及人；上清而無慾，則下正而民樸。來事可追也，往事不可及。無思慮之心則不達，無談說之辭則不樂。
One who knows destiny does not resent Heaven, and one who knows himself does not resent people. Without love for others one cannot be humane, and being glib without being skillful one cannot be trusted. In speaking of good, do not involve yourself; in speaking of evil, do not involve others. When those above are quiet and without desire, those below are upright and the people simple. Future things can be pursued, and past things cannot be overtaken. A mind without thought cannot penetrate, and without words to discuss there is no joy.
善不可以偽來，惡不可以辭去。近市無賈，在田無野。善不逆旅，非仁義剛武無以定天下。
Good cannot be summoned by pretense, and evil cannot be removed by words. Near a market there are no merchants; in the fields there is no wilderness. A good person does not refuse travelers. Without humaneness, righteousness, and martial strength, there is nothing with which to settle the world.
水倍源則川竭，人倍信則名不達，義勝患則吉，患勝義則滅。五聖之謀，不如逢時；辯智明慧，不如遇世。有鄙心者，不可授便勢；有愚質者，不可予利器。多易多敗，多言多失。
When water turns from its source, the streams dry up; when a person turns from trustworthiness, his reputation cannot reach far. When righteousness overcomes trouble, there is good fortune; when trouble overcomes righteousness, there is ruin. The planning of five sages is not as good as meeting the right time; sharp wisdom is not as good as meeting the right age. One with a base heart should not be given advantageous power; one with a foolish nature should not be given a sharp tool. Those who treat many matters as easy fail often, and those who speak a lot err often.
冠履不同藏，賢不肖不同位。官尊者憂深，祿多者責大。積德無細，積怨無大，多少必報，固其勢也。
A cap and shoes are not stored together, and the worthy and unworthy do not share the same seat. The higher the office, the deeper the worry; the greater the stipend, the greater the responsibility. Do not neglect accumulating virtue because it is small; do not stop accumulating resentment because it is great; more or less will surely be repaid, which is simply the nature of the situation.
梟逢鳩。鳩曰：“子將安之？”梟曰：“我將東徙。”鳩曰：“何故？”梟曰：“鄉人皆惡我鳴，以故東徙。”鳩曰：“子能更鳴可矣，不能更鳴，東徙猶惡子之聲。”
An owl met a dove. The dove said: "Where are you going?" The owl said: "I am going to move east." The dove said: "Why?" The owl said: "The villagers all hate my cry, so I am moving east." The dove said: "If you can change your cry, that will do; if you cannot change your cry, even moving east they will still hate your voice."
聖人之衣也便體以安身，其食也安於腹；適衣節食不聽口目。
The sage's clothes are meant for the convenience of the body in order to keep it at ease, and his food is meant only to settle the stomach; with clothing fitting and food moderate, he does not indulge the mouth and eyes.
曾子曰：“鷹鷲以山為卑，而增巢其上；黿鼉魚鱉以淵為淺，而穿穴其中。卒其所以得者，餌也。君子苟不求利祿，則不害其身。”
Master Zeng said: "Eagles and vultures consider mountains low and so build their nests higher above them; great turtles, crocodiles, fish, and terrapins consider the deep too shallow and so dig burrows inside it. In the end the reason they are caught is the bait. If a gentleman does not seek profit and salary, he will not harm himself."
曾子曰：“狎甚則相簡也，莊甚則不親；是故君子之狎足以交歡，莊足以成禮而已。”
Master Zeng said: "Excessive intimacy leads to mutual disrespect, and excessive solemnity leads to distance; therefore the gentleman's intimacy is only enough to share joy, and his solemnity is only enough to complete ritual."
曾子曰：“入是國也，言信乎群臣，則留可也；忠行乎群臣，則仕可也；澤施乎百姓，則安可也。”
Master Zeng said: "On entering a state, if your words are trusted among the ministers, you may stay; if your loyalty can be practiced among the ministers, you may take office; if your grace can be extended to the people, you may settle."
