1
屈原者，名平，楚之同姓也。 為楚懷王左徒。 博聞彊志，明於治亂，嫻于辭令。 入則與王圖議國事，以出號令； 出則接遇賓客，應對諸侯。 王甚任之。
Qu Yuan, whose given name was Ping, shared the royal surname of the state of Chu. He served as Left Minister to King Huai of Chu. He was widely learned with a powerful memory, well versed in the principles of governance and disorder, and eloquent in speech and composition. At court, he deliberated affairs of state with the king and drafted royal edicts; abroad, he received envoys and conducted diplomacy with the feudal lords. The king placed great trust in him.
2
上官大夫與之同列，爭寵而心害其能。 懷王使屈原造為憲令，屈平屬草槁未定。 上官大夫見而欲奪之，屈平不與，因讒之曰：「王使屈平為令，眾莫不知，每一令出，平伐其功，（曰）以為『非我莫能為』也。」 王怒而疏屈平。
Grand Master Shangguan, who held the same rank, vied with him for the king's favor and secretly resented his abilities. King Huai charged Qu Yuan with drafting a new code of laws. Qu Ping had composed a rough draft but had not yet finalized it. Grand Master Shangguan saw the draft and wished to claim it for himself. When Qu Ping refused to hand it over, Shangguan slandered him before the king, saying: 'Your Majesty commissioned Qu Ping to draft these laws, and everyone knows it. Yet each time a new decree is issued, Ping boasts of the achievement, claiming that no one but he could have done it.' The king grew angry and distanced himself from Qu Ping.
3
屈平疾王聽之不聰也，讒諂之蔽明也，邪曲之害公也，方正之不容也，故憂愁幽思而作離騷。 離騷者，猶離憂也。 夫天者，人之始也； 父母者，人之本也。 人窮則反本，故勞苦倦極，未嘗不呼天也； 疾痛慘怛，未嘗不呼父母也。 屈平正道直行，竭忠盡智以事其君，讒人閒之，可謂窮矣。 信而見疑，忠而被謗，能無怨乎？ 屈平之作離騷，蓋自怨生也。 國風好色而不淫，小雅怨誹而不亂。 若離騷者，可謂兼之矣。 上稱帝嚳，下道齊桓，中述湯武，以刺世事。 明道德之廣崇，治亂之條貫，靡不畢見。 其文約，其辭微，其志絜，其行廉，其稱文小而其指極大，舉類邇而見義遠。 其志絜，故其稱物芳。 其行廉，故死而不容自疏。 濯淖汙泥之中，蟬蛻於濁穢，以浮游塵埃之外，不獲世之滋垢，皭然泥而不滓者也。 推此志也，雖與日月爭光可也。
Qu Ping was pained that the king's judgment was so easily clouded, that slander and flattery obscured his wisdom, that the crooked and corrupt harmed the public good, and that the upright found no place at court. And so, in deep sorrow and brooding anguish, he composed the 'Encountering Sorrow.' The title 'Encountering Sorrow' means, in essence, to be beset by grief. Heaven is the origin of all people; parents are the root of every person. When people are driven to extremity, they return to their roots. Thus, in the depths of toil and exhaustion, they never fail to cry out to Heaven; in the anguish of sickness and suffering, they never fail to call out to their parents. Qu Ping walked the straight path and acted with integrity, exhausting his loyalty and wisdom in service to his lord, yet slanderers drove a wedge between them. One may truly say he was driven to the uttermost extremity. To be trusted yet met with suspicion, to be loyal yet slandered — how could he not feel resentment? Qu Ping's composition of the 'Encountering Sorrow' was born from just such resentment. The 'Airs of the States' delights in beauty without becoming licentious; the 'Lesser Odes' expresses resentment without descending into disorder. The 'Encountering Sorrow' may be said to unite both these virtues. It invokes Emperor Ku in the remote past, speaks of Duke Huan of Qi in recent times, and recounts the deeds of Tang and Wu in between — all to cast light on the affairs of the present age. It illuminates the breadth and grandeur of moral virtue and the patterns underlying order and chaos, leaving nothing unexamined. Its language is concise, its diction subtle, its aspirations pure, its conduct unblemished. Its allusions may seem trifling, but their significance is vast; the examples it draws upon are near at hand, yet the principles they illuminate reach far. Because its aspirations are pure, it speaks of fragrant things. Because its conduct is unblemished, he would sooner die than allow himself to be estranged from virtue. He cleansed himself amid the mire and filth, shed his skin like a cicada leaving behind corruption, and floated free beyond the dust of the world. He refused to let the grime of his age stain him — a man who passed through the mud yet emerged without a blemish. Judging by such resolve, one may say that his brilliance could rival even the sun and moon.
