Notes on Literary Chinese
Selections from Stories by Liu Xiang
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Literary Chinese Prose
Collection of Literary Chinese Prose
Selections from Stories by Liu Xiang
Liu Xiang 劉向 (79—8 BCE) also known as Liu Gengsheng 劉更生 and Zi Zheng 子政 was born in the city of Peng Cheng 彭城, now known as Xuzhou 徐州, located in present day Jiangsu province. He was a well know Confucian scholarand compiled New Prefaces 新序, Garden of Stories 說苑, and Stratagems of the Warring States 戰國策. The original texts for all these passages can be found at the Chinese Text Project. See entries for Liu Xiang in the References.
Garden of Stories Duke Ping of Jin asks Shi Kuang
《說苑》 卷三《建本》
晉平公問於師曠曰：「吾年七十欲學，恐已暮矣。」師曠曰：「何不炳燭乎？」平公曰：「安有為人臣而戲其君乎？」師曠曰：「盲臣安敢戲其君乎？臣聞之，少而好學，如日出之陽；壯而好學，如日中之光；老而好學，如炳燭之明。炳燭之明，孰與昧行乎？」平公曰：「善哉！」
From Scroll 3 Jianben
Duke Ping of Jin said to Teacher Kuang, 'I am already seventy, I am afraid that my desire to study is already gone.'
Teacher Kuang said, 'Why not light up the candle?'
Duke Ping said, 'Why does the behavior of a servant mock his master?'
The servant heard this:
Study is good when young, like the sun at sunrise.
Study is good in one's prime, like the light at noon.
Study is good in one's old age, like the light from a candle.
How would you not choose lighting a candle instead of walking in the darkness?
Duke Ping said, 'Very virtuous.'
Notes
This style of story is a persuasion. A persuasion is a story where the ruler asks a question and the advisor replies with a surprising answer. The explanation of the surprising answer delivers a message. 师旷 was a well know musician from the time in Shanxi in present day Hongdong 洪洞. Fuller gives notes and vocabulary on this section of text. (Fuller, 2004, pp. 103-106) Original translation.
New Prefaces: A Two Headed Snake
《新序》雜事一
孫叔敖為嬰兒之時，出遊，見兩頭蛇，殺而埋之。歸而泣，其母問其故，叔敖對曰：「吾聞見兩頭之蛇者死，嚮者吾見之，恐去母而死也。」其母曰：「蛇今安在？」曰：「恐他人又見，殺而埋之矣。」其母曰：「吾聞有陰德者，天報之以福，汝不死也。」及長，為楚令尹，未治，而國人信其仁也。
From Miscellaneous 1
When Sun Shu Ao was a young child he went out to play one time and saw a snake with two heads. He killed and buried it then returned home and cried.
His mother asked him what the reason was. Shu ao replied, 'I saw a dead snake with two heads. I saw it facing me and I was afraid of dying and leaving you, Mother.'
His mother asked, 'Where is the snake now?'
He said, 'I was afraid of other people seeing it, so I killed and buried it.'
His mother said, 'I sense a hidden good deed that heaven will repay with good luck. You will not die.' When he grew up, he became the Chief Minister of Chu. Before he had started his position, the people already had faith in his benevolence.
Notes
- Fuller gives notes and vocabulary on this section of text (Fuller, 2004, pp. 107-110).
- Thanks to Miriam Dawson for suggestions in the translation and for this Baidu forum link: 孫叔敖埋蛇.
