30
According to tradition, in a state that is without the True
Way there will be whirlwinds and pestilence; torrential rains will
break down the trees. Yin and yang will emit a perverted emanation;
summer will be cold and winter warm; ripening[1]
will be in
spring and growth in autumn; sun and moon will have no brightness;
stars and constellations will go astray;[2]
the people will suffer
from many diseases; the state will endure many inauspicious
things; human beings will not live out their span, and the five
grains will not ripen.[3]
In the time of Ch`êng-chou, yin and yang
were adjusted, cold and heat were regulated, manking was perfect
and all things were tranquil. Truly it is said that their customs
were ordered, their joy was continuous, their driving of horses
was humane.
[4]
The people were yielding, their movements dignified,
and their thoughts happy. The Ode says,
[5]
Not for the violence of the wind;
Not for the rushing motion[6]
of a chariot;—
But when I look at the Way of the Chou,[7]
I am pained to the core of my heart.