4
屈平既絀，其後秦欲伐齊，齊與楚從親，惠王患之，乃令張儀詳去秦，厚幣委質事楚，曰：「秦甚憎齊，齊與楚從親，楚誠能絕齊，秦願獻商、於之地六百里。」 楚懷王貪而信張儀，遂絕齊，使使如秦受地。 張儀詐之曰：「儀與王約六里，不聞六百里。」 楚使怒去，歸告懷王。 懷王怒，大興師伐秦。 秦發兵擊之，大破楚師於丹、淅，斬首八萬，虜楚將屈丐，遂取楚之漢中地。 懷王乃悉發國中兵以深入擊秦，戰於藍田。 魏聞之，襲楚至鄧。 楚兵懼，自秦歸。 而齊竟怒不救楚，楚大困。
After Qu Ping had been dismissed, Qin wished to attack Qi. Since Qi and Chu had formed a close alliance, King Hui of Qin grew alarmed. He dispatched Zhang Yi, who feigned departure from Qin's service and arrived in Chu bearing lavish gifts, pledging himself as a vassal. Zhang Yi told the king of Chu: 'Qin despises Qi, and Qi has allied itself closely with Chu. If Chu would truly sever its ties with Qi, Qin is willing to cede six hundred li of the Shang and Yu territories.' King Huai of Chu, blinded by greed, believed Zhang Yi. He severed relations with Qi and sent an envoy to Qin to claim the promised territory. Zhang Yi deceived them, saying: 'I agreed with my king on six li. I never heard anything about six hundred.' The Chu envoy departed in fury and returned to report to King Huai. King Huai was enraged and raised a great army to attack Qin. Qin sent its forces to meet them and dealt a crushing defeat to the Chu army at Dan and Xi, beheading eighty thousand soldiers and capturing the Chu general Qu Gai. Qin then seized the Hanzhong territories of Chu. King Huai then mobilized every soldier in the realm for a deep thrust into Qin, and the two sides clashed at Lantian. Wei, learning of this, launched a surprise attack on Chu and advanced as far as Deng. The Chu forces grew fearful and withdrew from Qin. Qi, still furious at Chu's betrayal, refused to come to its aid, and Chu was left in dire straits.
5
明年，秦割漢中地與楚以和。 楚王曰：「不願得地，願得張儀而甘心焉。」 張儀聞，乃曰：「以一儀而當漢中地，臣請往如楚。」 如楚，又因厚幣用事者臣靳尚，而設詭辯於懷王之寵姬鄭袖。 懷王竟聽鄭袖，復釋去張儀。 是時屈平既疏，不復在位，使於齊，顧反，諫懷王曰：「何不殺張儀？」 懷王悔，追張儀不及。
The following year, Qin offered to cede the Hanzhong territory to Chu in exchange for peace. The king of Chu declared: 'I do not want the land. I want Zhang Yi — only then will my heart be satisfied.' When Zhang Yi heard this, he said: 'If one Zhang Yi is worth the Hanzhong territory, then let me go to Chu.' He went to Chu and bribed the powerful minister Jin Shang with lavish gifts, then contrived through cunning arguments to win over King Huai's favored consort, Zheng Xiu. In the end, King Huai heeded Zheng Xiu and released Zhang Yi once again. At that time, Qu Ping had already been estranged and was no longer in office. He had been sent on a mission to Qi, and upon his return, he remonstrated with King Huai: 'Why did you not execute Zhang Yi?' King Huai was filled with regret and sent men to pursue Zhang Yi, but they could not catch him.
6
其後諸侯共擊楚，大破之，殺其將唐眛。
Afterward, the feudal lords joined forces against Chu, dealt it a crushing defeat, and slew its general Tang Mei.
7
時秦昭王與楚婚，欲與懷王會。 懷王欲行，屈平曰：「秦虎狼之國，不可信，不如毋行。」 懷王稚子子蘭勸王行：「柰何絕秦歡！」 懷王卒行。 入武關，秦伏兵絕其後，因留懷王，以求割地。 懷王怒，不聽。 亡走趙，趙不內。 復之秦，竟死於秦而歸葬。
At that time, King Zhao of Qin had formed a marriage alliance with Chu and wished to meet with King Huai. King Huai intended to go, but Qu Ping warned him: 'Qin is a land of tigers and wolves. It cannot be trusted. Better not to go.' But King Huai's youngest son, Zi Lan, urged the king to go: 'How can we sever our friendship with Qin!' In the end, King Huai went. When he entered the Wu Pass, Qin troops sprang from ambush and cut off his retreat. They detained King Huai and demanded that he cede territory. King Huai was furious and refused. He escaped and fled to Zhao, but Zhao refused him entry. He was returned to Qin, where he eventually died. His body was sent home for burial.
