Han shih wai chuan Han Ying's Illustrations of the didactic application of the Classic of songs |
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![]() | CHAPTER VIII Han shih wai chuan | ![]() |
23[1]
Officials become lax with success;[2]
a disease worsens after a
slight improvement; disaster comes from carelessness, filial piety
declines with [the advent of] wife and child. Examining into these
four [phenomena, we find we must] be careful that we end as well
as we begin. The I [ching] says,[3]
"A young fox has nearly crossed
[the stream], when its tail gets immersed."
The Ode says,[4]
All are [good] at first,
But few prove themselves to be so at last.
But few prove themselves to be so at last.
[1]
SY 10.6b-7a incorporates this in a story about Tsêng-tzŭ, ending with the same
lines from the Shih. Wên-tzŭ 4.19a and Têng-hsi-tzŭ 10a are similar.
![]() | CHAPTER VIII Han shih wai chuan | ![]() |