Biography of Sima Xiangru

司馬相如者，蜀郡成都人也，字長卿。少時好讀書，學擊劍，故其親名之曰犬子。相如既學，慕藺相如之為人，更名相如。以貲為郎，事孝景帝，為武騎常侍，非其好也。會景帝不好辭賦，是時梁孝王來朝，從游說之士齊人鄒陽、淮陰枚乘、吳莊忌夫子之徒，相如見而說之，因病免，客游梁。梁孝王令與諸生同舍，相如得與諸生游士居數歲，乃著子虛之賦。

Sima Xiangru was a native of Chengdu in Shu Commandery, courtesy name Changqing. As a boy he loved books and studied swordsmanship, and his parents gave him the childhood name Quanzi, meaning 'puppy.' When he had completed his studies, he came to admire the character of the ancient statesman Lin Xiangru and changed his own name to Xiangru in homage. He purchased a position as a court gentleman and served Emperor Jing as a Mounted Guard Attendant, though the post held no appeal for him. Emperor Jing had no taste for literary rhapsodies. It happened that King Xiao of Liang came to court, attended by a retinue of rhetoricians and scholars — Zou Yang of Qi, Mei Cheng of Huaiyin, Master Zhuang Ji of Wu, and others of their circle. Xiangru was delighted by their company and, pleading illness, resigned his post to travel to Liang as a guest. King Xiao of Liang lodged him alongside the other scholars, and Xiangru spent several years in the company of these learned men and wandering intellectuals before composing his 'Rhapsody of Sir Fantasy.'

會梁孝王卒，相如歸，而家貧，無以自業。素與臨邛令王吉相善，吉曰：「長卿久宦遊不遂，而來過我。」於是相如往，舍都亭。臨邛令繆為恭敬，日往朝相如。相如初尚見之，后稱病，使從者謝吉，吉愈益謹肅。臨邛中多富人，而卓王孫家僮八百人，程鄭亦數百人，二人乃相謂曰：「令有貴客，為具召之。」并召令。令既至，卓氏客以百數。至日中，謁司馬長卿，長卿謝病不能往，臨邛令不敢嘗食，自往迎相如。相如不得已，彊往，一坐盡傾。酒酣，臨邛令前奏琴曰：「竊聞長卿好之，願以自娛。」相如辭謝，為鼓一再行。是時卓王孫有女文君新寡，好音，故相如繆與令相重，而以琴心挑之。相如之臨邛，從車騎，雍容閒雅甚都；及飲卓氏，弄琴，文君竊從戶窺之，心悅而好之，恐不得當也。既罷，相如乃使人重賜文君侍者通殷勤。文君夜亡奔相如，相如乃與馳歸成都。家居徒四壁立。卓王孫大怒曰：「女至不材，我不忍殺，不分一錢也。」人或謂王孫，王孫終不聽。文君久之不樂，曰：「長卿第俱如臨邛，從昆弟假貸猶足為生，何至自苦如此！」相如與俱之臨邛，盡賣其車騎，買一酒舍酤酒，而令文君當鑪。相如身自著犢鼻褌，與保庸雜作，滌器於市中。卓王孫聞而恥之，為杜門不出。昆弟諸公更謂王孫曰：「有一男兩女，所不足者非財也。今文君已失身於司馬長卿，長卿故倦游，雖貧，其人材足依也，且又令客，獨柰何相辱如此！」卓王孫不得已，分予文君僮百人，錢百萬，及其嫁時衣被財物。文君乃與相如歸成都，買田宅，為富人。

When King Xiao of Liang died, Xiangru returned home, only to find himself in poverty with no means of making a living. He had long been friends with Wang Ji, the magistrate of Linqiong. Wang Ji told him, 'Changqing, your years seeking a career at court have come to nothing — come and stay with me.' So Xiangru traveled there and took up lodgings at the district guesthouse. The magistrate of Linqiong made an elaborate show of deference, visiting Xiangru every day to pay his respects. At first Xiangru still granted him audiences, but later he pleaded illness and sent a servant to make his excuses. Wang Ji only grew more deferential. Linqiong boasted many wealthy families. Zhuo Wangsun kept a household of eight hundred servants, and Cheng Zheng had several hundred of his own. These two men said to one another, 'The magistrate has a distinguished guest — let us arrange a banquet and invite him.' They invited the magistrate as well. By the time the magistrate arrived, the Zhuo household had assembled guests numbering in the hundreds. At noon they sent word to Sima Changqing, but he declined, pleading illness. The magistrate of Linqiong did not dare touch the food and went in person to fetch Xiangru. Xiangru had no choice but to go, and the moment he arrived, every guest was captivated. When the wine had loosened everyone's spirits, the magistrate of Linqiong brought forward a zither and said, 'I hear that Changqing is fond of the instrument — perhaps he might play for his own amusement.' Xiangru made a show of modest refusal, then played a piece or two. Now Zhuo Wangsun had a daughter named Wenjun who had recently been widowed and was fond of music. This was precisely why Xiangru had conspired with the magistrate to build up his prestige — he intended to court her through the language of the zither. When Xiangru had first arrived in Linqiong, he came with a retinue of carriages and riders, carrying himself with a grace and elegance that was exceedingly striking; and when he drank at the Zhuo household and played the zither, Wenjun peeked at him through the doorway. Her heart stirred with delight and longing, though she feared she might not be worthy of such a man. After the banquet, Xiangru sent lavish gifts to Wenjun's attendants, conveying through them his heartfelt intentions. That night, Wenjun fled to Xiangru, and the two of them rode swiftly back to Chengdu together. At home they found nothing but four bare walls. Zhuo Wangsun was furious. 'That girl is utterly worthless,' he declared. 'I cannot bring myself to kill her, but she will not get a single coin from me.' Some tried to talk Wangsun around, but he refused to listen. After a long spell of unhappiness, Wenjun said, 'Changqing, let us go to Linqiong together. We can borrow from my brothers and kinsmen — it would be enough to live on. Why torment ourselves like this?' Xiangru went with her to Linqiong, sold all their carriages and horses, and bought a small wine shop. He had Wenjun serve behind the counter. Xiangru himself wore a coarse loincloth and worked alongside the hired hands, washing dishes in the middle of the marketplace. When Zhuo Wangsun heard about this, he was so mortified that he shut his gates and refused to go out. His brothers and other prominent men urged Wangsun, 'You have one son and two daughters — what you lack is certainly not wealth. Wenjun has already given herself to Sima Changqing. He may be weary from his travels and poor, but his talent is something one can depend on. And he is a guest of the magistrate, no less — how can you humiliate them like this?' Zhuo Wangsun had no choice but to relent. He gave Wenjun a hundred servants, a million coins, and the clothing and possessions from her original dowry. Wenjun and Xiangru returned to Chengdu, purchased farmland and a house, and lived as people of means.

居久之，蜀人楊得意為狗監，侍上。上讀子虛賦而善之，曰：「朕獨不得與此人同時哉！」得意曰：「臣邑人司馬相如自言為此賦。」上驚，乃召問相如。相如曰：「有是。然此乃諸侯之事，未足觀也。請為天子游獵賦，賦成奏之。」上許，令尚書給筆札。相如以「子虛」，虛言也，為楚稱；「烏有先生」者，烏有此事也，為齊難；「無是公」者，無是人也，明天子之義。故空藉此三人為辭，以推天子諸侯之苑囿。其卒章歸之於節儉，因以風諫。奏之天子，天子大說。其辭曰：

A long while later, a fellow from Shu named Yang Deyi, who served as Superintendent of the Imperial Hounds, was attending the emperor. The emperor read the 'Rhapsody of Sir Fantasy' and admired it greatly. 'What a pity,' he sighed, 'that I was not born in the same age as this man!' Yang Deyi spoke up: 'Your servant's townsman Sima Xiangru claims to have written this very rhapsody.' The emperor was astonished and immediately summoned Xiangru for an audience. Xiangru confirmed, 'Indeed, I wrote it. But it merely describes the affairs of feudal lords and is hardly worth Your Majesty's attention. Allow me to compose a rhapsody on the Son of Heaven's imperial hunt. When it is finished, I shall present it to you.' The emperor granted his request and ordered the Imperial Secretary to furnish him with brushes and writing tablets. Xiangru devised 'Sir Fantasy' — a name meaning 'empty talk' — as the spokesman for Chu; 'Master No-Such' — meaning 'how could such a thing be' — to argue on behalf of Qi; and 'Lord No-One' — meaning 'no such person exists' — to illuminate the grandeur and virtue of the Son of Heaven. He thus invented these three fictional characters as a literary conceit, using them to compare the parks and hunting grounds of the Son of Heaven with those of the feudal lords. The final section circles back to the virtues of frugality, delivering its admonition through allegory. When the rhapsody was presented to the emperor, the Son of Heaven was greatly pleased. The text reads as follows:

楚使子虛使於齊，齊王悉發境內之士，備車騎之眾，與使者出田。田罷，子虛過詫烏有先生，而無是公在焉。坐定，烏有先生問曰：「今日田樂乎？」子虛曰：「樂。」「獲多乎？」曰：「少。」「然則何樂？」曰：「仆樂齊王之欲夸仆以車騎之眾，而仆對以雲夢之事也。」曰：「可得聞乎？」

The kingdom of Chu dispatched Sir Fantasy as its envoy to Qi. The King of Qi mustered every warrior in his realm, marshaled a vast host of chariots and cavalry, and rode out to hunt with the envoy. When the hunt was finished, Sir Fantasy paid a call on Master No-Such, and Lord No-One happened to be there as well. Once they had settled into their seats, Master No-Such asked, 'Did you enjoy today's hunt?' Sir Fantasy replied, 'Very much.' 'Was the catch plentiful?' 'Rather meager,' he said. 'Then what did you enjoy about it?' 'What I enjoyed,' he said, 'was that the King of Qi tried to overawe me with the splendor of his cavalry, and I countered with an account of the glories of Yunmeng.' 'May I hear the tale?' asked Master No-Such.

子虛曰：「可。王駕車千乘，選徒萬騎，田於海濱。列卒滿澤，罘罔彌山，揜兔轔鹿，射麋腳鱗。騖於鹽浦，割鮮染輪射中獲多，顧謂仆曰：『楚亦有平原廣澤游獵之地饒樂若此者乎？楚王之獵何與寡人？』仆下車對曰：『臣，楚國之鄙人也，幸得宿衛十有餘年，時從出游，游於後園，覽於有無，然猶未能遍覩也，又惡足以言其外澤者乎！』齊王曰：『雖然，略以子之所聞見而言之。』

Sir Fantasy said, 'Of course. The king rode out with a thousand chariots and ten thousand picked cavalry, hunting along the seashore. Ranks of soldiers filled the marshes; nets and snares blanketed the hills. They caught hares and trampled deer, shot elk and trod upon the scaled creatures. They raced across the salt flats, carving fresh game until blood stained the chariot wheels. The kill was enormous. The king turned to me and asked, 'Does Chu possess any plains or vast marshlands with hunting grounds as rich and pleasurable as these? How does the King of Chu's hunt compare to mine?' I descended from the chariot and replied, 'Your servant is but a humble man from Chu who was fortunate enough to serve in the palace guard for more than ten years. From time to time I accompanied excursions through the rear gardens, catching glimpses here and there, yet I never managed to see the whole of it — how could I presume to speak of the vast marshlands beyond!' The King of Qi said, 'Be that as it may, tell me broadly what you have heard and seen.'