8
長子頃襄王立，以其弟子蘭為令尹。 楚人既咎子蘭以勸懷王入秦而不反也。
The eldest son ascended the throne as King Qingxiang and appointed his younger brother Zi Lan as Prime Minister. The people of Chu already blamed Zi Lan for having urged King Huai to enter Qin, whence he never returned.
9
屈平既嫉之，雖放流，睠顧楚國，系心懷王，不忘欲反，冀幸君之一悟，俗之一改也。 其存君興國而欲反覆之，一篇之中三致志焉。 然終無可柰何，故不可以反，卒以此見懷王之終不悟也。 人君無愚智賢不肖，莫不欲求忠以自為，舉賢以自佐，然亡國破家相隨屬，而聖君治國累世而不見者，其所謂忠者不忠，而所謂賢者不賢也。 懷王以不知忠臣之分，故內惑於鄭袖，外欺於張儀，疏屈平而信上官大夫、令尹子蘭。 兵挫地削，亡其六郡，身客死於秦，為天下笑。 此不知人之禍也。 《易》曰：「井泄不食，為我心惻，可以汲。 王明，并受其福。」 王之不明，豈足福哉！
Qu Ping loathed Zi Lan. Though banished, he remained devoted to the state of Chu. His heart was bound to King Huai, and he never ceased longing for his return to court, hoping that the king might one day awaken to the truth and that the corruption of the age might be reformed. His desire to preserve his lord and restore the state, to reverse its decline — this resolve is expressed three times within a single poem. Yet in the end, nothing could be done. He could not return to court, and so he came to see at last that King Huai would never awaken. Every ruler, whether foolish or wise, worthy or unworthy, wishes to find loyal ministers to serve him and to elevate the worthy to assist him. Yet states collapse and families are ruined in unbroken succession, while sage rulers who bring lasting order are not seen for generations on end. This is because those they called loyal were not truly loyal, and those they called worthy were not truly worthy. Because King Huai could not distinguish a loyal minister from a false one, he was beguiled within by Zheng Xiu and deceived without by Zhang Yi. He cast aside Qu Ping and placed his trust in Grand Master Shangguan and the Prime Minister Zi Lan. His armies were routed, his territory stripped away, and six commanderies were lost. He himself died a captive in Qin, and became a laughingstock to all under Heaven. Such is the calamity of failing to know men. The Book of Changes says: 'The well seeps but none drink from it — this grieves my heart. Yet water may still be drawn. When the king is wise, all share in his blessings.' But when the king lacks wisdom, how can there be any blessing at all!
10
令尹子蘭聞之大怒，卒使上官大夫短屈原於頃襄王，頃襄王怒而遷之。
When Prime Minister Zi Lan heard of this, he was enraged. He had Grand Master Shangguan speak against Qu Yuan before King Qingxiang. The king, in his anger, banished Qu Yuan.
11
屈原至於江濱，被髪行吟澤畔。 顏色憔悴，形容枯槁。 漁父見而問之曰：「子非三閭大夫歟？ 何故而至此？」 屈原曰：「舉世混濁而我獨清，眾人皆醉而我獨醒，是以見放。」 漁父曰：「夫聖人者，不凝滯於物而能與世推移。 舉世混濁，何不隨其流而揚其波？ 眾人皆醉，何不餔其糟而啜其醨？ 何故懷瑾握瑜而自令見放為？」 屈原曰：「吾聞之，新沐者必彈冠，新浴者必振衣，人又誰能以身之察察，受物之汶汶者乎！ 寧赴常流而葬乎江魚腹中耳，又安能以皓皓之白而蒙世俗之溫蠖乎！」
Qu Yuan came to the banks of the river. With his hair unbound, he wandered along the marshy shore, chanting as he walked. His face was haggard, his body gaunt and wasted. A fisherman saw him and asked: 'Are you not the Grand Master of the Three Wards? What has brought you to this?' Qu Yuan replied: 'The whole world is muddied, yet I alone remain clear. All men are drunk, yet I alone am sober. That is why I have been cast out.' The fisherman said: 'A sage does not cling rigidly to things, but moves with the current of the world. If the whole world is muddied, why not go with its flow and ride its waves? If all men are drunk, why not eat the dregs and sip the thin wine along with them? Why cling so tightly to your jade and jewels that you bring banishment upon yourself?' Qu Yuan replied: 'I have heard that one who has just washed his hair must dust off his cap, and one who has just bathed must shake out his robes. How can anyone, with a body so clean, allow himself to be sullied by the filth of the world! I would sooner cast myself into the river's ceaseless flow and be buried in the bellies of the fish, than let my radiant purity be smothered by the dust of this vulgar world!'
