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Daoism -> Zhuangzi -> Inner Chapters -> The Adjustment of Controversies -> 12

瞿鹊子问乎长梧子曰：Qu Quezi asked Chang Wuzi, saying,
“吾闻诸夫子， 'I heard the Master (speaking of such language as the following):
圣人不从事于务， "The sagely man does not occupy himself with worldly affairs.
不就利， He does not put himself in the way of what is profitable,
不违害， nor try to avoid what is hurtful;
不喜求， he has no pleasure in seeking (for anything from any one);
不缘道， he does not care to be found in (any established) Way;
无谓有谓， he speaks without speaking;
有谓无谓， he does not speak when he speaks;
而游乎尘垢之外。 thus finding his enjoyment outside the dust and dirt (of the world)."
夫子以为孟浪之言， The Master considered all this to be a shoreless flow of mere words,
而我以为妙道之行也。and I consider it to describe the course of the Mysterious Way
吾子以为奚若？”- What do you, Sir, think of it?'
长梧子曰： Chang Wuzi replied,
“是黄帝之所听荧也， 'The hearing of such words would have perplexed even Huang Di,
而丘也何足以知之！ and how should Qiu be competent to understand them?
且女亦大早计，And you, moreover, are too hasty in forming your estimate (of their meaning).
见卵而求时夜，You see the egg, and (immediately) look out for the cock (that is to be hatched from it);
见弹而求鴞炙。you see the bow, and (immediately) look out for the dove (that is to be brought down by it) being roasted.
予尝为女妄言之， I will try to explain the thing to you in a rough way;
女以妄听之，奚？ do you in the same way listen to me.
旁日月， How could any one stand by the side of the sun and moon,
挟宇宙， and hold under his arm all space and all time?
为其脗合， (Such language only means that the sagely man) keeps his mouth shut,
置其滑涽， and puts aside questions that are uncertain and dark;
以隶相尊。 making his inferior capacities unite with him in honouring (the One Lord).
众人役役， Men in general bustle about and toil;
圣人愚芚， the sagely man seems stupid and to know nothing.
参万岁而一成纯。 He blends ten thousand years together in the one (conception of time);
万物尽然， the myriad things all pursue their spontaneous course,
而以是相蕴。 and they are all before him as doing so.
予恶乎知说生之非惑邪！How do I know that the love of life is not a delusion?
予恶乎知恶死之非弱丧而不知归者邪！and that the dislike of death is not like a young person's losing his way, and not knowing that he is (really) going home?
丽之姬，艾封人之子也。Li Ji was a daughter of the border Warden of Ai.
晋国之始得之也， When (the ruler of) the state of Jin first got possession of her,
涕泣沾襟； she wept till the tears wetted all the front of her dress.
及其至于王所， But when she came to the place of the king,
与王同筐床， shared with him his luxurious couch,
食刍豢， and ate his grain-and-grass-fed meat,
而后悔其泣也。 then she regretted that she had wept.
予恶乎知夫死者不悔其始之蕲生乎！How do I know that the dead do not repent of their former craving for life?
梦饮酒者，Those who dream of (the pleasures of) drinking
旦而哭泣； may in the morning wail and weep;
梦哭泣者，those who dream of wailing and weeping
旦而田猎。 may in the morning be going out to hunt.
方其梦也，When they were dreaming
不知其梦也。 they did not know it was a dream;
梦之中又占其梦焉， in their dream they may even have tried to interpret it;
觉而后知其梦也。 but when they awoke they knew that it was a dream.
且有大觉而后知此其大梦也，And there is the great awaking, after which we shall know that this life was a great dream.
而愚者自以为觉，All the while, the stupid think they are awake,
窃窃然知之。 and with nice discrimination insist on their knowledge;
君乎， now playing the part of rulers,
牧乎， and now of grooms.
固哉！丘也， Bigoted was that Qiu!
与女皆梦也； He and you are both dreaming.
予谓女梦，亦梦也。 I who say that you are dreaming am dreaming myself.
是其言也，其名为吊诡。These words seem very strange;
万世之后，but if after ten thousand ages
而一遇大圣知其解者， we once meet with a great sage who knows how to explain them,
是旦暮遇之也。 it will be as if we met him (unexpectedly) some morning or evening.
既使我与若辩矣，Since you made me enter into this discussion with you,
若胜我，if you have got the better of me
我不若胜， and not I of you,
若果是也？ are you indeed right,
我果非也邪？ and I indeed wrong?
我胜若，If I have got the better of you
若不吾胜， and not you of me,
我果是也？am I indeed right
而果非也邪？ and you indeed wrong?
其或是也，其或非也邪？Is the one of us right and the other wrong?
其俱是也，其俱非也邪？are we both right or both wrong?
我与若不能相知也， Since we cannot come to a mutual and common understanding,
则人固受其黮暗。 men will certainly continue in darkness on the subject.
吾谁使正之？Whom shall I employ to adjudicate in the matter?
使同乎若者正之， If I employ one who agrees with you,
既与若同矣，恶能正之！how can he, agreeing with you, do so correctly?
使同乎我者正之， If I employ one who agrees with me,
既同乎我矣，恶能正之！how can he, agreeing with me, do so correctly?
使异乎我与若者正之， If I employ one who disagrees with you and I,
既异乎我与若矣，恶能正之！how can he, disagreeing with you and I, do so correctly?
使同乎我与若者正之， If I employ one who agrees with you and I,
既同乎我与若矣，恶能正之！how can he, agreeing with you and I, do so correctly?
然则我与若与人俱不能相知也， In this way I and you and those others would all not be able to come to a mutual understanding;
而待彼也邪？ and shall we then wait for that (great sage)?
(We need not do so.) To wait on others to learn how conflicting opinions are changed is simply like not so waiting at all. The harmonising of them is to be found in the invisible operation of Heaven, and by following this on into the unlimited past. It is by this method that we can complete our years (without our minds being disturbed).
何
化声之相待，若		 What is meant by harmonising (conflicting opinions) in the invisible operation of Heaven?
其不相待。和之以天倪，因之以曼衍，所以穷年也。1谓和之以天倪？
曰：是不是， There is the affirmation and the denial of it;
然不然。 and there is the assertion of an opinion and the rejection of it.
是若果是也， If the affirmation be according to the reality of the fact,
则是之异乎不是也亦无辩；it is certainly different from the denial of it - there can be no dispute about that.
然若果然也， If the assertion of an opinion be correct,
则然之异乎不然也亦无辩。it is certainly different from its rejection - neither can there be any dispute about that.
化声之相待，		 Let us forget the lapse of time;
若其不相待。和之以天倪，因之以曼衍，所以穷年也。2
忘年忘义， let us forget the conflict of opinions.
振于无竟， Let us make our appeal to the Infinite,
故寓诸无竟。” and take up our position there.'

1. 化声之相待，若其不相待。和之以天倪，因之以曼衍，所以穷年也。 : Moved here from entry 12.
2. 化声之相待，若其不相待。和之以天倪，因之以曼衍，所以穷年也。 : Moved to entry 12.

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