「仆對曰：『唯唯。臣聞楚有七澤，嘗見其一，未覩其余也。臣之所見，蓋特其小小者耳，名曰雲夢。雲夢者，方九百里，其中有山焉。其山則盤紆岪郁，隆崇嵂崒；岑巖參差，日月蔽虧；交錯糾紛，上干青雲；罷池陂陁，下屬江河。其土則丹青赭堊，雌黃白坿，錫碧金銀，眾色炫燿，照爛龍鱗。其石則赤玉玫瑰，琳瑉琨珸，瑊玏玄厲，瑌石武夫。其東則有蕙圃衡蘭，芷若射干，穹窮昌蒲，江離麋蕪，諸蔗猼且。其南則有平原廣澤，登降陁靡，案衍壇曼，緣以大江，限以巫山。其高燥則生葴簛苞荔，薛莎青薠。其卑溼則生藏莨蒹葭，東薔雕胡，蓮藕菰蘆，蔄軒芋，眾物居之，不可勝圖。其西則有湧泉清池，激水推移；外發芙蓉蔆華，內隱鉅石白沙。其中則有神龜蛟鼉，瑁鱉黿。其北則有陰林巨樹，楩枏豫章，桂椒木蘭，蘗離朱楊，櫨梸梬栗，橘柚芬芳。其上則有赤猨蠷蝚，鹓雛孔鸞，騰遠射干。其下則有白虎玄豹，蟃蜒貙豻，兕象野犀，窮奇獌狿。

I replied, 'As you wish. I have heard that Chu possesses seven great marshlands. I have seen only one, and have never laid eyes on the rest. The one I saw is merely the smallest among them. It is called Yunmeng. Yunmeng stretches nine hundred li in every direction, and within its expanse rise mountains. Those mountains coil and twist in dense profusion, soaring high and sheer; their craggy peaks jut skyward in jagged ranks, veiling the sun and eclipsing the moon; they interweave and tangle one upon another, thrusting upward into the blue clouds; their slopes and ridges roll and undulate downward until they reach the rivers below. The earth holds vermilion and azurite, ochre and chalk, orpiment and gypsum, tin and jade-green, gold and silver — a riot of colors dazzling and blazing, shimmering like the scales of a dragon. Its stones include crimson jade and rose quartz, lustrous gems and variegated marble, dark whetstones and black flint, gleaming minerals and warrior stone. To the east lie gardens of orchid and thoroughwort, angelica and pollia, iris and sweet flag, lovage and ligusticum, sugarcane and fragrant grasses. To the south stretch level plains and broad marshlands, their terrain rising and falling in gentle undulations, bordered by the Great River and bounded by the peaks of Mount Wu. On the high, dry ground grow thorny shrubs and marsh grass, plantain and green sedge. In the low, marshy ground grow ranunculus and reeds, wild rice and water plants, lotus roots and cattails, taro and countless other species — so numerous that no inventory could capture them all. To the west lie gushing springs and crystal pools, their waters surging and flowing; on their surface bloom lotus blossoms and water caltrop flowers, while beneath lie hidden great boulders and white sand. Within these waters dwell divine tortoises and flood dragons, crocodiles, hawksbill turtles, soft-shell turtles, and giant river turtles. To the north stand shadowed forests of towering trees — phoebe and camphor, cassia and pepper, magnolia and cork, cherry and red willow, sumac and persimmon, chestnut, and the sweet fragrance of tangerines and pomelos. In the canopy above dwell red apes and long-armed gibbons, phoenixes and peacocks, soaring far and leaping among the branches. On the ground below roam white tigers and black leopards, giant serpents and lynxes, rhinoceroses and elephants, wild rhinos, and the fabled beasts qiongqi and manluo.

「『於是乃使專諸之倫，手格此獸。楚王乃駕馴駁之駟，乘雕玉之輿，靡魚須之橈旃，曳明月之珠旗，建干將之雄戟，左烏嗥之雕弓，右夏服之勁箭；陽子驂乘，纖阿為御；案節未舒，即陵狡獸，轔邛邛，蹵距虛，軼野馬而韢騊駼，乘遺風而射游騏；儵眒凄浰，雷動熛至，星流霆擊，弓不虛發，中必決眥，洞胸達腋，絕乎心系，獲若雨獸，揜草蔽地。於是楚王乃弭節裴回，翱翔容與，覽乎陰林，觀壯士之暴怒，與猛獸之恐懼，徼劇受詘，殫睹眾物之變態。

And so warriors of the caliber of Zhuan Zhu were dispatched to wrestle these beasts with their bare hands. The King of Chu then drove a team of dappled chargers, riding in a jade-carved chariot. He unfurled banners trimmed with sharkskin, trailed pennants studded with pearls bright as the moon, raised a great halberd forged by the legendary smith Ganjiang, carried on his left a carved bow of Wuhao, and on his right powerful arrows from the Xia quiver; Lord Yang rode as his outrider, and the master charioteer Xian'e held the reins; before the pace was even fully set, they charged into the cunning beasts, trampling the qiongqiong, kicking aside the juqu, outrunning wild horses and lassoing the taotu, riding the wind itself to shoot the roaming unicorns; Swift as a flash, fierce as the wind — they moved like thunder and struck like flying sparks, streaming like comets and crashing like thunderbolts. No arrow was loosed in vain: each one split an eye socket, pierced from chest to armpit, severed the very ligaments of the heart. Slain beasts fell like rain, carpeting the grass and blanketing the earth. Then the King of Chu reined in his chariot and lingered, gliding at leisure to survey the shadowed forests. He watched his warriors rage and the fierce beasts cower, witnessed savage clashes and desperate surrenders, and took in the myriad transformations of every creature.

「『於是鄭女曼姬，被阿錫，揄紵縞，纖羅，垂霧縠；襞積褰縐，紆徐委曲，郁橈谿谷；衯衯裶裶，揚袘卹削，蜚纖垂髾；扶與猗靡，膳萃蔡，下摩蘭蕙，上拂羽蓋，錯翡翠之威蕤，繆繞玉綏；縹乎忽忽，若神僊之仿佛。

Then came the beauties of Zheng, draped in fine Esilk and lustrous cloth, trailing robes of ramie and white crepe, wearing gossamer gauze with wisps of misty crêpe; their garments folded and gathered in flowing creases, winding in sinuous curves that filled every hollow and ravine; their hems fluttered and billowed, rising and dipping, while fine streamers floated aloft and tassels swayed; they swayed and leaned with supple grace, brushing orchids and thoroughwort below, sweeping the feathered canopy above, their robes interwoven with kingfisher plumes in splendid tassels, jade pendants winding about them; ethereal and indistinct, as though immortal beings had descended in a vision.

「『於是乃相與獠於蕙圃，媻珊勃窣上金隄，揜翡翠，射鵕鸃，微矰出，纖繳施，弋白鵠，連駕鵝，雙鶬下，玄鶴加。怠而後發，游於清池；浮文鹢，揚桂枻，張翠帷，建羽蓋，罔瑁，釣紫貝；摐金鼓，吹鳴籟，榜人歌，聲流喝，水蟲駭，波鴻沸，涌泉起，奔揚會，礧石相擊，硠硠礚礚，若雷霆之聲，聞乎數百里之外。

Then they hunted together in the orchid gardens, sauntering up the golden embankment. They caught kingfishers and shot the junyi bird, sent tiny pellet arrows flying and cast fine tethered lines, shot white swans and linked wild geese in flight, brought down pairs of cang birds and added black cranes to the catch. When they tired of this, they set off to drift across the clear pools; they floated on painted cormorant-prowed boats, raised oars of cassia wood, spread kingfisher-green curtains, and erected feathered canopies. They netted hawksbill turtles and angled for purple cowrie shells; They struck bronze drums and blew singing pipes. The boatmen sang, their voices carrying and resounding across the water. Aquatic creatures fled in alarm; the waves boiled and surged; springs erupted and torrents rushed together; boulders crashed against one another with a thunderous clangor that could be heard hundreds of li away.

「『將息獠者，擊靈鼓，起烽燧，車案行，騎就隊，纚乎淫淫，班乎裔裔。於是楚王乃登陽雲之臺，泊乎無為，澹乎自持，勺藥之和具而後御之。不若大王終日馳騁而不下輿，脟割輪淬，自以為娛。臣竊觀之，齊殆不如。』於是王默然無以應仆也。」

When it was time to end the hunt, they struck the spirit drums and lit the signal fires. The chariots advanced in formation, the cavalry fell into ranks — a vast procession streaming along in stately array. Then the King of Chu ascended the Terrace of Sunlit Clouds. There he sat in calm repose, at ease and self-possessed, and only after dishes had been harmoniously seasoned with peony broth did he deign to eat. This is not like Your Majesty, who races about all day without descending from the chariot, slicing raw meat on the wheel rim and dipping it in sauce — and calling that entertainment. Your servant's private observation is that Qi can hardly compare.' At that, the king fell silent, having no reply to offer me."

烏有先生曰：「是何言之過也！足下不遠千里，來況齊國，王悉發境內之士，而備車騎之眾，以出田，乃欲力致獲，以娛左右也，何名為夸哉！問楚地之有無者，願聞大國之風烈，先生之餘論也。今足下不稱楚王之德厚，而盛推雲夢以為高，奢言淫樂而顯侈靡，竊為足下不取也。必若所言，固非楚國之美也。有而言之，是章君之惡；無而言之，是害足下之信。章君之惡而傷私義，二者無一可，而先生行之，必且輕於齊而累於楚矣。且齊東陼巨海，南有瑯邪，觀乎成山，射乎之罘，浮勃澥，游孟諸，邪與肅慎為鄰，右以湯谷為界，秋田乎青丘，傍偟乎海外，吞若雲夢者八九，其於胸中曾不蔕芥。若乃俶儻瑰偉，異方殊類，珍怪鳥獸，萬端鱗萃，充仞其中者，不可勝記，禹不能名，契不能計。然在諸侯之位，不敢言游戲之樂，苑囿之大；先生又見客，是以王辭而不復，何為無用應哉！」

Master No-Such exclaimed, 'What an absurd thing to say! You traveled a thousand li to grace Qi with your presence. The king mustered every warrior in his realm and assembled a vast host of chariots and cavalry for the hunt, seeking only to bring in a good catch and entertain his companions — how is that showing off! When he asked about the features of Chu, he wished to hear about the customs and splendor of a great state — it was merely a topic for conversation, sir. Yet instead of praising the King of Chu's virtue and benevolence, you extol Yunmeng as something grand, speak extravagantly of indulgent pleasures, and parade excess and waste — I cannot approve of this. Even if all you say is true, this is hardly what makes Chu great. If such things truly exist and you boast of them, you expose your lord's faults; if they do not exist and you boast of them, you damage your own credibility. Exposing your lord's faults and betraying personal duty — neither is acceptable, and yet you have done both. You will surely be belittled in Qi and laden with blame in Chu. Moreover, Qi borders the great sea to the east, possesses Langya to the south, surveys Mount Cheng and hunts at Zhifu, floats upon the Bohai and roams the Mengzhu marshes, neighbors the Sushen in the northeast and is bounded by Tanggu to the west. In autumn it hunts at Qingqiu and wanders beyond the seas — it could swallow eight or nine Yunmengs without so much as noticing them. As for the extraordinary and magnificent, the strange regions and singular species, the rare and wondrous birds and beasts gathered in myriad varieties that fill its vastness — they defy enumeration. Even the sage Yu could not name them all, nor could Xie tally them. Yet because he holds the rank of a feudal lord, the king does not presume to boast of the pleasures of his excursions or the vastness of his parks; and moreover, you were a guest, so the king politely declined to respond in kind. How can you say he had no answer!'

無是公聽然而笑曰：「楚則失矣，齊亦未為得也。夫使諸侯納貢者，非為財幣，所以述職也；封疆畫界者，非為守御，所以禁淫也。今齊列為東藩，而外私肅慎，捐國踰限，越海而田，其於義故未可也。且二君之論，不務明君臣之義而正諸侯之禮，徒事爭游獵之樂，苑囿之大，欲以奢侈相勝，荒淫相越，此不可以揚名發譽，而適足以貶君自損也。且夫齊楚之事又焉足道邪！君未睹夫巨麗也，獨不聞天子之上林乎？

Lord No-One laughed aloud and said, 'Chu is in the wrong, but Qi has not gotten it right either. The purpose of requiring feudal lords to pay tribute is not to collect wealth, but to have them report on their duties; the purpose of establishing domains and drawing boundaries is not for defense, but to restrain excess. Qi is ranked as a vassal of the eastern marches, yet it privately consorts with the Sushen abroad, neglects its own territory, transgresses its boundaries, and crosses the seas to hunt — all of which violates the proper order of duty. And in this debate between the two of you, neither has sought to clarify the duties between lord and subject or uphold the proper rites of the feudal lords. You merely compete over the pleasures of the hunt and the grandeur of your parks, trying to outdo each other in extravagance and excess. Far from bringing fame or renown, this serves only to diminish your lords and damage yourselves. And besides, are the affairs of Qi and Chu even worth discussing! You have not yet beheld true magnificence. Have you never heard of the Son of Heaven's Shanglin Park?

