Back to Classical: "Letter in Reply to Ren An"

Update, 11/8: My productivity has been shot lately, but I'm determined to win it back.

Update, 11/5: this is much harder than I imagined. Or else I did imagine it to be quite difficult, which is why I have been avoid it. But this sort of thing is like working out -- it is good exercise of the mind, and good defense against laziness. I'm making this my main priority for the next few days.

I've decided to make a concerted effort to return to the study of classical Chinese. I'll do this by going through a number of works related to my dissertation work in close detail.

To begin, I'm going to return to a text that has come up many times in my course "Writing Lives in China:" Sima Qian's "Letter in Reply to Ren An"

太史公牛馬走，司馬遷再拜言，少卿足下：曩者辱賜書，教以慎於接物，推賢進士為務。意氣懃懃懇懇，若望僕不相師，而用流俗人之言。僕非敢如此也。僕雖罷駑，亦嘗側聞長者之遺風矣。顧自以為身殘處穢，動而見尤，欲益反損，是以獨抑鬱而誰與語！諺曰：「誰為為之？孰令聽之？」蓋鍾子期死，伯牙終身不復鼓琴。何則？士為知己者用，女為說己者容。若僕大質已虧缺矣，雖才懷隨、和，行若由、夷，終不可以為榮，適足以見笑而自點耳。書辭宜答，會東從上來，又迫賤事，相見日淺，卒卒無須臾之閒，得竭志意。今少卿抱不測之罪，涉旬月，迫季冬，僕又薄從上雍，恐卒然不可為諱。是僕終已不得舒憤懣以曉左右，則長逝者魂魄私恨無窮。請略陳固陋。闕然久不報，幸勿為過。

The Grand Historian, your humble servant Sima Qian, offering redoubled words of salutation to Shaoqing, at whose feet I sit:

Before, I was granted the favor of receiving your letter, which taught prudence in dealing with matters, as well as the duty to recommend worthy men and to good men. This concern was considerate and honest. It may be that you gaze darkly at your servant, not having tallied with his teacher, speaking of how he has made use of men swimming in vulgarity. Your servant would never dare to be this way. Your servant, though a used-up nag, still has heard and indeed, even listened closely to the inherited customs of the elders. I look to myself and I know my body is mutilated. I live in degradation. If I act, I'm reprimanded. If I want to help something, I actually hurt it. No one will speak with me, which is why I am so depressed by loneliness.

A proverb says, "For whom will you do it? What person will you manage to listen to it?" I think that once Zhong Ziqi is dead, Bo Ya to the end of his days will never again play on his qin. And why? The good man is for the employment of the one who truly knows him; a girl is made beautiful by the one who truly finds pleasure in her. It may be that the greater substance of your servant is already polluted now. Though my talents embraced Sui and He, and even if my conduct were like You or Yi, in the end, I can not be praised, for I am suited only to be laughed at, a disgrace to myself.

A letter's tidings deserves an answer, but together East following His Highness I came, and also I was pressed by private matters. Our days together were so few -- I was hurrying and hurrying, without a moment of leisure to tell you all of what is on my mind. Now you, Shaoqing, harbor this unfortunate accusation. Weeks and months have passed; the winter season presses upon us. Your servant again must follow urgently His Highness to Yong, and I fear very soon that which we cannot render unspeakable. If because of this your servant would never get to express his outrage and resentment, that it be known to you, honorable sir.

Otherwise, the traveling and lingering souls of the long departed will harbor private hatred that knows no bounds. Please allow me to briefly lay out my stubborn lowliness my stubborn lowliness. And for delaying so long without replying, please don't take offense.

僕聞之：修身者，智之符也；愛施者，仁之端也；取予者，義之表也；恥辱者，勇之決也；立名者，行之極也。士有此五者，然後可以託於世，而列於君子之林矣。故禍莫憯於欲利，悲莫痛於傷心，行莫醜於辱先，詬莫大於宮刑。刑餘之人，無所比數，非一世也，所從來遠矣。昔衞靈公與雍渠同載，孔子適陳；商鞅因景監見，趙良寒心；同子參乘，袁絲變色；自古而恥之。夫中材之人，事有關於宦豎，莫不傷氣；而況於慷慨之士乎？如今朝廷雖乏人，奈何令刀鋸之餘，薦天下豪俊哉？僕賴先人緒業，得待罪輦轂下，二十餘年矣。所以自惟，上之不能納忠效信，有奇策材力之譽，自結明主；次之又不能拾遺補闕，招賢進能，顯巖穴之士；外之不能備行伍，攻城野戰，有斬將搴旗之功；下之不能積日累勞，取尊官厚祿，以為宗族交遊光寵。四者無一，遂苟合取容，無所短長之效，可見於此矣。

Your servant has heard something: those who cultivate their person are the tallies of wisdom; those who treasure giving are the extremes of benevolence; taking and giving is the mark of righteousness; shame and disgrace are the determinants of courage; establishing one's name is the ultimate in conduct. When a man has these five, then can he be put out into the world and listed among the groves of superior men. Consequently, of misfortune, none is more latent than the desire for profit; of sorrows, none more painful than a broken heart; of conduct, none uglier than shaming the ancestors; of punishments, none greater than the palace punishment. For the person who remains after the punishment, there is no group to which he can associate; this is not one generation, but with a provenance that is long and far indeed. [feels like textual corruption here to me, or else extremely vague Chinese] In the past, when Duke Ling of Wei and Yong Ju shared a ride, Confucius went to Chen; when Shang Yang was because of Jing Jian seen [by the ruler], Zhao Liang became cold of heart; When Tong Zi participated in the ride; Yuan Si changed his color. From ancient times all were ashamed of them. Now, men of intermediate-level metel, affairs having relation to eunuchs, none do not have an injured air. So how much the more for the vehemently good man? As in this day, though the court lacks men, how can one command this remnant of the knife-saw to recommend stalwart men under Heaven?

A few sources:

http://zh.wikisource.org/wiki/報任安書 [last accessed Nov. 2] I'm always pleased to find a whole version on Wikisource -- good formatting for cutting and pasting and for printing.


Apparently the text is also in the Wen Xuan.