12
乃作懷沙之賦。 其辭曰：
He then composed the rhapsody 'Embracing Sand.' Its words read:
13
陶陶孟夏兮，草木莽莽。 傷懷永哀兮，汩徂南土。 眴兮窈窈，孔靜幽墨。 冤結紆軫兮，離愍之長鞠； 撫情效志兮，俛詘以自抑。
In the warmth of early summer, the grasses and trees grow wild and lush. My wounded heart aches with endless sorrow, as I am swept away to the southern lands. All is dim and fathomless, a vast silence shrouded in darkness. My grievances coil and knot within me, and the anguish of my exile stretches on without end; I steady my feelings and hold fast to my purpose, bowing low to restrain myself.
14
刓方以為圜兮，常度未替； 易初本由兮，君子所鄙。 章畫職墨兮，前度未改； 內直質重兮，大人所盛。 巧匠不斲兮，孰察其揆正？ 玄文幽處兮，矇謂之不章； 離婁微睇兮，瞽以為無明。 變白而為黑兮，倒上以為下。 鳳皇在笯兮，雞雉翔舞。 同糅玉石兮，一而相量。 夫黨人之鄙妒兮，羌不知吾所臧。
They would grind what is square to make it round, yet the eternal standard remains unchanged; to abandon one's original nature and principles is what the true gentleman despises. The compass lines are drawn and the ink marks set; the old standards have not been altered; inner rectitude and steadfast substance are what the great man esteems. If the skillful craftsman does not carve, who will discern that the timber is true? Profound patterns lie hidden in the deep, and the blind call them obscure; Li Lou barely glances, and the sightless declare there is no light. They turn white to black and reverse what is above to make it below. The phoenix is caged, while the chickens and pheasants soar and dance. Jade and common stone are jumbled together and weighed as one. Those petty factions in their base jealousy have no inkling of the worth I hold within.
15
任重載盛兮，陷滯而不濟； 懷瑾握瑜兮，窮不得余所示。 邑犬群吠兮，吠所怪也； 誹駿疑桀兮，固庸態也。 文質疏內兮，眾不知吾之異采； 材樸委積兮，莫知余之所有。 重仁襲義兮，謹厚以為豐； 重華不可牾兮，孰知余之從容！ 迸固有不并兮，豈知其故也？ 湯禹久遠兮，邈不可慕也。 懲違改忿兮，抑心而自彊； 離湣而不遷兮，願志之有象。 進路北次兮，日昧昧其將暮； 含憂虞哀兮，限之以大故。
The burden I bear is heavy, the load beyond measure, and I am mired and cannot cross; I clasp my jade and hold my jewels, but in my extremity, I find no one to whom I may show them. The village dogs bark in a pack — they bark at whatever seems strange to them; to slander the excellent and suspect the outstanding is simply the way of the mediocre. My refinement and substance lie within, unadorned — the crowd does not see my singular brilliance; my timber is rough-hewn and heaped aside, and none know what I possess. I pile benevolence upon righteousness, scrupulous and generous in abundance; Even Emperor Shun could not fault me — yet who knows the composure in my heart! That the worthy and the base should not stand together has ever been so — yet who grasps the reason why? Tang and Yu are far away in the distant past, too remote to serve as models. I correct my faults and master my anger, restraining my heart to strengthen my resolve; though beset by sorrow, I will not waver — I wish only that my purpose may find form. I journey northward and make camp, but the day grows dim as dusk approaches; sorrow and dread fill my breast, and I am bound by the finality of death.
16
亂曰：浩浩沅、湘兮，分流汨兮。 修路幽拂兮，道遠忽兮。 曾唫恒悲兮，永嘆慨兮。 世既莫吾知兮，人心不可謂兮。 懷情抱質兮，獨無匹兮。 伯樂既歿兮，驥將焉程兮？ 人生稟命兮，各有所錯兮。 定心廣志，餘何畏懼兮？ 曾傷爰哀，永嘆喟兮。 世溷不吾知，心不可謂兮。 知死不可讓兮，願勿愛兮。 明以告君子兮，吾將以為類兮。
The envoi says: Vast are the Yuan and the Xiang, their waters parting as they flow into the Mi. The long road stretches dim and tangled; the way ahead disappears into the distance. My sighs deepen and my sorrow never lifts; an unending lamentation wells within me. The world no longer knows me, and the human heart cannot be fathomed. I hold my feelings close and cling to my integrity — alone, without a peer. Now that Bo Le is dead, who will judge the worth of a fine steed? In this life, each person receives a fate, and each has a place to which he is assigned. I steady my heart and broaden my resolve — what have I left to fear? The grief deepens, the sorrow mounts — I sigh and sigh without end. The world is muddied and does not know me; the heart cannot be spoken of. I know that death cannot be refused — let me not cling to life. Let me declare this plainly to the gentlemen of the world: I shall make my death a testament.
