Han shih wai chuan :: :: University of Virginia Library

King Chuang said, "Stop! In antiquity, according to the
sacrifices instituted by the saintly kings,[3] [a ruler] did not go
beyond [those within his own borders] in sacrificing to the spirits
of hills and streams. The Sui, Chang, Chiang, and Han are the
rivers Ch`u sacrifices to. Though I am devoid of virtue, it is not
the River I have transgressed against." He never did perform the
sacrifice, and in three days his disease was cured.

Confucius heard of this and said, "It was right that King
Chuang of Ch`u should be overlord. He kept within limits and
held to his duties, reflecting within himself[4] and acting consistently.
Was it not indeed fitting he should be overlord?" The
Ode says,[5]

Ah! Ah! He keeps within his boundaries.[6]

King Chuang is an example of this.

[1]

Tso chuan 58.3b-4a (Legge 810) has been the source for Chia-yü 9.24b-25a and SY
1.17b, though the later has also used HSWC, which deviates considerably from Tso
chuan; however, the texts are connected, perhaps by a common source.

[2]

Tso chuan, SY, and Chia-yü all write [OMITTED] King Chao.

[3]

[OMITTED]: B, C and the Yüan ed. have [OMITTED] for [OMITTED], and both Chou and CHy
think the line should read [OMITTED].

[4]

[OMITTED]: as in Mencius 303 (4A/12.1): [OMITTED]: "if one, on turning his
thoughts inwards, finds a want of sincerity . . . ."

[5]

Shih 582 No. 276.

[6]

Legge translates, "Ah! Ah! Ye assistants," and in a note says "the meaning of
[OMITTED] is quite undetermined." In the context of the Ode my version is impossible,
but here we have a good example of the way Han Ying takes isolated lines out of
context and puts them to use because of some fancied connection with the preceding
composition. Possibly a pun [OMITTED] is intended.