「左蒼梧，右西極，丹水更其南，紫淵徑其北；終始霸滻，出入涇渭；酆鄗潦潏，紆餘委蛇，經營乎其內。蕩蕩兮八川分流，相背而異態。東西南北，馳騖往來，出乎椒丘之闕，行乎洲淤之浦，徑乎桂林之中，過乎泱莽之野。汨乎渾流，順阿而下，赴隘陜之口。觸穹石，激堆埼，沸乎暴怒，洶涌滂撓，蜿灗膠戾，湢測泌瀄，橫流逆折，轉騰潎洌，澎濞沆瀣，穹隆雲撓，蜿灗膠戾，踰波趨浥，蒞蒞下瀨，批壧衝壅，奔揚滯沛，臨坻注壑，瀺灂霣墜，湛湛隱隱，砰磅訇礚，潏潏淈淈，湁潗鼎沸，馳波跳沫，汩急漂疾，悠遠長懷，寂漻無聲，肆乎永歸。然後灝溔潢漾，安翔徐徊，翯乎滈滈，東注大湖，衍溢陂池。於是乎蛟龍赤螭，鯁鰽螹離，鰅鳙鯱魠，禺禺鱋魶，揵鰭擢尾，振鱗奮翼，潛處于深巖；魚鱉讙聲，萬物眾夥，明月珠子，玓瓅江靡，蜀石黃碝，水玉磊砢，磷磷爛爛，采色澔旰，叢積乎其中。鴻鵠鷫鴇，鴐鵝鸀玉，鵁鶄鹮目，煩鶩鷛鸜，鷻鴜鵁鸕，群浮乎其上。汎淫泛濫，隨風澹淡，與波搖蕩，掩薄草渚，唼喋菁藻，咀嚼蔆藕。

To the left lies Cangwu, to the right the Western Extremity. The Cinnabar River traces its southern boundary, and the Purple Abyss courses through its north; the Ba and Chan rivers run through it from end to end, while the Jing and Wei flow in and out; the Feng, the Hao, the Lao, and the Jue wind and meander in serpentine courses through its interior. Vast and expansive, the eight rivers branch and flow apart, each diverging on its own course and taking its own form. In every direction they race and rush: issuing from the passes of Pepper Hill, flowing past the alluvial shores, threading through groves of cassia, and crossing the vast open wilderness. They surge in turbid torrents, follow the bends downhill, and rush toward the mouths of narrow gorges. They dash against arched boulders and strike heaped promontories, seething and raging, surging and roiling. They coil and twist, seep and percolate, flow crossways and fold back, tumble and leap in crystal jets, boom and spray, arch high like clouds and swirl. They coil again and churn, crest waves and skim the shallows, cascade down rapids, cleave cliffs and smash through dams, rush and surge in torrential floods, plunge from banks into ravines, splash and crash downward. Deep and dark, they rumble and thunder, gush and bubble, roil like a cauldron, race in waves and leap in foam, rush swift and flow fast — then stretch far and wide in lingering calm, falling silent and still, flowing at last to their eternal destination. Then they spread out, vast and rippling, gliding peacefully and circling slowly, gleaming and shimmering, flowing eastward into the great lake, overflowing into ponds and embankments. There dwell flood dragons and scarlet serpents, sturgeon and lampreys, catfish and sharks, and strange fish of every kind — raising their fins and extending their tails, shaking their scales and flapping their wing-like fins, lurking in the depths among submerged rocks; fish and turtles raise a clamor; creatures teem by the myriad. Moon-bright pearls gleam and shimmer amid the waves; Shu stone, yellow agate, and water jade lie in heaped clusters — sparkling and radiant, a dazzling blaze of color, all gathered within. Swans and wild geese, crested geese and bustards, domestic geese and jade-green ducks, egrets and cranes, ibises and spoonbills, bustling ducks and mynah birds, pelicans and cormorants — whole flocks float upon the surface. They drift and spread across the water, swaying gently with the wind, rocking with the waves. They press against the grassy islets, dabble at green algae, and chew on water caltrop and lotus roots.

「於是乎崇山巃嵸，崔巍嵯峨，深林鉅木，嶄巖嵾嵯，九嵏、嶻嶭，南山峨峨，巖陁甗锜，嶊崣崛崎，振谿通谷，蹇產溝瀆，谽呀豁閜，阜陵別島，崴磈嵔瘣，丘虛崛礨，隱轔郁礨，登降施靡，陂池貏豸，沇溶淫鬻，散渙夷陸，亭皋千里，靡不被筑。掩以綠蕙，被以江離，糅以蘪蕪，雜以流夷。專結縷，欑戾莎，揭車衡蘭，槁本射干，茈薑蘘荷，葴橙若蓀，鮮枝黃礫，蔣芧青薠，布濩閎澤，延曼太原，麗靡廣衍，應風披靡，吐芳揚烈，郁郁斐斐，眾香發越，肸蠁布寫，崦瞹苾勃。

Then there are the lofty mountains, towering and majestic, sublime and precipitous, with deep forests and giant trees, sheer cliffs and jagged crags. The nine peaks jut skyward; the southern mountains soar. Rock-strewn slopes and rugged terrain stretch on, undulating ridges fall away, ravines open into valleys, trenches and ditches cut the earth, and gaping chasms yawn wide. Mounds and islands, craggy knolls, hillocks and tumuli rise and fall in gentle slopes. Embankments and pools flow and spread, dispersing across level ground — for a thousand li of elevated marshland, nothing is left uncovered. The ground is covered with green orchids, blanketed with lovage, blended with ligusticum, and mingled with gladiolus. Clover and knotgrass, clustered sedge, cart-vine and thoroughwort, lovage root and iris, purple ginger and wild ginger, thorny orange and pollia, fresh shoots and yellow pebbleplant, wild rice grass and green sedge — they spread across the vast marshes and extend over the great plains, carpeting wide expanses in beauty. They bend with the wind, exhaling fragrance and emitting perfume, rich and ornate. A multitude of scents rise and spread, pervading and diffusing, thick and sweet.

「於是乎周覽泛觀，瞋盼軋沕，芒芒恍忽，視之無端，察之無崖。日出東沼，入於西陂。其南則隆冬生長，踴水躍波；獸則庸獏牦犛，沈牛麈麋，赤首圜題，窮奇象犀。其北則盛夏含凍裂地，涉冰揭河；獸則麒麟角端，騊駼橐駞，蛩蛩驒騱，駃騠驢騾。

Gazing all around in a sweeping panorama, looking this way and that, the vista stretches vast and indistinct — look and there is no beginning; examine it and there is no end. The sun rises over the eastern marshes and sets behind the western pools. In the south, life flourishes even in the depths of winter — waters surge and waves leap; its beasts include tapirs, yaks and musk oxen, water buffalo and moose, red-headed round-browed creatures, the mythical qiongqi, elephants, and rhinoceroses. In the north, even at midsummer the ground holds frozen earth and cracks with cold, and one must cross ice-covered rivers; its beasts include the unicorn and the horned duan, the taotu and the camel, the qiongqiong and the tuoxi, hinnies, donkeys, and mules.

「於是乎離宮別館，彌山跨谷，高廊四注，重坐曲閣，華榱璧璫，輦道纚屬，步櫩周流，長途中宿。夷嵏筑堂，纍臺增成，巖穾洞房，俛杳眇而無見，仰攀橑而捫天，奔星更於閨闥，宛虹拖於楯軒。青虯蚴蟉於東箱，象輿婉蟬於西清，靈圉燕於閒觀，偓佺之倫暴於南榮，醴泉涌於清室，通川過乎中庭。槃石裖崖，嵚巖倚傾，嵯峨磼礏，刻削崢嶸，玫瑰碧琳，珊瑚叢生，瑉玉旁唐，璸斒文鱗，赤瑕駁犖，雜臿其閒，垂綏琬琰，和氏出焉。

Then there are the detached palaces and separate lodges, covering the mountains and spanning the valleys. Lofty corridors extend in four directions; tiered halls and winding pavilions rise on every side. Ornate rafters gleam with jade pendants, imperial carriage-roads stretch in unbroken succession, covered walkways circle around, and rest-stops line the long roads. Peaks were leveled to build halls, terraces heaped one upon another. In rocky alcoves and cavern chambers, one peers down into darkness beyond sight, and gazes up to grasp the rafters and touch the sky. Shooting stars dart past the inner gates, and curving rainbows trail along the balustrades. Green dragons coil in the eastern chambers; elephant-drawn carriages glide through the western halls. Spirit guardians feast in the leisure pavilions, and immortals of Wo Quan's caliber bask on the southern eaves. Sweet springs gush in the clear chambers, and flowing streams pass through the central courtyard. Massive boulders prop the cliffs, and towering crags lean and tilt, lofty and precipitous, carved and sculpted into soaring forms. Rose quartz and green jade, corals growing in clusters, fine marble and jade arrayed in patterns — all are scattered among them. Hanging pendants of the finest jade sway, for the very stone of Master He came from here.

「於是乎盧橘夏孰，黃甘橙楱，枇杷橪柿，楟柰厚樸，梬棗楊梅，櫻桃蒲陶，隱夫郁棣，榙遝荔枝，羅乎后宮，列乎北園。貤丘陵，下平原，揚翠葉，杌紫莖，發紅華，秀朱榮，煌煌扈扈，照曜鉅野。沙棠櫟櫧，華氾檘櫨，留落胥餘，仁頻并閭，欃檀木蘭，豫章女貞，長千仞，大連抱，夸條直暢，實葉葰茂，攢立叢倚，連卷累佹，崔錯委骫，阬衡閜砢，垂條扶於，落英幡纚，紛容蕭蔘，旖旎從風，瀏蒞芔吸，蓋象金石之聲，管籥之音。柴池茈虒，旋環后宮，雜遝累輯，被山緣谷，循阪下隰，視之無端，究之無窮。

Then there are loquats ripening in summer, yellow citrus and oranges and limes, persimmons, crabapples and magnolia bark, jujubes and bayberries, cherries and grapes, the silken cotton tree and arbor vitae, and lychees — all spread throughout the rear palace and arrayed in the northern gardens. They spread over the hills and descend to the plains, unfurling emerald leaves and thick purple stems, bursting with crimson blossoms and brilliant scarlet flowers — dazzling and resplendent, lighting up the vast wilderness. Sand pear and oak, chinquapin, birch and sumac, oleaster and catalpa, betel and fir, sandalwood and magnolia, camphor and privet — a thousand ren tall, so vast that several arms cannot encircle them, their branches spreading straight and far, their fruit and leaves lush and dense. They stand in clustered ranks, intertwined and layered, towering and tangled, filling hollows and crossing ridges. Their hanging branches sway and droop; fallen petals flutter in streamers. They rustle and bend gracefully with the wind, their sounds like the notes of bronze and stone, the tones of pipes and flutes. Brushwood pools and purple rushes encircle the rear palace. Jumbled and layered, they cover the mountains and line the valleys, follow the slopes and descend to the wetlands — look and there is no beginning; seek and there is no end.

「於是玄猨素雌，蜼玃飛鸓，蛭蜩蠷蝚，螹胡豰蛫，棲息乎其閒；長嘯哀鳴，翩幡互經，夭蟜枝格，偃蹇杪顛。於是乎隃絕梁，騰殊榛，捷垂條，踔稀閒，牢落陸離，爛曼遠遷。

There dwell among them black apes and their white mates, long-tailed monkeys and gibbons, flying squirrels, cicadas, crested gibbons, spotted weasels, and crabs; they howl and wail, flutter and wheel in crisscrossing paths, swing lithely among the branches, and sprawl at the tips and tops of the trees. They leap across broken ridges, spring over dense thickets, catch hold of hanging branches, and vault across open spaces — scattered and dazzling, tumbling far and wide.

「若此輩者，數千百處。嬉游往來，宮宿館舍，庖廚不徙，後宮不移，百官備具。

Scenes such as these can be found in thousands of places. For excursions and pleasure trips, there are palaces and lodges at every stop, with kitchens that need not be relocated, a rear palace that need not be moved, and a full complement of officials always in attendance.

「於是乎背秋涉冬，天子校獵。乘鏤象，六玉虯，拖蜺旌，靡雲旗，前皮軒，后道游；孫叔奉轡，衛公驂乘，扈從橫行，出乎四校之中。鼓嚴簿，縱獠者，江河為阹，泰山為櫓，車騎雷起，隱天動地，先後陸離，離散別追，淫淫裔裔，緣陵流澤，雲布雨施。」

Then, as autumn turns into winter, the Son of Heaven goes forth on an imperial hunt. He rides in a chariot carved with ivory, drawn by six jade-colored dragons. Rainbow pennants trail behind and cloud banners flutter; leather-canopied carriages go before him and pleasure chariots follow behind; Lord Sun holds the reins and Lord Wei rides as outrider. The retinue charges in formation, issuing forth from the midst of the four battalions. The drums beat the solemn command and the hunters are loosed. Rivers serve as barriers and Mount Tai itself as a watchtower. Chariots and cavalry thunder forth, shaking heaven and earth. The vanguard and rear blaze in splendid array; they scatter and give separate chase, streaming and flowing, following the ridges and coursing through the marshes, spreading like clouds and falling like rain."