17
於是懷石遂自（投）［沈］汨羅以死。
And so, clasping a stone to his chest, he cast himself into the Miluo River and drowned.
18
屈原既死之後，楚有宋玉、唐勒、景差之徒者，皆好辭而以賦見稱； 然皆祖屈原之從容辭令，終莫敢直諫。 其後楚日以削，數十年竟為秦所滅。
After Qu Yuan's death, Chu produced such men as Song Yu, Tang Le, and Jing Chai, all of whom were skilled in literary composition and won renown for their rhapsodies; yet all of them merely imitated Qu Yuan's elegant style, and none ever dared to speak in frank remonstrance. Afterward, Chu declined day by day, and within a few decades it was destroyed by Qin.
19
自屈原沈汨羅後百有餘年，漢有賈生，為長沙王太傅，過湘水，投書以弔屈原。
More than a hundred years after Qu Yuan drowned in the Miluo, there was a man of the Han named Jia Sheng, who served as Grand Tutor to the King of Changsha. As he crossed the Xiang River, he cast a written elegy into the waters to mourn Qu Yuan.
20
賈生名誼，雒陽人也。 年十八，以能誦詩屬書聞於郡中。 吳廷尉為河南守，聞其秀才，召置門下，甚幸愛。 孝文皇帝初立，聞河南守吳公治平為天下第一，故與李斯同邑而常學事焉，乃徵為廷尉。 廷尉乃言賈生年少，頗通諸子百家之書。 文帝召以為博士。
Jia Sheng, whose given name was Yi, was a native of Luoyang. By the age of eighteen, he was renowned throughout his commandery for his ability to recite the Odes and compose fine prose. Wu, the Commandant of Justice, was serving as Governor of Henan. When he heard of Jia Yi's talent, he summoned him into his household and treated him with great favor and affection. When Emperor Wen first ascended the throne, he heard that Wu Gong, the Governor of Henan, governed so well that he was reckoned the finest administrator in the realm. Wu Gong had come from the same town as Li Si and had often studied under him. The emperor summoned Wu Gong to serve as Commandant of Justice. The Commandant of Justice then spoke of Jia Sheng, saying that though he was young, he was deeply versed in the writings of the various philosophers and the Hundred Schools of thought. Emperor Wen summoned him and appointed him as an Erudite.
21
是時賈生年二十餘，最為少。 每詔令議下，諸老先生不能言，賈生盡為之對，人人各如其意所欲出。 諸生於是乃以為能，不及也。 孝文帝說之，超遷，一歲中至太中大夫。
At that time, Jia Sheng was just over twenty years old — the youngest among them. Whenever an edict was sent down for deliberation, the elder scholars could find nothing to say, but Jia Sheng answered every point on their behalf, expressing what each of them had wished to say but could not articulate. The other scholars all acknowledged his ability and conceded that they could not match him. Emperor Wen was delighted with him and promoted him rapidly. Within a single year, he rose to the rank of Grand Palace Grandee.
22
賈生以為漢興至孝文二十餘年，天下和洽，而固當改正朔，易服色，法制度，定官名，興禮樂，乃悉草具其事儀法，色尚黃，數用五，為官名，悉更秦之法。 孝文帝初即位，謙讓未遑也。 諸律令所更定，及列侯悉就國，其說皆自賈生發之。 於是天子議以為賈生任公卿之位。 絳、灌、東陽侯、馮敬之屬盡害之，乃短賈生曰：「雒陽之人，年少初學，專欲擅權，紛亂諸事。」 於是天子後亦疏之，不用其議，乃以賈生為長沙王太傅。
Jia Sheng believed that more than twenty years had passed since the founding of the Han, and that the realm was now at peace. It was therefore time to reform the calendar, change the ritual colors, revise the laws and institutions, establish proper official titles, and promote the rites and music. He drafted a comprehensive plan for all of these measures, proposing yellow as the dynastic color, the number five as the governing numeral, and new official titles — entirely replacing the old Qin system. Emperor Wen had only recently ascended the throne and, out of modesty and restraint, had not yet found the occasion to act. The various reforms to the statutes and ordinances, as well as the policy of sending all the marquises to their fiefdoms, all originated from Jia Sheng's proposals. The emperor then considered promoting Jia Sheng to the rank of one of the great ministers of state. But the Marquis of Jiang, Guan Ying, the Marquis of Dongyang, Feng Jing, and others all opposed him. They slandered Jia Sheng, saying: 'This man from Luoyang is young and has barely begun his studies, yet he seeks to monopolize power and throw everything into confusion.' The emperor afterward also distanced himself from Jia Sheng and ceased to follow his counsel. He appointed Jia Sheng as Grand Tutor to the King of Changsha.