口者，關也；舌者，機也。出言不當，四馬不能追也。口者，關也；舌者，兵也；出言不當，反自傷也。言出於己，不可止於人；行發於邇，不可止於遠。夫言行者君子之樞機，樞機之發，榮辱之本也，可不慎乎？故蒯子羽曰：“言猶射也。栝既離弦，雖有所悔焉，不可從而追已。”詩曰：“白圭之玷，尚可磨也，斯言之玷，不可為也。”
The mouth is a gate, and the tongue is a crossbow trigger. A word spoken improperly cannot be brought back even by four horses. The mouth is a gate, and the tongue is a weapon; a word spoken improperly instead harms oneself. Words issue from oneself and cannot be stopped at others; conduct issues from nearby and cannot be stopped far away. Words and conduct are the gentleman's pivot, and when the pivot moves it is the root of honor and disgrace; how can one not be careful? So Kuai Ziyu said: "Speaking is like shooting an arrow. Once the notch has left the string, even if one regrets it, one cannot follow and bring it back." The Book of Odes says: "A flaw in a white jade tablet can still be ground away; a flaw in these words cannot be removed."
蠋欲類蠶，■欲類蛇，人見蛇蠋，莫不身灑然；女工脩蠶，漁者持■，不惡何也？欲得錢也。逐魚者濡，逐獸者趨；非樂之也，事之權也。
The caterpillar wants to be like the silkworm, and the eel wants to be like the snake (the base text's character is damaged here; going by the common phrases about the eel resembling the snake and the fisherman holding an eel, it should be 鳝). When people see snakes and caterpillars, none does not shiver; yet women who raise silkworms and fishermen who grasp eels do not mind. Why? They want to get money. One who chases fish gets wet, and one who chases beasts runs; it is not that they like it so, but the exigency of the task.
登高使人慾望，臨淵使人慾窺，何也？處地然也。御者使人恭，射者使人端，何也？其形便也。
Climbing a height makes one want to look far, and standing at the edge of a deep gorge makes one want to peer in. Why? It is the terrain where one stands that makes it so. Driving makes one respectful, and archery makes one upright. Why? The body is suited to being so.
民有五死，聖人能去其三，不能去其二。飢渴死者，可去也；凍寒死者，可去也；罹五兵死者，可去也。壽命死者，不可去也；癰疽死者，不可去也。飢渴死者，中不充也；凍寒死者，外勝中也，罹五兵死者，德不忠也；壽命死者，歲數終也；癰疽死者，血氣窮也。故曰中不止，外淫作；外淫作者，多怨怪；多怨怪者，疾病生。故清靜無為，血氣乃平。
The people have five kinds of death; the sage can remove three of them and cannot remove two. Death from hunger and thirst can be removed; death from cold can be removed; death from encountering weapons can be removed. Death at the end of one's lifespan cannot be removed; death from carbuncles cannot be removed. Death from hunger and thirst is when the inside is not full; death from cold is when the outside overcomes the inside; death from weapons is when virtue is not faithful; death at the end of lifespan is the finishing of the years; death from carbuncles is the exhaustion of blood and qi. Therefore it is said that when the inside is not settled, outward licentiousness breaks out; those in whom outward licentiousness breaks out have many resentments; those with many resentments produce illness. So with purity, stillness, and non-action, blood and qi are even.
百行之本，一言也。一言而適，可以卻敵；一言而得，可以保國。響不能獨為聲，影不能倍曲為直，物必以其類及，故君子慎言出己。負石赴淵，行之難者也，然申屠狄為之，君子不貴之也；盜跖兇貪，名如日月，與舜禹並傳而不息，而君子不貴。
The root of a hundred kinds of conduct is one word. When one word is fitting, it can drive back an enemy; when one word is proper, it can preserve a state. An echo cannot make a sound alone, and a shadow cannot straighten itself against what is bent; a thing necessarily reaches oneself according to its kind, so the gentleman is careful of the words he speaks. To carry a stone and throw oneself into a deep pool is hard conduct, yet Shentu Di did this and the gentleman does not value it; Robber Zhi was savage and greedy, and his fame, like the sun and moon, is transmitted without ceasing together with Shun and Yu, yet the gentleman does not value it.
君子有五恥：朝不坐，燕不議，君子恥之；居其位，無其言，君子恥之；有其言，無其行，君子恥之；既得之又失之，君子恥之；地有餘而民不足，君子恥之。
The gentleman has five shames: not sitting at court and not discussing at leisure; occupying a post and having no words to match; having such words and not having such conduct; having obtained and then lost; having land in surplus while the people are insufficient. The gentleman is ashamed of these.
君子雖窮不處亡國之勢，雖貧不受亂君之祿；尊乎亂世，同乎暴君，君子恥之也。眾人以毀形為恥，君子以毀義為辱；眾人重利，廉士重名。
The gentleman, even in hardship, does not dwell in the circumstances of a perishing state, and even in poverty does not accept a disordered ruler's salary; to be honored in a disordered age, the same as a tyrant, the gentleman is ashamed of. The multitude take bodily damage as shame, while the gentleman takes damage to righteousness as disgrace; the multitude value profit, and the incorruptible value reputation.
