19. (The ruler of) 𝖅in having congratulated Wǎn-𝖟ze
on the completion of his residence, the Great
officers of the state went to the house-warming[1].
Kang Lâo said, "How elegant it is, and lofty! How
elegant and splendid! Here will you have your
songs! Here will you have your wailings! Here
will you assemble the representatives of the great
families of the state!" Wǎn-𝖟ze replied, "If I can
have my songs here, and my wailings, and assemble
here the representatives of the great families of the
state, (it will be enough). I will then (only) seek
to preserve my waist and neck to follow the former
Great officers of my family to the Nine Plains." He
then bowed twice, laying his head also on the
ground.
A superior man will say (of the two), that the one was skilful in the expression of his praise and the other in his prayer.
20. The dog kept by Kung-nî having died, he employed 𝖅ze-kung to bury it, saying, "I have heard that a worn-out curtain should not be thrown away, but may be used to bury a horse in; and that a worn-out umbrella should not be thrown away, but may be used to bury a dog in. I am poor and have no umbrella. In putting the dog
into the grave, you can use my mat; and do not
- ↑ It is doubtful how this first sentence should be translated. Most naturally we should render Hsien-wǎn-𝖟ze of 𝖅in having completed his house, but binomial honorary titles were not yet known; and the view seems to be correct that this Wǎn-𝖟ze was Kâo Wû, a well-known minister of 𝖅in. The "Nine Plains" below must have been the name of a burying-place used by the officers of 𝖅in. There seems to be an error in the name in the text, which is given correctly in paragraph 25.