「生貔豹，搏豺狼，手熊羆，足野羊，蒙鹖蘇，绔白虎，被豳文，跨野馬。陵三嵏之危，下磧歷之坻；俓陖赴險，越壑厲水。推蜚廉，弄解豸，格瑕蛤，鋋猛氏，罥騕褭，射封豕。箭不茍害，解脰陷腦；弓不虛發，應聲而倒。於是乎乘輿彌節裴回，翺翔往來，睨部曲之進退，覽將率之變態。然後浸潭促節，儵夐遠去，流離輕禽，蹴履狡獸，轊白鹿，捷狡兔，軼赤電，遺光燿，追怪物，出宇宙，彎繁弱，滿白羽，射游梟，櫟蜚虡，擇肉后發，先中命處，弦矢分，藝殪仆。

They seize leopards alive and wrestle jackals and wolves, grapple bears with their bare hands and trample wild sheep underfoot. Clad in pheasant-feather cloaks, they ride upon white tigers, draped in the patterned garb of Bin, striding upon wild horses. They scale the perilous heights of the three peaks and descend the rocky gravel ridges; they dash straight up steep slopes into danger, leap over ravines, and ford rushing streams. They chase down the feilian beast, toy with the xiezhi, grapple with giant clams, spear the fierce creatures, lasso the yaoniao, and shoot the great boar. No arrow is wasted — each splits a neck and pierces a skull; no bow is drawn in vain — each beast falls the instant the bowstring sounds. Then the imperial carriage slows and lingers, gliding back and forth. The emperor casts sidelong glances at the advancing and retreating squadrons, surveying the ever-changing tactics of the commanders. Then he quickens the pace and darts far in an instant, scattering nimble birds and trampling cunning beasts, running down white deer and catching crafty hares, outstripping red lightning and leaving radiance behind, pursuing strange beasts beyond the bounds of the world. He bends the mighty Fanruo bow and fills it with white-feathered arrows, shooting the flying owl and piercing the hovering pheasant. He chooses his mark before he lets fly, striking the vital spot even as the arrow leaves the string — the bowstring twangs and the beast falls dead.

「然後揚節而上浮，陵驚風，歷駭飚，乘虛無，與神俱，轔玄鶴，亂昆雞。遒孔鸞，促鵔鸃，拂鹥鳥，捎鳳皇，捷鴛雛，掩焦明。

Then, urging the pace higher, he soars upward, surmounting the startling winds, passing through fearsome gales, riding the void itself, traveling alongside the spirits. He overtakes black cranes and scatters the Kunlun pheasants. He pursues peacocks and phoenixes, presses the junyi bird, brushes past the yi bird, clips the fenghuang, catches mandarin ducklings, and captures the jiaoming.

「道盡涂殫，迴車而還。招搖乎襄羊，降集乎北纮，率乎直指，闇乎反鄉。蹶（闕）［關］，歷封巒，過鳷鵲，望露寒，下棠梨，息宜春，西馳宣曲，濯鹢牛首，登龍臺，掩細柳，觀士大夫之勤略，鈞獠者之所得獲。徒車之所轔轢，乘騎之所蹂若，人民之所蹈躤，與其窮極倦劇，驚憚慴伏，不被創刃而死者，佗佗籍籍，填阬滿谷，揜平彌澤。

When every road has been exhausted and every path run out, the chariot turns for home. They wave in leisurely procession, descend and gather at the northern bounds, advance straight ahead, and turn homeward as darkness falls. They pass the gates, cross the sealed ridges, pass the Zhique terrace, gaze at the Cold Dew pavilion, descend at Tangli and rest at Yichun. They race westward to Xuanqu, bathe in the Cormorant Pool of Niushou, ascend the Dragon Terrace, and sweep past Xiliu — surveying the diligence and tactics of the officers, tallying everything the hunters have caught. What the foot soldiers' chariots have run over, what the mounted riders have trampled, what the common men have trodden — together with beasts that were driven to exhaustion, terrified into submission, or died of fright without being touched by a single blade — they lie heaped and scattered, filling pits and valleys, blanketing the level ground and flooding the marshes.

「於是乎游戲懈怠，置酒乎昊天之臺，張樂乎轇輵之宇；撞千石之鐘，立萬石之鉅；建翠華之旗，樹靈鼉之鼓。奏陶唐氏之舞，聽葛天氏之歌，千人唱，萬人和，山陵為之震動，川谷為之蕩波。巴俞宋蔡，淮南于遮，文成顛歌，族舉遞奏，金鼓迭起，鏗鎗鐺鼞，洞心駭耳。荊吳鄭衛之聲，韶濩武象之樂，陰淫案衍之音，鄢郢繽紛，激楚結風，俳優侏儒，狄鞮之倡，所以娛耳目而樂心意者，麗靡爛漫於前，靡曼美色於後。

Then, with the sport concluded and rest begun, wine is laid out at the Terrace of Vast Heaven, and music fills the Hall of the Revolving Heavens; bells weighing a thousand stones are struck, and racks weighing ten thousand stones are raised; banners of kingfisher plumes are raised, and drums of sacred crocodile hide are set up. They perform the dances of Emperor Yao's age and listen to the songs of Ge Tian's time. A thousand voices chant and ten thousand harmonize — the mountains and hills tremble, and the rivers and valleys surge with waves. The dances of Ba and Yu, the songs of Song and Cai, the entertainments of Huainan and Yuzhe, the Wencheng and Dian songs — troupes perform in alternation, bronze bells and drums rising in succession, clanging and booming, piercing the heart and startling the ears. The sounds of Jing and Wu, Zheng and Wei, the music of the Shao, the Hu, the Wu, and the Xiang, lingering and languid melodies, the dazzling profusion of Yan and Ying, stirring Chu airs and binding wind songs, jesters and dwarfs, performers from the Di-Di — everything to delight the eyes and ears and gladden the heart — gorgeous and dazzling before, and lovely beauties behind.

「若夫青琴宓妃之徒，絕殊離俗，姣冶嫻都，靚莊刻飭，便嬛綽約，柔橈嬛嬛，娬媚姌嫋；抴獨繭之褕袘，眇閻易以戌削，媥姺徶屑，與世殊服；芬香漚郁，酷烈淑郁；皓齒粲爛，宜笑旳皪；長眉連娟，微睇綿藐；色授魂與，心愉於側。

As for those like Qingqin and the Lady of the Luo, who are of surpassing beauty far removed from the common world — alluring and refined, radiantly adorned and meticulously groomed, graceful and lissome, supple and sinuous, enchanting and willowy; they trail robes of single-silk weave with flowing trains, slender and elegant with cinched waists, swaying and swirling — their garments unlike any in the world; their fragrance is rich and enveloping, intensely sweet; their white teeth gleam brilliantly, their smiles radiant and sparkling; their long eyebrows curve gracefully, and their gentle sidelong glances are soft and distant; with their beauty they captivate the very soul, and the heart is gladdened in their presence.

「於是酒中樂酣，天子芒然而思，似若有亡。曰：『嗟乎，此泰奢侈！朕以覽聽餘閒，無事棄日，順天道以殺伐，時休息於此，恐後世靡麗，遂往而不反，非所以為繼嗣創業垂統也。』於是乃解酒罷獵，而命有司曰：『地可以墾辟，悉為農郊，以贍萌隸；隤墻填塹，使山澤之民得至焉。實陂池而勿禁，虛宮觀而勿仞。發倉廩以振貧窮，補不足，恤寡，存孤獨。出德號，省刑罰，改制度，易服色，更正朔，與天下為始。』

Then, amid the wine and at the height of the revelry, the Son of Heaven grows pensive, as though something were missing. He says, 'Alas, this is far too extravagant! I have used my leisure for sightseeing, passing idle days, following the Way of Heaven in seasonal hunts, and resting here from time to time. But I fear that future generations will be seduced by such splendor and plunge onward without return — this is no way to found a legacy or hand down a dynasty.' Thereupon he ends the drinking and calls off the hunt, commanding the officials, 'All land fit for cultivation shall be turned over to farmland for the common people; tear down the walls and fill in the moats, so that the people of the mountains and marshes may enter freely. Stock the ponds and pools but place no restrictions upon them; empty the palaces and let them stand unused. Open the granaries to relieve the poor, supplement what they lack, show compassion to the widowed, and care for the orphaned and the solitary. Issue decrees of virtue, reduce punishments, reform the institutions, change the ceremonial colors, revise the calendar, and make a fresh start for all under Heaven.'

「於是歷吉日以齊戒，襲朝衣，乘法駕，建華旗，鳴玉鸞，游乎六藝之囿，騖乎仁義之涂，覽觀春秋之林，射貍首，兼騶虞，弋玄鶴，建干戚，載雲睅，揜群雅，悲伐檀，樂樂胥，修容乎禮園，翺翔乎書圃，述易道，放怪獸，登明堂，坐清廟，恣群臣，奏得失，四海之內，靡不受獲。於斯之時，天下大說，向風而聽，隨流而化，喟然興道而遷義，刑錯而不用，德隆乎三皇，功羨於五帝。若此，故獵乃可喜也。

Then, choosing auspicious days for purification and fasting, donning court robes, riding in the ceremonial carriage, raising ornate banners, and jingling jade phoenix bells, the emperor roams the gardens of the Six Arts, gallops along the paths of benevolence and righteousness, and surveys the forests of the Spring and Autumn Annals. He shoots at the raccoon-head target, performs the zouyu dance, hunts the black crane, raises the shield and axe, bears the cloud-eye banner, embraces the Minor Odes, grieves with 'Hewing the Sandalwood,' delights in 'Joy and Happiness,' cultivates his bearing in the Garden of Rites, soars through the Fields of Letters, expounds the Way of Changes, releases the captive beasts, ascends the Hall of Light, and takes his seat in the Clear Temple. He gives free rein to his ministers, who report on gains and losses — within the Four Seas, none fails to benefit. At such a time, all under Heaven would be greatly pleased. They would turn to face the wind and listen, follow the current and be transformed. With a sigh they would uphold the Way and embrace righteousness. Punishments would be set aside, unused. Virtue would surpass that of the Three Sovereigns, and achievements would outshine those of the Five Emperors. If it were like this, then the hunt would truly be something to celebrate.

「若夫終日暴露馳騁，勞神苦形，罷車馬之用，抏士卒之精，費府庫之財，而無德厚之恩，務在獨樂，不顧眾庶，忘國家之政，而貪雉兔之獲，則仁者不由也。從此觀之，齊楚之事，豈不哀哉！地方不過千里，而囿居九百，是草木不得墾辟，而民無所食也。夫以諸侯之細，而樂萬乘之所侈，仆恐百姓之被其尤也。」

But if one spends all day exposed to the elements racing about, exhausting the mind and tormenting the body, wearing out carriages and horses, draining the soldiers' strength, and squandering the treasury — all while showing no generous virtue, pursuing only personal pleasure, ignoring the common people, forgetting the affairs of state, and coveting a catch of pheasants and hares — that is not the path of a benevolent ruler. Viewed from this perspective, how pitiable are the affairs of Qi and Chu! Their territory extends no more than a thousand li on each side, yet their parks occupy nine hundred — the land cannot be cleared for farming, and the people have nothing to eat. For petty feudal lords to indulge in extravagance befitting the Son of Heaven — I fear the common people will suffer the consequences."

於是二子愀然改容，超若自失，逡巡避席曰：「鄙人固陋，不知忌諱，乃今日見教，謹聞命矣。」

At this, the two men's faces fell. They seemed to lose themselves entirely and retreated from their seats in embarrassment. 'We are indeed ignorant and uncouth,' they said, 'unaware of the proprieties. Only today have we received your instruction — we humbly accept your admonition.'

賦奏，天子以為郎。無是公言天子上林廣大，山谷水泉萬物，乃子虛言楚雲夢所有甚眾，侈靡過其實，且非義理所尚，故刪取其要，歸正道而論之。

When the rhapsody was presented, the Son of Heaven appointed Xiangru a gentleman of the court. Lord No-One's account of the Son of Heaven's Shanglin Park — its vastness, its mountains and valleys, waters and springs and myriad creatures — and Sir Fantasy's account of Chu's Yunmeng with all its abundance — both were exaggerated beyond reality and did not accord with righteous principles. Therefore the essential points were selected and trimmed, and the argument brought back to the proper Way.

