II. v. 4.: A SLANDERED OFFICIAL. O far Great Heaven! we call thee Our Father and our Mother! Alas that on the blameless Such gross disorders gather! I verily am guiltless, Yet stern is thy displeasure. I truly am offenceless, Thou harsh beyond all measure. Disorder first arises On falsehood’s first receiving; And gathers force when rulers Deem slanders worth believing. Showed but the king displeasure, Disorder soon had vanished; And favoured he (the worthy), So too it soon were banished. When kings make frequent compacts,* Disorder grows with vigour; When faith they put in villains, Then cruel is its rigour. When villains’ words are blandest, Disorder (most) progresses; While failure in their duty The monarch but distresses. Grand is the ancestral temple; A master mind designed it.† Well framed was our Great Charter; Good men and wise defined it. [228] Whate’er be these men’s motive, I’ll weigh it well and watch it: Though sharp the hare, and cunning, The dog will round and catch it! What woods are soft and supple,— Our wiser men will grow them. What words are said at random,— One’s inner sense should know them. Ah, glib high-sounding language But to the tongue one traces, And artful dulcet* speeches To men of brazen faces. And these—who are they?—Dwellers On a river’s swampy borders! Yet these weak, nerveless creatures Give rise to such disorders! Ye ulcered, swollen-shinned ones! How should ye be so daring? But though ye make grand schemes, and many, How few to follow you are caring?
![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
Re: 198. 巧言 - Qiao Yan
Date: 2021-04-20 03:06 am (UTC)O far Great Heaven! we call thee
Our Father and our Mother!
Alas that on the blameless
Such gross disorders gather!
I verily am guiltless,
Yet stern is thy displeasure.
I truly am offenceless,
Thou harsh beyond all measure.
Disorder first arises
On falsehood’s first receiving;
And gathers force when rulers
Deem slanders worth believing.
Showed but the king displeasure,
Disorder soon had vanished;
And favoured he (the worthy),
So too it soon were banished.
When kings make frequent compacts,*
Disorder grows with vigour;
When faith they put in villains,
Then cruel is its rigour.
When villains’ words are blandest,
Disorder (most) progresses;
While failure in their duty
The monarch but distresses.
Grand is the ancestral temple;
A master mind designed it.†
Well framed was our Great Charter;
Good men and wise defined it.
[228]
Whate’er be these men’s motive,
I’ll weigh it well and watch it:
Though sharp the hare, and cunning,
The dog will round and catch it!
What woods are soft and supple,—
Our wiser men will grow them.
What words are said at random,—
One’s inner sense should know them.
Ah, glib high-sounding language
But to the tongue one traces,
And artful dulcet* speeches
To men of brazen faces.
And these—who are they?—Dwellers
On a river’s swampy borders!
Yet these weak, nerveless creatures
Give rise to such disorders!
Ye ulcered, swollen-shinned ones!
How should ye be so daring?
But though ye make grand schemes, and many,
How few to follow you are caring?
https://oll.libertyfund.org/title/confucius-the-shi-king-the-old-poetry-classic-of-the-chinese