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

Should someone ask, "Just what does a wise man find in
water to give him pleasure?" I would answer, "Now water moves
in accordance with principle, not losing one little moment. In

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this it resembles the wise man. In moving it descends,[2] and in
this it resembles one who observes li. It follows along a deep gorge
without any uncertainty: in this it resembles the brave man. It
keeps itself pure through protective embankments,[3] and in this
resembles the man who knows the mandate [of Heaven]. Passing
through defiles, it goes far, and achieves its destination without
diminution:[4] in this it resembles the virtuous man. Through
it Heaven and Earth are completed, through it all living beings
are produced and the state is at peace; through it all affairs are
settled and material things are rectified. For these reasons the
sage take pleasure in water."

The Ode says,[5]

Pleasant is the semicircular water,
And we will gather the mallows about it.
The marquis of Lu has come to it,
And in the college he is drinking.

This speaks of taking pleasure in water.[6]

[1]

This section and the next (§26) seem to be inspired by an enigmatic statement in
Analects 192 (6/21): "The Master said, `The wise find pleasure in water; the virtuous
([OMITTED]) find pleasure in hills.' " Mencius 324 (4B/18) elucidates: "The disciple Hsü
said, `Chung-ni often praised water, saying, "O water! O water!" What did he find
in water [to praise]?' Mencius replied, `There is a spring of water, how it gushes out!
It rests not day nor night. It fills up every hole, and then advances, flowing on to
the four seas. Such is water having a spring! It was this which he found in it to
praise.' " No trace of this appears in the HSWC account, nor in SY 17.22b-23a, except
the phrase [OMITTED]. While SY is not closely parallel with HSWC,
it must be directly based on it, for it ends by quoting the same lines from the Shih
and makes the succeeding section (HSWC 3/26) part of the same paragraph. Ch`unch`iu
fan-lu 16.2b is similar and ends by quoting Analects 222 (9/16): "The Master
standing by a stream, said, `It passes on just like this, not ceasing day or night!' "

[2]

For [OMITTED] read [OMITTED] with CHy after TPYL 59.1a; likewise SY.

[3]

[OMITTED]: with CHy, B, C, SY and TPYL, loc. cit., read [OMITTED].

[4]

[OMITTED]: this phrase is omitted in TPYL, loc. cit., and Lei chü 8.10b; likewise
SY.

[5]

Shih 617 No. 299/3.

[6]

Read [OMITTED] before [OMITTED] with all other texts; cf. the parallel phrase at the end of §26
below.