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sage up ahead!" When they got there it was Kao Yü,[3] dressed in
coarse cloth and holding a sickle, weeping by the side of the road.
Confucius left his carriage and said to him, "You are not in
mourning; why do you weep so bitterly?"

Kao Yü said, "I have erred in three ways. When I was young
I was [fond of] study and traveled [about] among the feudal lords,[4]
to the neglect of my parents. This was my first error. Setting
my ambitions high, (?) I was careless in serving my prince.[5] This
was my second error. I have broken off relations with intimate
friends for trifling causes.[6] This was my third error. `The tree
would be still, but the wind will not stop,[7] the son wishes to look
after them, but his parents will not tarry.'[8] When they are past
there is no [overtaking them—such are the years of our lives];
when they are gone there is no recalling them—such are our
parents.[9] I venture to take leave [of the world (?) from this
time." And he at once stiffened in death.[10]

293

Confucius said, "May you take a warning from him, my
disciples. It is worth your attention." Whereupon thirteen of his
followers took their leave and returned home to look after their
parents.

[1]

SY 10.17b-18b and Chia-yü 2.6b-7a provide two versions of this story, based
perhaps on HSWC, but retold with the addition of further details. Both agree in
making the speaker Ch`iu Wu-tzŭ instead of Kao Yü; see note 3 below.

[2]

To Ch`i, according to Chia-yü.

[3]

[OMITTED]. SY and Chia-yü have [OMITTED]. Chu Ch`i-fêng (TT 403-4) gives six other
variants, all of which he derives from a [OMITTED] Kao Ch`ai, the disciple of Confucius.
(Chao 212.)

[4]

[OMITTED]. Li Shan's com. on Wên hsüan 18.12b quotes this as [OMITTED]
[OMITTED]. (CHy.) KTCY 1.4a (4), Li Hsien's com. on Hou-Han shu 37.4b
([OMITTED]), and TPYL 487.7a likewise, but with [OMITTED] for [OMITTED] and [OMITTED] for [OMITTED]
[OMITTED]. (Chao 213.)

[5]

[OMITTED]. D has [OMITTED] "I neglected my prince to serve my parents."
Li Shan's com.: [OMITTED] "Refusing to serve a mediocre prince, in
the end my service was without results." (CHy.) TPYL has [OMITTED]
"Neglecting my duty, I would not serve a mediocre prince." (Chao.)

[6]

[OMITTED]. Li Shan's com.: [OMITTED] "I
seldom made friendly visits and had few friends, so that in my old age I have no one
to rely on." (CHy.) TPYL is nearly identical. KTCY has [OMITTED]
"I suddenly broke off relations with intimate friends." As HSWC 9/25 has [OMITTED]
[OMITTED], Chao thinks [OMITTED] here is a mistake for [OMITTED]. The variant in TPYL and Li
Shan presupposes [OMITTED] (corrupted to [OMITTED] ?) as a point of departure. SY has [OMITTED].

[7]

[OMITTED]. CHy prefixes [OMITTED] from Li Shan's com.; cf. HSWC 7/7: [OMITTED]
[OMITTED] and 1/17: [OMITTED].

[8]

Cf. HSWC 7/7. 1/17 has [OMITTED].

[9]

For [OMITTED] read [OMITTED] ○ [OMITTED]
[OMITTED] with CHy after TPYL. Li Hsien's com. is the same, but omits [OMITTED]; also
Li Shan's com., with [OMITTED] for [OMITTED] for [OMITTED], and [OMITTED] for [OMITTED]. KTCY agrees
with the latter. (Chao 214.) Cf. HSWC 7/17.

[10]

Cf. HSWC 1/27, note 8. For [OMITTED] SY has [OMITTED] "cut his throat"; Chia-yü:
[OMITTED] "cast himself into the water." Li Shan quotes it with [OMITTED] for [OMITTED]: "broke
out in tears."