Garden of Stories: Zhao Jianzi Asks Zi Gong
《說苑》 善說
趙簡子問子貢曰：「孔子為人何如？」子貢對曰：「賜不能識也。」簡子不說曰：「夫子事孔子數十年，終業而去之，寡人問子，子曰不能識，何也？」子貢曰：「賜譬渴者之飲江海，知足而已，孔子猶江海也，賜則奚足以識之。」簡子曰：「善哉！子貢之言也。」
From Kind Words (Shanshuo)
Zhao Jianzi asked Zi Gong, “How did Confucius conduct himself?” Zi Gong said, “I, Ci, cannot know.” Vexed, Jian Zi said, “I took you ten years to complete your training in the teachings of Confucius. The ruler asks and you reply that you cannot know. Why?” Zi Gong said, “Let me use a metaphor. It would be like drinking all the rivers and seas to quench one's thirst. It is only necessary to be content. Confucius is like all the rivers and seas. As for me, how could I be adequate to understand him?” Jian Zi said, “Your words are very virtuous.”
Notes
This section is from Scroll 11 Kind Words 卷十一 善说. Fuller gives notes and vocabulary on this section of text. (Fuller, 2004, pp. 114-116) See References.
Zhao Jianzi Raises an Army to Attack Qi (Garden of Stories)
《說苑》 正諫
趙簡子舉兵而攻齊，令軍中有敢諫者罪至死，被甲之士，名曰公盧，望見簡子大笑；簡子曰：「子何笑？」對曰：「臣有夙笑。」簡子曰：「有以解之則可，無以解之則死。」對曰：「當桑之時，臣鄰家夫與妻俱之田，見桑中女，因往追之，不能得，還反，其妻怒而去之，臣笑其曠也。」簡子曰：「今吾伐國失國，是吾曠也。」於是罷師而歸。
From Handling Complaints
Zhao Jianzi raised an army to attack the State of Qi. He ordered complaining amongst the soldiers to be punished as a crime by execution. An officer wearing armour, named Gong Lu, looked at Jian Zi and laughed wildly. Jianzi asked, “Sir, why do you laugh?” Facing towards him he said, “You servant spent the whole night laughing.” Jian Zi said, “So there is an explanation for it. There is no other explanation but for you to die.” Facing towards him he said, “I was amongst the mulberry trees in the field near the house where my wife and I live. Amongst the mulberry trees I saw a woman but, because I was chasing her, I could not catch her. Going back, my wife was in a rage and left.” Jian Zi said, “Today I attack one state and loose another. It is pointless. Therefore, we will stop the campaign and return.”
Notes
Fuller gives notes and vocabulary on this section of text. (Fuller, 2004, pp. 117-121) This section of text is from Scroll 9 Handling Complaints 正谏. See References.
Garden of Stories: The King of Wu Desired to Attack Chu
《說苑》 正諫
吳王欲伐荊，告其左右曰：「敢有諫者，死！」舍人有少孺子者，欲諫不敢，則懷丸操彈，遊於後園，露沾其衣，如是者三旦，吳王曰：「子來何苦沾衣如此？」對曰：「園中有樹，其上有蟬，蟬高居悲鳴飲露，不知螳螂在其後也！螳螂委身曲附，欲取蟬而不顧知黃雀在其傍也！黃雀延頸欲啄螳螂而不知彈丸在其下也！此三者皆務欲得其前利而不顧其後之有患也。」吳王曰：「善哉！」乃罷其兵。
From Handling Complaints
The King of Wu desired to attack Chu and told his retainers and officials that anyone complaining would be executed. A palace attendant with a small child wanted to object but did not dare. Rather he held a slingshot with a pellet in on his body and walked to the back garden where his clothes got wet with due. So he spent three dawns. The King of Wu said, “Sir, please come here. What greivance wet your clothes in this way?” He said, “In there garden there are some trees with cicadas on them. The cicadas live up high and sadly weep, drinking due. There is a praying mantis back here as well. The praying mantis bends its body hoping to catch a cicada in spite of the small bird at its side. The small bird stretches its neck wanting to catch the praying mantis not knowing that there is a slingshot pellet below it. These three times I have been laboring to take the advantage but each time has ended in failure.” The King of Wu said, “Excellent!” He thus dismissed his troups.
Notes
Fuller gives notes and vocabulary on this section of text. (Fuller, 2004, pp. 138-139) This section of text is also from Scroll 9 Handling Complaints 正谏. See References.
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