相如為郎數歲，會唐蒙使略通夜郎西僰中，發巴蜀吏卒千人，郡又多為發轉漕萬餘人，用興法誅其渠帥，巴蜀民大驚恐。上聞之，乃使相如責唐蒙，因喻告巴蜀民以非上意。檄曰：

After Xiangru had served as a gentleman of the court for several years, Tang Meng was dispatched on a mission to open up the Yelang and western Bo territories. He conscripted a thousand officials and soldiers from Ba and Shu, and the commanderies dispatched more than ten thousand additional men for transport duty. He applied the law to execute the chieftains, throwing the people of Ba and Shu into great alarm. When the emperor heard about this, he sent Xiangru to censure Tang Meng and to reassure the people of Ba and Shu that this had not been the emperor's intention. The proclamation read as follows:

告巴蜀太守：蠻夷自擅不討之日久矣，時侵犯邊境，勞士大夫。陛下即位，存撫天下，輯安中國。然後興師出兵，北征匈奴，單于怖駭，交臂受事，詘膝請和。康居西域，重譯請朝，稽首來享。移師東指，閩越相誅。右弔番禺，太子入朝。南夷之君，西僰之長，常效貢職，不敢怠墮，延頸舉踵，喁喁然皆爭歸義，欲為臣妾，道裏遼遠，山川阻深，不能自致。夫不順者已誅，而為善者未賞，故遣中郎將往賓之，發巴蜀士民各五百人，以奉幣帛，衛使者不然，靡有兵革之事，戰鬬之患。今聞其乃發軍興制，驚懼子弟，憂患長老，郡又擅為轉粟運輸，皆非陛下之意也。當行者或亡逃自賊殺，亦非人臣之節也。

Notice to the Governors of Ba and Shu: The barbarian peoples have acted presumptuously and gone unpunished for far too long, frequently raiding the borderlands and burdening our officers and soldiers. Since His Majesty ascended the throne, he has cared for all under Heaven and brought peace and stability to the Central States. Then he raised armies and dispatched troops northward against the Xiongnu. The Shanyu was so terrified that he crossed his arms in submission, bent his knees, and sued for peace. Kangju and the Western Regions, communicating through relays of interpreters, requested audiences at court, bowing their heads and bringing tribute. When the armies turned east, the Minyue turned on each other. To the south, Panyu was pacified, and the crown prince came to pay homage at court. The lords of the southern barbarians and the chiefs of the western Bo have always paid tribute dutifully, not daring to slacken. They crane their necks and rise on tiptoe, all earnestly vying to submit to our authority and become vassals. But the roads are long, and mountains and rivers block the way, so they cannot come on their own. Those who resisted have already been punished, yet those who obeyed have not yet been rewarded. A Palace Attendant was therefore dispatched to receive them as guests, and five hundred soldiers and civilians from Ba and Shu were sent along carrying gifts of silk to escort the envoys — nothing more. There was no military campaign, no danger of battle. Yet now we hear that troops have been raised and military regulations imposed, alarming the young and distressing the elders, and that the commanderies have taken it upon themselves to organize grain transport — none of which was His Majesty's intention. As for those conscripts who flee or harm themselves in desperation — this too is no proper conduct for a subject.

夫邊郡之士，聞烽舉燧燔，皆攝弓而馳，荷兵而走，流汗相屬，唯恐居后，觸白刃，冒流矢，義不反顧，計不旋踵，人懷怒心，如報私讎。彼豈樂死惡生，非編列之民，而與巴蜀異主哉？計深慮遠，急國家之難，而樂盡人臣之道也。故有剖符之封，析珪而爵，位為通侯，居列東第，終則遺顯號於後世，傳土地於子孫，行事甚忠敬，居位甚安佚，名聲施於無窮，功烈著而不滅。是以賢人君子，肝腦涂中原，膏液潤野草而不辭也。今奉幣役至南夷，即自賊殺，或亡逃抵誅，身死無名，謚為至愚，恥及父母，為天下笑。人之度量相越，豈不遠哉！然此非獨行者之罪也，父兄之教不先，子弟之率不謹也；寡廉鮮恥，而俗不長厚也。其被刑戮，不亦宜乎！

When the soldiers of the frontier commanderies hear the beacon fires and signal smoke, they grab their bows and gallop, shoulder their weapons and run, their sweat streaming, each fearing to fall behind. They face bare blades and brave flying arrows — duty forbids a backward glance, resolve forbids a moment's hesitation. Every man carries anger in his heart, as though avenging a personal wrong. Do they love death and loathe life? Are they not the same registered commoners who serve the same sovereign as Ba and Shu? They plan far ahead and act on deep reflection, treating the state's crises as their own and gladly fulfilling the duties of a loyal subject. That is why they receive enfeoffment by split tally, noble rank by divided jade, the title of marquis, and a mansion in the eastern quarters. In the end they bequeath illustrious titles to future generations and pass their lands to their descendants. Their conduct is loyal and reverent, their positions secure and comfortable. Their fame extends to eternity, and their achievements shine without fading. This is why worthy men and gentlemen do not shrink from spilling their livers and brains across the battlefield, their blood and fat moistening the wild grasses. Yet now, on a mere tribute-bearing mission to the southern barbarians, some harm or kill themselves, others flee and face execution — dying nameless, earning the epitaph of supreme folly, bringing shame upon their parents, and becoming a laughingstock for all under Heaven. How vast is the gulf between the judgment of one person and another! Yet the fault does not lie solely with those who deserted. The teachings of fathers and elder brothers failed to set the example, and the discipline of the younger generation was lax; their sense of integrity is scant and their shame thin, for the local customs are neither deep nor generous. That they should face punishment and execution — is that not fitting!

陛下患使者有司之若彼，悼不肖愚民之如此，故遣信使曉喻百姓以發卒之事，因數之以不忠死亡之罪，讓三老孝弟以不教誨之過。方今田時，重煩百姓，已親見近縣，恐遠所谿谷山澤之民不遍聞，檄到，亟下縣道，使咸知陛下之意，唯毋忽也。

His Majesty grieves that the envoys and officials acted as they did, and laments that the ignorant among the people have come to this. He has therefore dispatched a trusted envoy to explain the troop conscription to the people, to rebuke them for the crime of disloyalty, and to censure the Three Elders and model brothers for their failure to instruct and educate. As it is now the farming season, we do not wish to further burden the people. We have already visited the nearby counties in person, but fear that the people of distant valleys, mountains, and marshes may not yet have heard. When this proclamation arrives, distribute it immediately to every county and district, so that all may know His Majesty's intentions. Do not neglect this.

相如還報。唐蒙已略通夜郎，因通西南夷道，發巴、蜀、廣漢卒，作者數萬人。治道二歲，道不成，士卒多物故，費以巨萬計。蜀民及漢用事者多言其不便。是時邛筰之君長聞南夷與漢通，得賞賜多，多欲願為內臣妾，請吏，比南夷。天子問相如，相如曰：「邛、筰、冉、駹者近蜀，道亦易通，秦時嘗通為郡縣，至漢興而罷。今誠復通，為置郡縣，愈於南夷。」天子以為然，乃拜相如為中郎將，建節往使。副使王然于、壺充國、呂越人馳四乘之傳，因巴蜀吏幣物以賂西夷。至蜀，蜀太守以下郊迎，縣令負弩矢先驅，蜀人以為寵。於是卓王孫、臨邛諸公皆因門下獻牛酒以交驩。卓王孫喟然而嘆，自以得使女尚司馬長卿晚，而厚分與其女財，與男等同。司馬長卿便略定西夷，邛、筰、冉、駹、斯榆之君皆請為內臣。除邊關，關益斥，西至沬、若水，南至牂柯為徼，通零關道，橋孫水以通邛都。還報天子，天子大說。

Xiangru returned and reported on his mission. Tang Meng had already opened the way to Yelang and was now pushing roads through to the southwestern barbarians, conscripting soldiers from Ba, Shu, and Guanghan — tens of thousands of laborers in all. After two years the road remained unfinished. Many soldiers had died, and the costs ran into the tens of millions. The people of Shu and the officials overseeing the project widely complained of its impracticality. At that time, the chiefs of Qiong and Zuo heard that the southern barbarians had established relations with the Han and received generous rewards. Many wished to become subjects of the empire, requesting officials and seeking the same status as the southern barbarians. The Son of Heaven consulted Xiangru, who said, 'Qiong, Zuo, Ran, and Mang are close to Shu, and the roads are easy to open. Under the Qin they were once organized into commanderies and counties, but this was abandoned when the Han dynasty arose. If we reopen the routes now and establish commanderies and counties there, it would be a greater advantage than dealing with the southern barbarians.' The Son of Heaven agreed and appointed Xiangru as a Palace Attendant General, granting him a staff of authority and dispatching him as envoy. His deputy envoys — Wang Ranyu, Hu Chongguo, and Lu Yueren — traveled in relays of four-horse carriages, bearing officials, gifts, and goods from Ba and Shu to win over the western barbarians. When he arrived in Shu, the Governor and all his subordinates came out to the suburbs to welcome him, and the county magistrate shouldered a crossbow and rode ahead as his vanguard. The people of Shu considered this a great honor. Zhuo Wangsun and the prominent men of Linqiong all sent gifts of oxen and wine through their retainers to curry favor. Zhuo Wangsun heaved a deep sigh, regretting that he had been so slow to let his daughter marry Sima Changqing. He generously gave her a share of his wealth equal to that of his sons. Sima Changqing then proceeded to pacify the western barbarians. The chieftains of Qiong, Zuo, Ran, Mang, and Siyu all petitioned to become subjects of the empire. The border passes were opened and the frontiers expanded — westward to Mei and the Ruo River, southward to Zangke. The Lingguan Road was opened and a bridge was built over the Sun River to connect to the capital of Qiong. He returned and reported to the Son of Heaven, who was greatly pleased.

相如使時，蜀長老多言通西南夷不為用，唯大臣亦以為然。相如欲諫，業已建之，不敢，乃著書，籍以蜀父老為辭，而己詰難之，以風天子，且因宣其使指，令百姓知天子之意。其辭曰：

During Xiangru's mission, many elders in Shu argued that opening routes to the southwestern barbarians was useless, and most of the high officials agreed. Xiangru wished to remonstrate, but the project was already underway and he dared not speak directly. Instead he composed an essay using the fathers and elders of Shu as his spokesmen and himself as their challenger, admonishing the Son of Heaven through allegory while publicizing the purpose of his mission so that the common people would understand the emperor's intentions. The text reads as follows:

漢興七十有八載，德茂存乎六世，威武紛紜，湛恩汪濊，群生澍濡，洋溢乎方外。於是乃命使西征，隨流而攘，風之所被，罔不披靡。因朝冉從冄，定筰存邛，略斯榆，舉苞滿，結軼還轅，東鄉將報，至于蜀都。

Since the founding of the Han, seventy-eight years ago, its virtue has flourished through six reigns. Its martial might is vast, its benevolence deep and overflowing, nourishing all living things and spreading beyond the borders. Therefore envoys were dispatched on a westward campaign, sweeping all before them like a current. Wherever the wind reaches, nothing fails to submit. They received the submission of Ran and Cong, pacified Zuo and secured Qiong, subdued Siyu and took Baoman, then linked their carriages and turned eastward to make their report, arriving at the capital of Shu.

耆老大夫薦紳先生之徒二十有七人，儼然造焉。辭畢，因進曰：「蓋聞天子之於夷狄也，其義羈縻勿絕而已。今罷三郡之士，通夜郎之涂，三年於茲，而功不竟，士卒勞倦，萬民不贍，今又接以西夷，百姓力屈，恐不能卒業，此亦使者之累也，竊為左右患之。且夫邛、筰、西僰之與中國并也，歷年茲多，不可記已。仁者不以德來，彊者不以力并，意者其殆不可乎！今割齊民以附夷狄，弊所恃以事無用，鄙人固陋，不識所謂。」

Twenty-seven men from among the elders, grandees, and learned gentlemen came forward with solemn bearing. When the formalities were concluded, they stepped forward and said, 'We have heard that the Son of Heaven's proper policy toward the barbarians is simply to keep them loosely tethered without severing ties. Now the soldiers of three commanderies have been worn out opening the road to Yelang. Three years have passed and the work is still not finished. The soldiers are exhausted and the people's resources spent. Now, on top of this, the western barbarians must be dealt with. The people's strength is at its limit, and we fear the undertaking cannot be completed. This too will burden the envoy. We worry privately on your behalf. Moreover, the separation of Qiong, Zuo, and the western Bo from the Central States has persisted for more years than can be counted. The benevolent have failed to draw them in through virtue, and the strong have failed to annex them by force — perhaps it is simply impossible! Now to drain the resources of our own people for the sake of the barbarians, to exhaust what we rely on in pursuit of what is useless — we humble folk are ignorant and do not understand the purpose of it all.'