23
賈生既辭往行，聞長沙卑溼，自以壽不得長，又以適去，意不自得。 及渡湘水，為賦以弔屈原。 其辭曰：
Jia Sheng took his leave and departed. He had heard that Changsha was low and damp, and feared he would not live long there. Moreover, having been sent away in disgrace, his spirits were deeply low. As he crossed the Xiang River, he composed a rhapsody to mourn Qu Yuan. Its words read:
24
共承嘉惠兮，俟罪長沙。 側聞屈原兮，自沈汨羅。 造託湘流兮，敬弔先生。 遭世罔極兮，乃隕厥身。 嗚呼哀哉，逢時不祥！ 鸞鳳伏竄兮，鴟梟翺翔：闒茸尊顯兮，讒諛得志； 賢聖逆曳兮，方正倒植。 世謂伯夷貪兮，謂盜跖廉； 莫邪為頓兮，鉛刀為铦。 于嗟嚜嚜兮，生之無故！ 斡棄周鼎兮寶康瓠，騰駕罷牛兮驂蹇驢，驥垂兩耳兮服鹽車。 章甫薦屨兮，漸不可久； 嗟苦先生兮，獨離此咎！
I have humbly received the emperor's gracious favor, yet now I await my punishment in Changsha. I have heard of Qu Yuan, who drowned himself in the Miluo. I entrust these words to the Xiang's current, to pay my respectful tribute to the master. He met a world without measure or principle, and so he let his body fall. Alas, how grievous! He was born into an inauspicious time! The phoenix and the luan hide and cower, while the owl and the kite soar freely: the lowly and worthless are honored and exalted, the slanderers and flatterers achieve their ambitions; the worthy and the wise are dragged backward, the upright and the honest are planted upside down. The world calls Bo Yi greedy and Robber Zhi virtuous; the sword Mo Ye is deemed blunt, while a knife of lead is called keen. Alas, how dark, how dark — this life without reason! They cast aside the sacred Zhou tripod and treasure a hollow gourd; they harness an exhausted ox with a lame donkey for a team, while the fine steed droops its ears, yoked to a salt cart. A noble cap is used to line a shoe — such an inversion cannot last; Alas, poor Master — you alone bore the blame for this!
25
訊曰：已矣，國其莫我知，獨堙郁兮其誰語？ 鳳漂漂其高遰兮，夫固自縮而遠去。 襲九淵之神龍兮，沕深潛以自珍。 彌融爚以隱處兮，夫豈從螘與蛭螾？ 所貴聖人之神德兮，遠濁世而自藏。 使騏驥可得系羈兮，豈云異夫犬羊！ 般紛紛其離此尤兮，亦夫子之辜也！ 瞝九州而相君兮，何必懷此都也？ 鳳皇翔于千仞之上兮，覽德惪而下之； 見細德之險（微）［徵］兮，搖增翮逝而去之。 彼尋常之汙瀆兮，豈能容吞舟之魚！ 橫江湖之鱣鱏兮，固將制於蟻螻。
The envoi says: It is over! None in the realm know me — I choke in solitary anguish, and to whom can I speak? The phoenix drifts aloft and soars away — it withdraws of its own accord and departs into the distance. Like the divine dragon of the nine abysses, it dives deep and hides, treasuring itself in secret. It shines with a radiance that conceals itself — how could it ever keep company with ants and leeches? What we prize in the sage is his divine virtue — he withdraws far from the turbid world and conceals himself. If a fine steed could be tethered and bridled like any beast, how would it differ from dogs and sheep! That all this turmoil should descend upon you was also, in part, the Master's own doing! You could have looked across the Nine Provinces to find a worthy lord — why cling so stubbornly to this one capital? The phoenix soars a thousand ren above, and only when it surveys true virtue below does it descend; when it sees the slightest sign of faltering virtue, it beats its wings and soars away. How could an ordinary ditch ever contain a fish large enough to swallow a boat! The great sturgeon that rules the rivers and lakes will surely be mastered at last by ants and mole crickets.
