Introduction to Literary Chinese - Lesson 7, Text 1
Adapted from the 1927 book by J. Brandt
齊景公
Duke Ching of Ch'i
齊景公之時。雨雪三日而不霽。
In the time of duke Ching of Ch'i it snowed once for three days without interruption.
公被狐白之裘坐堂中。
The duke, clothed in a fox fur garment was sitting in (his) palace.
晏子入見。立有間。公曰。怪哉。雨雪三日而天不寒。
Yen-tzu came to see him. After (Yen-tzu) stood by him for a while, the duke said. “What a strange thing (怪哉 It snowed for three days, and yet (ii) it is not cold.”
晏子對日北風甚。烈民苦皸瘃。君居深宮故不覺耳。
Yen-tzu replied,” The north wind is violent; the people are in grief and are starving from cold. You are sitting inside the palace and therefore do not feel cold.
嬰聞古之賢君。飽而知人之飢。溫而知人之寒。逸而知人之勞。
I have heard that the ancient virtuous princes being filled still knew about the people's hunger, being warm still knew about people's cold, being at ease still knew about people's hardships.
今君不知也。失君道突。
And you know nothing about it. (It is evident that) you have lost the ruler's virtue”.
公曰善。寡人聞命矣。乃令出裘發粟與飢寒者。
“Good,” said the duke. “Be it so (lit. I obey)”, and then he ordered warm garments and rice to be distributed to the hungry and frost-bitten people.