使者曰：「烏謂此邪？必若所云，則是蜀不變服而巴不化俗也。余尚惡聞若說。然斯事體大，固非觀者之所覯也。余之行急，其詳不可得聞已，請為大夫粗陳其略。

The envoy replied, 'What kind of talk is this? If we followed your logic, Shu would never have changed its garb, nor Ba transformed its customs. I find such talk distasteful. But this is a matter of great import — naturally beyond what mere onlookers can grasp. My time is short and the full details cannot all be told, so let me outline the gist for you, gentlemen.

「蓋世必有非常之人，然後有非常之事；有非常之事，然後有非常之功。非常者，固常［人］之所異也。故曰非常之原，黎民懼焉；及臻厥成，天下晏如也。

In every age there must first be extraordinary people before there can be extraordinary deeds; extraordinary deeds must come before extraordinary achievements. The extraordinary, by its very nature, is what strikes ordinary people as strange. Thus it is said: when an extraordinary undertaking begins, the common people grow frightened; but when it reaches completion, all under Heaven rests in peace.

「昔者鴻水浡出，氾濫衍溢，民人登降移徙，陭區而不安。夏后氏戚之，乃堙鴻水，決江疏河，漉沈贍菑，東歸之於海，而天下永寧。當斯之勤，豈唯民哉。心煩於慮而身親其勞，躬胝無胈，膚不生毛。故休烈顯乎無窮，聲稱浹乎于茲。

In ancient times the Great Flood burst forth, overflowing and spreading everywhere. The people fled up and down, migrating from place to place, living in cramped quarters and knowing no peace. The Xia ruler was grieved by this and so dammed the floodwaters, opened channels in the rivers, dredged the waterways, drained the depths, and relieved the devastation, directing the waters eastward into the sea. All under Heaven was then at lasting peace. In that time of toil, it was not the people alone who suffered. His mind was wearied by ceaseless worry and his body bore the labor in person. His hands grew calloused to the bone and no hair grew upon his skin. That is why his glorious deeds shine for all eternity, and his fame pervades the world to this day.

「且夫賢君之踐位也。豈特委瑣握嚙，拘文牽俗，循誦習傳，當世取說云爾哉！必將崇論閎議，創業垂統，為萬世規。故馳騖乎兼容并包，而勤思乎參天貳地。且詩不云乎：『普天之下，莫非王土；率土之濱，莫非王臣。』是以六合之內，八方之外，浸潯衍溢，懷生之物有不浸潤於澤者，賢君恥之。今封疆之內，冠帶之倫，咸獲嘉祉，靡有闕遺矣。而夷狄殊俗之國，遼絕異黨之地，舟輿不通，人跡罕至，政教未加，流風猶微。內之則犯義侵禮於邊境，外之則邪行橫作，放弒其上。君臣易位，尊卑失序，父兄不辜，幼孤為奴，系纍號泣，內向而怨，曰『蓋聞中國有至仁焉，德洋而恩普，物靡不得其所，今獨曷為遺己』。舉踵思慕，若枯旱之望雨。盭夫為之垂涕，況乎上聖，又惡能已？故北出師以討彊胡，南馳使以誚勁越。四面風德，二方之君鱗集仰流，願得受號者以億計。故乃關沬、若，徼牂柯，鏤零山，梁孫原。創道德之涂，垂仁義之統。將博恩廣施，遠撫長駕，使疏逖不閉，阻深闇昧得耀乎光明，以偃甲兵於此，而息誅伐於彼。遐邇一體，中外提福，不亦康乎？夫拯民於沈溺，奉至尊之休德，反衰世之陵遲，繼周氏之絕業，斯乃天子之急務也。百姓雖勞，又惡可以已哉？

When a worthy sovereign ascends the throne, does he merely attend to petty matters, cling to old texts and follow convention, reciting tradition and practicing what has been handed down, all to please his contemporaries? Surely he will engage in lofty discourse and grand deliberation, founding an enterprise and handing down a dynasty, establishing models for ten thousand generations. He strives to embrace and encompass all things, and devotes himself to rivaling Heaven and matching the Earth. Does not the Ode say: 'Under all of Heaven, there is no land that is not the king's; to the farthest shores, there is no one who is not the king's subject.' Within the six directions and beyond the eight quarters, if there is any living creature not yet touched by the sovereign's grace, a worthy ruler would feel ashamed. Now, within the empire's borders, the civilized classes have all received generous blessings, with none left out. Yet in the lands of the barbarians with their alien customs, remote and isolated regions where boats and carriages cannot reach and human footsteps rarely tread — the civilizing influence of governance has not yet been extended, and the transforming wind blows faintly. Inwardly they violate propriety and encroach upon the borders; outwardly they commit wicked acts with abandon, deposing and killing their own rulers. Lords and subjects change places, the high and low lose their proper order. Innocent fathers and brothers are condemned, and young orphans are enslaved. Bound in chains, they cry and wail, turning inward with resentment: 'We have heard that the Central States possess supreme benevolence — that their virtue overflows and their grace reaches all, and nothing fails to find its rightful place. Why then have we alone been abandoned?' They rise on tiptoe in yearning, like parched earth longing for rain. Even the most obstinate man would shed tears at this — how much less the supreme sage? How could he refrain from acting? That is why he sent armies north to chastise the mighty Hu, and dispatched envoys south to reprove the powerful Yue. Virtue radiated in all four directions, and the rulers of every quarter gathered like fish scales, gazing upward at the current. Those wishing to receive imperial titles number beyond counting. Thus passes were established at Mei and Ruo, the frontier extended to Zangke, roads carved through the Ling Mountains, and bridges built across the Sun Plains. He blazed the paths of virtue and handed down the traditions of benevolence and righteousness. His aim was to spread his grace wide, comfort the distant, and keep driving onward — so that remote peoples would no longer be shut off, the obscure could bask in the light, weapons of war could be laid down in one place, and punitive campaigns could cease in another. The far and near as one body, all sharing in the blessings — would this not be true prosperity? To rescue the people from drowning, to uphold the supreme ruler's glorious virtue, to reverse the decline of a decadent age, and to continue the broken enterprise of the Zhou — these are the Son of Heaven's most urgent tasks. Though the people may toil, how can the work be abandoned?

「且夫王事固未有不始於憂勤，而終於佚樂者也。然則受命之符，合在於此矣。方將增泰山之封，加梁父之事，鳴和鸞，揚樂頌，上咸五，下登三。觀者未睹指，聽者未聞音，猶鷦明已翔乎寥廓，而羅者猶視乎藪澤。悲夫！」

Moreover, the affairs of kings have never begun without anxiety and toil, yet they always end in ease and contentment. If so, then the auspicious signs of receiving Heaven's mandate are all gathered here. He is about to perform the Feng sacrifice on Mount Tai and the Shan ceremony on Liangfu, ring the harmonious phoenix bells and raise songs of praise — reaching upward to match the Five Emperors and ascending to equal the Three Sovereigns. The onlookers have not yet grasped the vision, the listeners have not yet heard the music — it is as though the jiaoming bird were already soaring through the boundless sky while the bird-catchers still peered into the marshes. How pitiful!"

於是諸大夫芒然喪其所懷來而失厥所以進，喟然并稱曰：「允哉漢德，此鄙人之所願聞也。百姓雖怠，請以身先之。」敞罔靡徙，因遷延而辭避。

At this, the grandees were struck dumb. They lost the convictions they had come with and forgot the arguments they had prepared. With a sigh they all declared, 'True indeed is the virtue of the Han! This is what we humble folk had wished to hear. Though the people may weary, we beg to lead the way ourselves.' The web of opposition collapsed. They lingered hesitantly and withdrew their objections.

其後人有上書言相如使時受金，失官。居歲餘，復召為郎。

Some time later, someone submitted a memorial accusing Xiangru of accepting bribes during his mission, and he was dismissed from office. After a little more than a year, he was recalled and reappointed as a gentleman of the court.

相如口吃而善著書。常有消渴疾。與卓氏婚，饒於財。其進仕宦，未嘗肯與公卿國家之事，稱病閒居，不慕官爵。常從上至長楊獵，是時天子方好自擊熊彘，馳逐野獸，相如上疏諫之。其辭曰：

Xiangru had a stammer but was a gifted writer. He suffered constantly from the wasting-thirst disease. Through his marriage into the Zhuo family, he had become abundantly wealthy. Though he advanced in the civil service, he was never willing to involve himself in the affairs of the high ministers and the state. He pleaded illness and lived in retirement, showing no desire for official rank. He once accompanied the emperor on a hunt at Changyang. At that time the Son of Heaven took delight in personally striking down bears and boars and chasing wild beasts. Xiangru submitted a memorial of remonstrance. The text reads as follows:

臣聞物有同類而殊能者，故力稱烏獲，捷言慶忌，勇期賁、育。臣之愚，竊以為人誠有之，獸亦宜然。今陛下好陵阻險，射猛獸，卒然遇軼材之獸，駭不存之地，犯屬車之清塵，輿不及還轅，人不暇施巧，雖有烏獲、逢蒙之伎，力不得用，枯木朽株盡為害矣。是胡越起於轂下，而羌夷接軫也，豈不殆哉！雖萬全無患，然本非天子之所宜近也。

Your servant has heard that among beings of the same kind, some possess extraordinary ability. Thus Wu Huo is celebrated for strength, Qing Ji for swiftness, and Ben and Yu for courage. In my humble opinion, if this is truly so among men, it must also be true of beasts. Now Your Majesty delights in scaling dangerous heights and shooting fierce beasts. If you should suddenly encounter a beast of extraordinary ability in a place too terrifying to linger — one that charges the imperial train before the carriage can be turned or anyone can deploy their skill — then even the techniques of Wu Huo and Peng Meng would be useless, and every dead tree and rotten stump would become a mortal hazard. It would be as though the Hu and Yue sprang up from beneath the chariot wheels, and the Qiang and barbarians pressed against the carriage itself — would that not be perilous! Even if the outcome were perfectly safe a thousand times over, this is fundamentally not something the Son of Heaven should risk.

且夫清道而後行，中路而後馳，猶時有銜橛之變，而況涉乎蓬蒿，馳乎丘墳，前有利獸之樂而內無存變之意，其為禍也不亦難矣！夫輕萬乘之重不以為安，而樂出於萬有一危之涂以為娛，臣竊為陛下不取也。

Even on a cleared road, taking the center before riding, a horse may still stumble. How much more so when one wades through tangled weeds and races over burial mounds, with the thrill of fierce beasts ahead and no thought of danger within — would disaster not be hard to avoid! To treat the weight of ten thousand chariots lightly and not regard it as a matter of security, while delighting in a path where danger lurks once in ten thousand for the sake of amusement — your servant considers this beneath Your Majesty.

蓋明者遠見於未萌而智者避危於無形，禍固多藏於隱微而發於人之所忽者也。故鄙諺曰「家累千金，坐不垂堂」。此言雖小，可以喻大。臣願陛下之留意幸察。

The perceptive see far into what has not yet sprouted; the wise avoid danger while it is still invisible. Calamity often lurks in the hidden and the subtle, striking where people are careless. Thus the common proverb says, 'A man with a thousand in gold does not sit beneath the eaves.' Though the saying is humble, it illustrates a great truth. Your servant wishes that Your Majesty would take heed and consider this carefully.