26
賈生為長沙王太傅三年，有鸮飛入賈生舍，止于坐隅。 楚人命鸮曰「服」。 賈生既以適居長沙，長沙卑溼，自以為壽不得長，傷悼之，乃為賦以自廣。 其辭曰：
After Jia Sheng had served as Grand Tutor to the King of Changsha for three years, an owl flew into his lodgings and perched in the corner of his seat. The people of Chu call the owl 'fu.' Jia Sheng had been banished to live in Changsha, which was low and damp. Believing he would not live long, he grieved deeply and composed a rhapsody to console himself. Its words read:
27
單閼之歲兮，四月孟夏，庚子日施兮，服集予舍，止于坐隅，貌甚閒暇。 異物來集兮，私怪其故，發書占之兮，筴言其度。 曰「野鳥入處兮，主人將去」。 請問于服兮：「予去何之？ 吉乎告我，凶言其菑。 淹數之度兮，語予其期。」 服乃嘆息，舉首奮翼，口不能言，請對以意。
In the year of Shanhe, in the fourth month of early summer, on the day of Gengzi, an owl alighted on my dwelling and perched in the corner of my seat, looking perfectly at ease. A strange creature had come to alight — in private, I wondered at the reason. I opened a book of divination to consult the oracle, and the bamboo slips spoke of its portent. They said: 'When a wild bird enters the dwelling, the master is about to depart.' I asked the owl: 'Where shall I go? If it is auspicious, tell me so; if ill-omened, speak of the calamity to come. Reckon the span of my days, and tell me when the hour will come.' The owl sighed, raised its head, and beat its wings. Its mouth could not speak, but it seemed to answer with its intent.
28
萬物變化兮，固無休息。 斡流而遷兮，或推而還。 形氣轉續兮，變化而嬗。 沕穆無窮兮，胡可勝言！ 禍兮福所倚，福兮禍所伏； 憂喜聚門兮，吉凶同域。 彼吳彊大兮，夫差以敗； 越棲會稽兮，句踐霸世。 斯游遂成兮，卒被五刑； 傅說胥靡兮，乃相武丁。 夫禍之與福兮，何異糾纆。 命不可說兮，孰知其極？ 水激則旱兮，矢激則遠。 萬物回薄兮，振蕩相轉。 雲蒸雨降兮，錯繆相紛。 大專槃物兮，坱軋無垠。 天不可與慮兮，道不可與謀。 遲數有命兮，惡識其時？
The myriad things are ever changing — there is never any rest. They revolve and flow and shift; pushed forward, they circle back again. Form and breath pass on in ceaseless succession, changing and transforming without end. Boundless and unfathomable — how could words ever encompass it! Misfortune — that is where fortune leans; fortune — that is where misfortune hides; sorrow and joy gather at the same gate, the auspicious and the dire share the same ground. The state of Wu was mighty and strong, yet Fu Chai met defeat; Yue cowered at Kuaiji, yet Goujian rose to dominate the age. Li Si roamed and achieved success, yet in the end he suffered the Five Punishments; Fu Yue toiled as a convict laborer, yet rose to become chief minister to King Wu Ding. Misfortune and fortune — how are they any different from the strands of a twisted rope? Fate cannot be explained — who knows where it will end? Water forced through a narrow channel shoots high; an arrow released from a drawn bow flies far. The myriad things surge and press upon one another, buffeted and turning without cease. Clouds rise as steam and rain descends; all is tangled and interwoven. The great Way encompasses all things, vast and boundless, without limit. Heaven cannot be reasoned with; the Way cannot be plotted against. Whether slow or swift, all is fated — who can know the appointed hour?
29
且夫天地為鑪兮，造化為工； 陰陽為炭兮，萬物為銅。 合散消息兮，安有常則； 千變萬化兮，未始有極。 忽然為人兮，何足控摶； 化為異物兮，又何足患！ 小知自私兮，賤彼貴我； 通人大觀兮，物無不可。 貪夫徇財兮，烈士徇名； 夸者死權兮，品庶馮生。 述迫之徒兮，或趨西東； 大人不曲兮，億變齊同。 拘士系俗兮，攌如囚拘； 至人遺物兮，獨與道俱。 眾人或或兮，好惡積意； 真人淡漠兮，獨與道息。 釋知遺形兮，超然自喪； 寥廓忽荒兮，與道翺翔。 乘流則逝兮，得坻則止； 縱軀委命兮，不私與己。 其生若浮兮，其死若休； 澹乎若深淵之靜，氾乎若不系之舟。 不以生故自寶兮，養空而浮； 德人無累兮，知命不憂。 細故遰葪兮，何足以疑！
Heaven and earth are the furnace; creation itself is the smith; yin and yang are the charcoal; the myriad things are the bronze. Combining and dispersing, waxing and waning — where is there any constant law? A thousand changes, ten thousand transformations — from the beginning, there has never been an end. To become a human being in a sudden moment — what is there to cling to? To be transformed into some other being — why should that be cause for grief! The small-minded are selfish, despising others and prizing themselves; the man of broad understanding takes the great view, and to him nothing is unacceptable. The greedy man dies for wealth; the man of fierce conviction dies for fame; the vainglorious die for power, while the common people simply cling to life. Those driven by compulsion rush hither and thither, east and west; but the great man does not bend — amid a hundred million changes, all is the same to him. The narrow-minded scholar is bound by convention, fettered like a prisoner in chains; but the perfected man transcends the world of things and dwells alone with the Way. The common crowd wavers this way and that, their likes and dislikes piling up within them; but the true man is serene and detached, resting alone with the Way. He releases knowledge and abandons form, transcending and forgetting himself; in the vast and boundless emptiness, he soars with the Way. He rides the current and goes where it takes him; when he reaches a bank, he stops; he releases his body and entrusts himself to fate, without a thought of self. His life is like drifting; his death is like rest; he is tranquil as a still, deep pool, and unmoored as a boat adrift without a tether. He does not prize himself merely because he is alive, but nourishes emptiness and floats free; the man of virtue bears no burdens — knowing his fate, he does not grieve. Petty matters and trifling cares — what reason is there to be troubled by them!