明君之制：賞從重，罰從輕；食人以壯為量，事人以老為程。
The system of an enlightened ruler: rewards follow the heavy side and punishments follow the light; the food given to people is measured by their prime, and the work given to people is set by the standard of the aged.
君子之言寡而實，小人之言多而虛；君子之學也，入於耳，藏於心，行之以身；君子之治也，始於不足見，終於不可及也。君子慮福弗及，慮禍百之，君子擇人而取，不擇人而與，君子實如虛，有如無。
The gentleman's words are few and substantial; the petty man's words are many and empty. The gentleman's learning enters the ears, is stored in the heart, and is practiced with the body. The gentleman's governing begins from what is not seen and ends where it cannot be overtaken. The gentleman thinks of blessing for fear of falling short, and thinks of calamity a hundredfold. The gentleman chooses a person and then takes him; if he does not choose, he gives. The gentleman is full but appears empty, has but appears not to have.
君子有其備則無事；君子不以愧食，不以辱得；君子樂得其志，小人樂得其事；君子不以其所不愛，及其所愛也。
When the gentleman is prepared, there is no trouble; the gentleman does not exchange shame for food and does not gain by disgrace; the gentleman delights in attaining his aspiration, and the petty man delights in attaining his business; the gentleman does not extend what he does not love to what he loves.
君子有終身之憂，而無一朝之患，順道而行，循理而言，喜不加易，怒不加難。
The gentleman has lifelong concerns but not a single morning's trouble. He walks by the Way and speaks by principle; his joy is not changed by it, and his anger does not cause difficulty because of it.
君子之過猶日月之蝕也，何害於明？小人可也，猶狗之吠盜，狸之夜見，何益於善？夫智者不妄為，勇者不妄殺。
The gentleman's faults are like an eclipse of the sun and moon; what harm do they do to the light? The petty man can also manage: like a dog barking at thieves and a wildcat seeing at night, what increase to goodness is there? The wise do not act rashly, and the brave do not kill rashly.
君子比義，農夫比谷。事君不得進其言，則辭其爵；不得行其義，則辭其祿。人皆知取之為取也，不知與之為取之。政有招寇，行有招恥，弗為而自至，天下未有。
The gentleman measures by righteousness, and the farmer measures by grain. In serving a ruler, if one cannot present one's words, one resigns the rank; if one cannot practice one's righteousness, one resigns the salary. People all know that taking is taking, but do not know that giving is also taking. When government decrees attract bandits and enemies, and conduct attracts disgrace, that these arrive without one's doing them, there is no such thing in the world.
猛獸狐疑不若蜂蠆之致毒也；高議而不可及，不若卑論之有功也。
A fierce beast that hesitates is not as good as a bee or scorpion that can deliver its poison; lofty and far-reaching arguments that cannot be reached are not as good as humble arguments that have effect.
秦信同姓以王，至其衰也，非易同姓也，而身死國亡。故王者之治天下在於行法，不在於信同姓。
Qin trusted those of the same surname and became king; when it declined, it was not that it had changed the surname, yet the king died and the state perished. Therefore a king's governing the world lies in carrying out law, not in trusting those of the same surname.
高山之巔無美木，傷於多陽也；大樹之下無美草，傷於多陰也。
On the peak of a high mountain there are no fine trees, because they are harmed by too much yang; under a large tree there is no fine grass, because it is harmed by too much yin.
鍾子期死而伯牙絕弦破琴，知世莫可為鼓也；惠施卒而莊子深暝不言，見世莫可與語也。
When Zhong Ziqi died, Bo Ya cut the strings and smashed his zither, knowing there was no one left in the world to play for; when Hui Shi died, Zhuangzi fell deeply silent and did not speak, seeing that there was no one in the world to converse with.
修身者智之府也，愛施者仁之端也，取予者義之符也，恥辱者勇之決也，立名者行之極也。
Cultivating oneself is the storehouse of wisdom, loving and giving is the beginning of humaneness, taking and giving is the tally of righteousness, handling shame and disgrace is the decision of courage, and establishing a name is the utmost of conduct.
進賢受上賞，蔽賢蒙顯戮，古之通義也；爵人於朝，淪人於市，古之通法也。
Recommending the worthy earns the highest reward, and concealing the worthy brings open execution; this is the righteousness practiced in antiquity. Granting rank in court and making people sink in the market is the law practiced in antiquity.