上善之。還過宜春宮，相如奏賦以哀二世行失也。其辭曰：

The emperor was pleased with the memorial. On the return journey they passed the Yichun Palace, and Xiangru presented a rhapsody lamenting the transgressions of the Second Emperor of Qin. The text reads as follows:

登陂阤之長阪兮，坌入曾宮之嵯峨。臨曲江之碕州兮，望南山之參差。巖巖深山之谾谾兮，通谷谹兮谽谺。汨淢噏習以永逝兮，注平皋之廣衍。觀眾樹之塕薆兮，覽竹林之榛榛。東馳土山兮，北揭石瀨。彌節容與兮，歷弔二世。持身不謹兮，亡國失埶。信讒不寤兮，宗廟滅絕。嗚呼哀哉！操行之不得兮，墳墓蕪穢而不修兮，魂無歸而不食。夐邈絕而不齊兮，彌久遠而愈佅。精罔閬而飛揚兮，拾九天而永逝。嗚呼哀哉！

Climbing the long slope of the hillside, I rush toward the towering tiers of the palace. I look out from the winding river's promontory, gazing at the jagged peaks of the southern mountains. The lofty mountains echo in their depths, and the open valley reverberates with hollow sounds. The waters rush and surge, flowing ceaselessly onward, pouring across the vast, level marshlands. I survey the dense shade of countless trees and behold the thick bamboo groves. To the east, earthen hills race past; to the north, rocky rapids are crossed. I slow my pace and linger, mourning the Second Emperor across the ages. He failed to conduct himself with care, and so lost his state and forfeited his power. He trusted in slander and never awoke — the ancestral temples were destroyed. Alas, how sorrowful! His conduct fell short of virtue. His tomb lies overgrown and unattended; his soul has no place to return, and receives no offerings. Remote and far-off, utterly severed — the longer time passes, the deeper the obscurity. His spirit wanders the boundless void and soars aloft, ascending through the nine heavens, departing forever. Alas, how sorrowful!

相如拜為孝文園令。天子既美子虛之事，相如見上好僊道，因曰：「上林之事未足美也，尚有靡者。臣嘗為大人賦，未就，請具而奏之。」相如以為列僊之傳居山澤閒，形容甚臞，此非帝王之僊意也，乃遂就大人賦。其辭曰：

Xiangru was appointed Keeper of the Xiaowen Imperial Garden. The Son of Heaven had already admired the 'Sir Fantasy' composition. Seeing that the emperor was fond of the Way of the Immortals, Xiangru said, 'The Shanglin composition is not truly the finest — there is something even more splendid. Your servant once began a Rhapsody of the Great Man but never finished it. Allow me to complete it and present it to you.' Xiangru considered that the legendary immortals who dwelled in mountains and marshes were gaunt and haggard — hardly an emperor's ideal of immortality. So he composed the Rhapsody of the Great Man. The text reads as follows:

世有大人兮，在于中州。宅彌萬里兮，曾不足以少留。悲世俗之迫隘兮，朅輕舉而遠遊。垂絳幡之素蜺兮，載雲氣而上浮。建格澤之長竿兮，總光耀之采旄。垂旬始以為幓兮，抴彗星而為髾。掉指橋以偃蹇兮，又旖旎以招搖。攬欃槍以為旌兮，靡屈虹而為綢。紅杳渺以眩湣兮，猋風涌而雲浮。駕應龍象輿之蠖略逶麗兮，驂赤螭青虯之幽蟉蜿蜒。低卬夭蟜據以驕驁兮，詘折隆癋蠼以連卷。沛艾赳螑仡以佁儗兮，放散畔岸驤以孱顏。跮踱輵轄容以委麗兮，綢繆偃蹇怵毚以梁倚。糾蓼叫奡蹋以艐路兮，蔑蒙踴躍騰而狂趡。蒞颯卉翕熛至電過兮，煥然霧除，霍然雲消。

In this world there lives a Great Man, dwelling in the Central Lands. His domain spans ten thousand li, yet it is not enough to hold him even a moment. Grieving the narrow confines of the mortal world, he rises lightly and journeys far. He trails crimson banners and white rainbows, borne upon clouds and floating ever upward. He raises the long pole of the Geze constellation and gathers brilliant, multicolored pennants of light. He hangs the Xunshi star as a streamer and trails a comet as a tassel. He gestures loftily, soaring with pride, and waves gracefully, beckoning onward. He seizes the Chanqiang star as his banner and drapes a curving rainbow as silk. Crimson haze dims in the vast distance, dazzling and indistinct. Fierce winds surge and clouds float. He drives the Yinglong dragon and the elephant chariot in graceful, winding curves, harnessing the scarlet serpent and blue dragon, which coil and wind in shadowy beauty. They dip and rise, arch and prance with arrogant ease, bending and folding, swelling and rearing in rolling coils. Vigorous and mighty, bold and towering, they hesitate — then scatter freely along the banks, rearing against sheer cliffs. Stepping and pacing, rolling and turning with graceful ease, they entwine and soar proudly, leaning against the very beams of the sky. They twist and sting, roar and trample as they take the road — dashing blindly, leaping and bounding in wild fury. They swoop and gust, shooting like fire and arriving like lightning — then suddenly the fog clears and the clouds vanish in a flash.

邪絕少陽而登太陰兮，與真人乎相求。互折窈窕以右轉兮，橫厲飛泉以正東。悉徵靈圉而選之兮，部乘眾神於瑤光。使五帝先導兮，反太一而從陵陽。左玄冥而右含雷兮，前陸離而後潏湟。廝征伯僑而役羨門兮，屬岐伯使尚方。祝融驚而蹕御兮，清雰氣而後行。屯余車其萬乘兮，綷雲蓋而樹華旗。使句芒其將行兮，吾欲往乎南嬉。

He crosses diagonally beyond the Minor Yang and ascends the Great Yin, seeking the True Man. He turns back and forth through deep and winding ways, wheeling rightward, then crosses the Flying Springs due east. He summons all the spirit guardians and selects from among them, marshaling the assembled gods at the radiance of Yaoguang. He commands the Five Emperors to lead the way, turning back toward the Supreme Unity and following Lingyang. The Dark Mystery rides at his left and the Thunder Bearer at his right; the Dazzling One goes before him and the Surging Torrent behind. He summons Bo Qiao as attendant and puts Xianmen to service, appointing Qibo to oversee the imperial workshops. Zhurong springs to attention and clears the path, dispersing the mists before they advance. He marshals his ten thousand chariots, their cloud canopies raised and ornate banners planted. He commands Goumang to lead the march — he wishes to journey southward to revel.

歷唐堯於崇山兮，過虞舜於九疑。紛湛湛其差錯兮，雜遝膠葛以方馳。騷擾沖蓯其相紛挐兮，滂濞泱軋灑以林離。鉆羅列聚叢以蘢茸兮，衍曼流爛壇以陸離。徑入雷室之砰磷郁律兮，洞出鬼谷之崫礨嵬壞。遍覽八纮而觀四荒兮，朅渡九江而越五河。經營炎火而浮弱水兮，杭絕浮渚而涉流沙。奄息總極氾濫水嬉兮，使靈媧鼓瑟而舞馮夷。時若薆薆將混濁兮，召屏翳誅風伯而刑雨師。西望崑崙之軋沕洸忽兮，直徑馳乎三危。排閶闔而入帝宮兮，載玉女而與之歸。舒閬風而搖集兮，亢烏騰而一止。低回陰山翔以紆曲兮，吾乃今目睹西王母皬然白首。載勝而穴處兮，亦幸有三足烏為之使。必長生若此而不死兮，雖濟萬世不足以喜。

He passes Emperor Yao's shrine on Mount Chong and visits Emperor Shun's at the Nine Doubts. The procession is profuse and deep, mingling and crossing. Crowded and tangled, they gallop in every direction. They stir and jostle, surging together in turbulent confusion, splashing and booming, drenching and clattering in a dense cascade. They line up and cluster in thick profusion, spreading and flowing in brilliant, dazzlingly multicolored splendor. They plunge straight through the thundering chambers with their booming and flashing, and emerge from the rugged, crumbling depths of Ghost Valley. He surveys the eight extremes and beholds the four wildernesses, then crosses the Nine Rivers and traverses the Five Streams. He passes through the realm of blazing fire and floats upon the Weak Water, crossing the floating islets and traversing the Flowing Sands. He rests at the farthest limits amid overflowing waters and water sports, commanding the goddess Nuwa to play the zither while the river god Feng Yi dances. When the air grows dense and threatens to cloud over, he summons Pingyi to punish the Earl of Wind and sentence the Master of Rain. He gazes westward at the dim vastness of Mount Kunlun, then gallops straight for the Three Dangers. He throws open the gates of Heaven and enters the celestial palace, carrying off the Jade Maiden to return home. He unfurls the Langfeng breeze and rides it swaying upward, soaring like a bird before alighting in a single motion. Wheeling low over Mount Yin in winding flight, at last he sees with his own eyes the Queen Mother of the West, her hair gleaming white. She wears a sheng headdress and dwells in a cave, attended by the three-legged crow that serves as her messenger. If one must live forever like this without dying, even enduring ten thousand ages would bring no joy.

回車朅來兮，絕道不周，會食幽都。呼吸沆瀣兮餐朝霞兮，杳芝英兮嘰瓊華。嬐侵潯而高縱兮，紛鴻涌而上厲。貫列缺之倒景兮，涉豐隆之滂沛。馳游道而修降兮，騖遺霧而遠逝。迫區中之隘陝兮，舒節出乎北垠。遺屯騎於玄闕兮，軼先驅於寒門。下崢嶸而無地兮，上寥廓而無天。視眩眠而無見兮，聽惝恍而無聞。乘虛無而上假兮，超無友而獨存。

He turns his chariot and departs, cutting past Mount Buzhou, and stops to feast at the Dark Capital. He breathes in the night vapors and dines on the morning glow, plucking the blossoms of magic fungus and nibbling on jade flowers. Rising abruptly from the shore and leaping high, they surge upward in a great rush, ascending with fierce intensity. He pierces through the inverted reflections of the lightning and passes through the torrential downpour of the thunder god. He races along the heavenly path and slowly descends, galloping through the trailing mists and vanishing into the distance. Feeling the confines of the narrow mortal realm, he relaxes his pace and emerges at the northern edge. He leaves his cavalry behind at the Dark Gate, outpacing even his vanguard at the Cold Gate. Below stretches a towering abyss where there is no earth; above spreads a vast emptiness where there is no sky. The eyes are dazzled and see nothing; the ears are bewildered and hear nothing. He rides the void and ascends to the highest realm, transcending all companionship to exist utterly alone.

相如既奏大人之頌，天子大說，飄飄有凌雲之氣，似游天地之閒意。

After Xiangru presented the Rhapsody on the Great Man, the Son of Heaven was overjoyed. He felt as though he were floating among the clouds, wandering between heaven and earth.

相如既病免，家居茂陵。天子曰：「司馬相如病甚，可往從悉取其書；若不然，後失之矣。」使所忠往，而相如已死，家無書。問其妻，對曰：「長卿固未嘗有書也。時時著書，人又取去，即空居。長卿未死時，為一卷書，曰有使者來求書，奏之。無他書。」其遺札書言封禪事，奏所忠。忠奏其書，天子異之。其書曰：

After Xiangru retired from office due to illness, he lived at home in Maoling. The Son of Heaven said: 'Sima Xiangru's illness is grave. Send someone to collect all of his writings; otherwise, they will be lost.' He sent Suo Zhong, but by the time he arrived, Xiangru had already died, and there were no writings in his home. When they asked his wife, she replied: 'Changqing never really kept any writings. From time to time he would write something, but people always came and took his work, so the house was always empty of manuscripts. Before Changqing died, he prepared a single scroll, saying that when an envoy came seeking his writings, it should be presented to the throne. There are no other writings.' The posthumous document discussed the Feng and Shan sacrifices, and it was delivered to Suo Zhong. Suo Zhong presented the document to the throne, and the Son of Heaven marveled at it. The document read:

伊上古之初肇，自昊穹兮生民，歷撰列辟，以迄于秦。率邇者踵武，逖聽者風聲。紛綸葳蕤，堙滅而不稱者，不可勝數也。續昭夏，崇號謚，略可道者七十有二君。罔若淑而不昌，疇逆失而能存？

In the earliest dawn of high antiquity, since Heaven first gave birth to the people, he chronicled the successive rulers down to the Qin dynasty. Those nearby followed in their footsteps, and those far away heard their renown carried on the wind. Those who flourished in abundance yet fell into obscurity and were never celebrated are too numerous to count. Among those who continued the glory of the Xia, bore exalted titles and posthumous names, and whose deeds can be recounted, there were seventy-two rulers. No virtuous ruler failed to prosper, and no ruler who went against the Way was able to survive.

