Yangzi Fayan : Xu - Chinese Text Project (original) (raw)
序:
天降生民，倥侗顓蒙，恣乎情性，聰明不開，訓諸理，譔《學行》。
Xu:
When Tian gives birth to the masses, they are naive and ignorant. They give free reign to their desires and original natures, and their intelligence is undeveloped. To teach them the proper principles, I have written "Learning and Practice."
序:
降周迄孔，成于王道，然後誕章乖離，諸子圖徽，譔《吾子》。
Xu:
In the time from the Duke of Zhou down to Confucius, rulers were accomplished in the dao of kingship. Afterwards, the great precepts were abandoned, and the various masters drew emblems for their own banners. Thus, I have written "My Master."
序:
事有本真，陳施於意，動不克，咸本諸身，譔《修身》。
Xu:
Everything has an original essence, but it is unfolded in myriad forms. If one's actions cannot be brought to completion, one must seek the root of the matter in oneself. Thus, I have written "Cultivating the Self."
序:
芒芒天道，昔在聖考，過則失中，不及則不至，不可姦罔，譔《問道》。
Xu:
Vast! Vast is Tian's Dao! In the past the sages completed it. If one goes too far, he loses the mean. If one doesn't go all the way, he doesn't reach the Dao. It cannot be defiled or maligned. Thus, I have written "Asking About the Dao."
序:
神心忽恍，經緯萬方，事系諸道、德、仁、義、禮，譔《問神》。
Xu:
Shen (神) and xin (心) are shadowy and indistinct, but they are the warp and woof of the world, and their workings are bound up with the Dao, de, ren, yi, and li. Thus I have written "Asking About Shen."
序:
明哲煌煌，旁燭無疆，遜於不虞，以保天命，譔《問明》。
Xu:
When wisdom is splendid and bright, shining everywhere without limit, one may avoid unforeseen dangers and protect his Heaven-decreed destiny. Thus, I have written "Asking about Seeing Clearly."
序:
假言周于天地，贊于神明，幽弘撗廣，絕于邇言，譔《寡見》。
Xu:
Sayings of the past spread throughout Heaven and Earth, serving as an aid to daimonic clarity. Profound and great, vast and broad, they surpass recent sayings. Thus I have written "The Seldom Seen."
序:
聖人聰明淵懿，繼天測靈，冠乎群倫，經諸範，譔《五百》。
Xu:
The sage, keenly intelligent and profoundly good, continues the work of Tian and fathoms the divine. Surpassing the common herd, he sets the standard. Thus, I have written "Five Hundred Years."
序:
立政鼓眾，動化天下，莫尚於中和。中和之發，在於哲民情，譔《先知》。
Xu:
In establishing government, rousing the multitude, and influencing the world, nothing is superior to the harmony of the mean. The key to implementing the harmony of the mean lies in knowing the people's feelings. Thus, I have written "Foreknowledge."
序:
仲尼以來，國君將相，卿士名臣，參差不齊，一概諸聖，譔《重黎》。
Xu:
Since the time of Confucius, rulers of kingdoms, generals, chancellors, ministers, gentlemen, and famous officials have been variously and non-uniformly judged. I have uniformly judged them by the standards of the sage. Thus, I have written "Zhong and Li."
序:
仲尼之後，訖于漢道，德行顏、閔，股肱蕭、曹，爰及名將尊卑之條，稱述品藻，譔《淵騫》。
Xu:
From the time of Confucius down to the Dao of the Han, for virtuous conduct there were Yan Yuan and Min Ziqian, and for Han Gaozu's arms and legs there were Xiao He and Cao Shen. Now, for ranking the eminence and lowliness of famous generals, I have examined and evaluated them. Thus, I have written "Yuan and Qian."
序:
君子純終領聞，蠢迪撿押，旁開聖則，譔《君子》。
Xu:
The junzi is pure to the end and earns a fine reputation. His actions follow standards and norms, and he completely develops the principles of the sage. Thus, I have written "The Junzi."
序:
孝莫大於寧親，寧親莫大於寧神，寧神莫大於四表之歡心，譔《孝至》。
Xu:
In terms of filial devotion, nothing is greater than pacifying one's parents. In pacifying one's parents, nothing is greater than pacifying the spirits. In pacifying the spirits, nothing is greater than making the xin of the whole world joyful. Thus I have written "The Ultimate in Filial Devotion."