30
後歲餘，賈生徵見。 孝文帝方受釐，坐宣室。 上因感鬼神事，而問鬼神之本。 賈生因具道所以然之狀。 至夜半，文帝前席。 既罷，曰：「吾久不見賈生，自以為過之，今不及也。」 居頃之，拜賈生為梁懷王太傅。 梁懷王，文帝之少子，愛，而好書，故令賈生傅之。
More than a year later, Jia Sheng was summoned back to court for an audience. Emperor Wen had just performed a sacrificial offering and was seated in the Xuanshi Hall. The emperor, moved by thoughts of ghosts and spirits, asked about the origin and nature of the spiritual world. Jia Sheng explained in full the reasons and principles behind these matters. By midnight, Emperor Wen had moved forward to the edge of his mat, leaning in to listen. When the audience was over, the emperor said: 'I have not seen Jia Sheng for a long time, and I thought I had surpassed him. Now I see I am not his equal.' Shortly afterward, he appointed Jia Sheng as Grand Tutor to King Huai of Liang. King Huai of Liang was Emperor Wen's youngest son, whom the emperor loved dearly. The prince was fond of learning, and so the emperor appointed Jia Sheng as his tutor.
31
文帝復封淮南厲王子四人皆為列侯。 賈生諫，以為患之興自此起矣。 賈生數上疏，言諸侯或連數郡，非古之制，可稍削之。 文帝不聽。
Emperor Wen once again enfeoffed all four sons of the cruel King of Huainan as marquises. Jia Sheng remonstrated, warning that calamity would arise from this. Jia Sheng submitted memorials on multiple occasions, arguing that some of the feudal lords controlled territories spanning several commanderies, which was contrary to the ancient system, and that their domains should be gradually reduced. Emperor Wen did not heed him.
32
居數年，懷王騎，墮馬而死，無後。 賈生自傷為傅無狀，哭泣歲餘，亦死。 賈生之死時年三十三矣。 及孝文崩，孝武皇帝立，舉賈生之孫二人至郡守，而賈嘉最好學，世其家，與余通書。 至孝昭時，列為九卿。
Several years later, King Huai went riding, fell from his horse, and died. He left no heir. Jia Sheng blamed himself bitterly for having failed as a tutor. He wept for more than a year, and then he too died. At the time of his death, Jia Sheng was only thirty-three years old. After Emperor Wen passed away and Emperor Wu ascended the throne, two of Jia Sheng's grandsons were promoted to the rank of commandery governor. Among them, Jia Jia was the most devoted to learning. He carried on the family tradition and exchanged letters with me. By the time of Emperor Zhao, he had risen to the rank of one of the Nine Ministers.
33
太史公曰：余讀離騷、天問、招魂、哀郢，悲其志。 適長沙，觀屈原所自沈淵，未嘗不垂涕，想見其為人。 及見賈生弔之，又怪屈原以彼其材，游諸侯，何國不容，而自令若是。 讀服烏賦，同死生，輕去就，又爽然自失矣。
The Grand Historian remarks: When I read the 'Encountering Sorrow,' the 'Heavenly Questions,' the 'Summoning the Soul,' and the 'Lament for Ying,' I grieve for Qu Yuan's resolve. When I traveled to Changsha and stood at the abyss where Qu Yuan drowned himself, I could not help but weep, picturing in my mind what manner of man he was. And when I read Jia Sheng's elegy for him, I wondered further: with such talents as Qu Yuan possessed, he could have traveled among the feudal lords — what state would not have welcomed him? Yet he brought himself to such an end. Then I read Jia Yi's 'Rhapsody on the Owl,' in which life and death are made equal and coming and going are taken lightly, and once again I was struck with a sudden sense of loss.