軒轅之前，遐哉邈乎，其詳不可得聞也。五三六經載籍之傳，維見可觀也。書曰「元首明哉，股肱良哉」。因斯以談，君莫盛於唐堯，臣莫賢於后稷。后稷創業於唐，公劉發跡於西戎，文王改制，爰周郅隆，大行越成，而後陵夷衰微，千載無聲，豈不善始善終哉。然無異端，慎所由於前，謹遺教於後耳。故軌跡夷易，易遵也；湛恩濛涌，易豐也；憲度著明，易則也；垂統理順，易繼也。是以業隆於繦褓而崇冠于二后。揆厥所元，終都攸卒，未有殊尤絕跡可考于今者也。然猶躡梁父，登泰山，建顯號，施尊名。大漢之德，逢涌原泉，沕潏漫衍，旁魄四塞，雲尃霧散，上暢九垓，下泝八埏。懷生之類霑濡浸潤，協氣橫流，武節飄逝，邇陜游原，迥闊泳沫，首惡湮沒，闇昧昭晢，昆蟲凱澤，回首面內。然後囿騶虞之珍群，徼麋鹿之怪獸，噵一莖六穗於庖，犧雙觡共抵之獸，獲周餘珍收龜于岐，招翠黃乘龍於沼。鬼神接靈圉，賓於閒館。奇物譎詭，俶儻窮變。欽哉，符瑞臻茲，猶以為薄，不敢道封禪。蓋周躍魚隕杭，休之以燎，微夫斯之為符也，以登介丘，不亦恧乎！進讓之道，其何爽與？

Before the time of Xuanyuan, how remote and distant those ages are! The details can no longer be learned. Only the records of the Five Thearchs and Three Kings, preserved in the Six Classics, remain worth examining. The Documents say: 'How brilliant is the sovereign! How worthy are the ministers!' By this standard, no ruler surpassed Emperor Yao, and no minister was worthier than Hou Ji. Hou Ji founded the dynasty's enterprise under Yao, Gongliu rose to prominence among the Western Rong, and King Wen reformed the institutions until the Zhou reached its zenith. The great enterprise surpassed all precedent before gradually declining and falling silent for a thousand years. Was this not because they began well and ended well? Yet there was nothing extraordinary about this. They simply took care in the path they followed from the beginning and were diligent in the teachings they left for posterity. Their course was smooth and level, easy to follow; their deep grace surged forth abundantly, easy to sustain; their laws and regulations were clear and bright, easy to emulate; and the lineage they bequeathed was well-ordered, easy to continue. Thus the enterprise flourished from the time of swaddling clothes and rose above the two preceding dynasties. If one examines their origins and how they concluded, there are no extraordinary or remarkable traces that can be verified today. Yet they still ascended Mount Liangfu, climbed Mount Tai, established glorious titles, and bestowed exalted names. The virtue of the Great Han surges from the primal spring, flowing deep and spreading wide. It pervades every frontier, dispersing like clouds and mist, reaching upward through the nine heavens and downward to the eight extremities of the earth. All living creatures are soaked and nourished. Harmonious vapors flow in every direction, and martial vigor spreads far and wide. Near passes and far plains alike are reached; even the most remote regions receive its bounty. Chief evildoers are buried in oblivion, darkness is made bright, and even the smallest insects rejoice and turn their faces inward toward the center. Then rare herds of the zouyu appeared in the parks, and strange beasts were caught on the frontier among the elk and deer. Grain with a single stalk and six ears was presented to the kitchens, and sacrificial beasts with double antlers touching together were offered. The precious remnants of the Zhou were recovered, divination tortoises were collected at Qi, and the green-yellow phoenix and dragon were summoned from the marshes. Ghosts and spirits came to meet their spirit guardians and were entertained in the secluded halls. Marvelous and uncanny objects appeared, extraordinary and endlessly transforming. How reverent! Though auspicious omens have arrived in abundance, the emperor still considers them insufficient and dares not speak of the Feng and Shan sacrifices. When the Zhou dynasty had the leaping fish and the falling beam, they celebrated with the liao sacrifice. If such trifles were taken as auspicious signs to ascend the great hill, would that not be embarrassing! In the balance of advancing and yielding, what fault could there be?

於是大司馬進曰：「陛下仁育群生，義征不憓，諸夏樂貢，百蠻執贄，德侔往初，功無與二，休烈浹洽，符瑞眾變，期應紹至，不特創見。意者泰山、梁父設壇場望幸，蓋號以況榮，上帝垂恩儲祉，將以薦成，陛下謙讓而弗發也。挈三神之驩，缺王道之儀，群臣恧焉。或謂且天為質闇，珍符固不可辭；若然辭之，是泰山靡記而梁父靡幾也。亦各并時而榮，咸濟世而屈，說者尚何稱於後，而云七十二君乎？夫修德以錫符，奉符以行事，不為進越。故聖王弗替，而修禮地祇，謁款天神，勒功中岳，以彰至尊，舒盛德，發號榮，受厚福，以浸黎民也。皇皇哉斯事！天下之壯觀，王者之丕業，不可貶也。願陛下全之。而後因雜薦紳先生之略術，使獲燿日月之末光絕炎，以展采錯事，猶兼正列其義，校飭厥文，作春秋一藝，將襲舊六為七，攄之無窮，俾萬世得激清流，揚微波，蜚英聲，騰茂實。前聖之所以永保鴻名而常為稱首者用此，宜命掌故悉奏其義而覽焉。」

The Grand Marshal stepped forward and said: 'Your Majesty nurtures all living things with benevolence and campaigns in righteousness against those who refuse to submit. The states of China joyfully pay tribute, and a hundred barbarian peoples present their gifts. Your virtue matches the earliest ages, and your achievements are without parallel. Your glorious renown pervades everywhere. Auspicious omens of every kind arrive in succession as expected — they are not merely unprecedented.' Perhaps Mount Tai and Mount Liangfu have prepared their altars in hope of an imperial visit, and the Lord on High has bestowed his grace and stored up blessings, intending to bring them to fulfillment — but Your Majesty in humility defers and does not act. To hold back the joy of the three spirits and leave incomplete the ceremonies of the Kingly Way — your ministers are ashamed. Some say that since Heaven has made its intention plain, these precious omens certainly cannot be refused; if one were to refuse them, Mount Tai would have no record and Mount Liangfu no marker. Each of them flourished for a time and then faded when their era ended. What more could commentators celebrate when they speak of the seventy-two rulers? To cultivate virtue and receive auspicious omens, then to honor those omens by performing the rites, is not to overstep. Therefore the sage kings did not neglect this. They performed rites to the Earth Spirits, reverently visited the Heavenly Gods, and inscribed their achievements on the Central Peak — to manifest the supreme honor, display their great virtue, proclaim their glorious titles, receive abundant blessings, and thereby let them soak into the common people. How magnificent is this undertaking! It is the grand spectacle of the realm and the great enterprise of kings — it cannot be diminished. We humbly beseech Your Majesty to fulfill it. Afterward, by drawing upon the broad arts of the scholars and gentlemen, so that they may bask in the last rays and dying flames of the sun and moon, displaying their talents and arranging affairs — one might correct and set forth its principles, refine and polish its text, and compose a single work in the Spring and Autumn tradition, adding to the Six Classics to make seven. Spread without limit, so that ten thousand generations may stir the clear stream, raise gentle ripples, spread their glorious reputation, and advance their abundant substance. This is how the former sages preserved their great names forever and were always praised as foremost among rulers. Your Majesty should command the Keeper of Precedents to present all its principles for your review.'

於是天子沛然改容，曰：「愉乎，朕其試哉！」乃遷思回慮，總公卿之議，詢封禪之事，詩大澤之博，廣符瑞之富。乃作頌曰：

At this the Son of Heaven's expression changed with emotion, and he said: 'How delightful! We shall attempt it!' He then shifted his thinking and reconsidered, gathering the opinions of the ministers, inquiring into the Feng and Shan sacrifices, celebrating the vastness of the great marshes, and expanding upon the abundance of auspicious omens. He then composed a hymn that said:

自我天覆，雲之油油。甘露時雨，厥壤可游。滋液滲漉，何生不育；嘉穀六穗，我穡曷蓄。

Since our Heaven covers us, the clouds drift on, rich and full. Sweet dew and timely rain make the land a delight to roam. Nourishing moisture seeps and percolates — what life does it not nurture? Fine grain with six ears per stalk — how great the harvest we store.

非唯雨之，又潤澤之；非唯濡之，氾尃濩之。萬物熙熙，懷而慕思。名山顯位，望君之來。君乎君乎，侯不邁哉！

Not only does it rain upon them, it also moistens and enriches them; not only does it soak them, it overflows and spreads to shelter them. The myriad things flourish joyfully, cherishing and yearning for it. The famous mountains stand in their eminent positions, awaiting the sovereign's arrival. O sovereign, O sovereign, why do you not proceed!

般般之獸，樂我君囿；白質黑章，其儀可（嘉）［喜］；旼旼睦睦，君子之能。蓋聞其聲，今觀其來。厥涂靡蹤，天瑞之徵。茲亦於舜，虞氏以興。

The magnificent beasts delight in our sovereign's park; white of body and black of markings, their bearing brings joy; gentle and harmonious — such is the virtue of a noble man. We had heard its call; now we behold its arrival. Its path leaves no tracks — a sign of heavenly blessing. This too was so in the time of Shun, and by it the house of Yu arose.

濯濯之麟，游彼靈畤。孟冬十月，君俎郊祀。馳我君輿，帝以享祉。三代之前，蓋未嘗有。

The gleaming qilin roams the sacred altar ground. In the first month of winter, the sovereign presents offerings at the suburban sacrifice. The sovereign's chariot speeds forth, and the Lord on High bestows his blessings. Before the Three Dynasties, there was likely nothing like this.

宛宛黃龍，興德而升；采色炫燿，熿炳煇煌。正陽顯見，覺寤黎烝。於傳載之，云受命所乘。

The sinuous yellow dragon rises with virtue and ascends; its brilliant colors dazzle and gleam, blazing with radiant splendor. It appears clearly in the full light of day, awakening the common people. The records chronicle it, saying it is the mount of those who receive the Mandate.

厥之有章，不必諄諄。依類託寓，諭以封巒。

The patterns and proofs are clear; there is no need for lengthy explanation. Drawing parallels and using allegories, he makes the case for the Feng sacrifice on the mountain.

披藝觀之，天人之際已交，上下相發允答。聖王之德，兢兢翼翼也。故曰「興必慮衰，安必思危」。是以湯武至尊嚴，不失肅祗；舜在假典，顧省厥遺：此之謂也。

When one opens the classics and examines them, the connection between Heaven and humanity has already been made — above and below respond faithfully to each other. The virtue of a sage king lies in vigilance and reverence. Therefore it is said: 'In times of prosperity, one must consider decline; in times of peace, one must think of danger.' Thus Tang and Wu, for all their supreme majesty, never lost their solemnity and reverence; Shun, upholding the ancient canon, looked back and reflected on the legacy left to him — this is what those words mean.

司馬相如既卒五歲，天子始祭后土。八年而遂先禮中嶽，封于太山，至梁父禪肅然。

Five years after Sima Xiangru's death, the Son of Heaven first performed the sacrifice to the Earth Deity. Eight years later, he first performed rites at the Central Peak, carried out the Feng sacrifice on Mount Tai, and then proceeded to Mount Liangfu for the Shan sacrifice with solemn reverence.

相如他所著，若遺平陵侯書、與五公子相難、草木書篇不采，采其尤著公卿者云。

As for Xiangru's other writings — such as the letter left for the Marquis of Pingling, the mutual challenges with the Five Young Lords, and the treatise on plants — these have not been included. Only those writings most prominently connected to the court have been selected.

太史公曰：春秋推見至隱，易本隱之以顯，大雅言王公大人而德逮黎庶，小雅譏小己之得失，其流及上。所以言雖外殊，其合德一也。相如雖多虛辭濫說，然其要歸引之節儉，此與詩之風諫何異。楊雄以為靡麗之賦，勸百風一，猶馳騁鄭衛之聲，曲終而奏雅，不已虧乎？余采其語可論者著于篇。

The Grand Historian says: The Spring and Autumn Annals infers from the visible to reach the hidden; the Changes takes what is hidden and makes it manifest. The Greater Odes speak of kings, dukes, and great men, yet their virtue reaches down to the common people; the Lesser Odes satirize the gains and losses of individuals, yet their influence extends upward. Although their words differ outwardly, they unite in the same virtue. Although Xiangru's writings are full of extravagant words and lavish descriptions, their essential aim is to lead the reader toward frugality and restraint. How does this differ from the admonitions of the Odes? Yang Xiong believed that ornate rhapsodies encourage extravagance a hundredfold while admonishing only once — like indulging in the licentious music of Zheng and Wei, and only playing refined music at the very end. Is this not already a failing? I have selected from his words those worthy of discussion and recorded them in this chapter.

Cite this Chapter