逍遙游: Journey of Utmost Freedom

Journey of Utmost Freedom	逍遙游
By: Zhuang Zi	莊子
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In the North Sea, there is a fish named Kun.	北冥有魚 其名為鯤
The Kun's body was massive; who knows how many thousands of miles its length is?	鯤之大 不知其幾千里也
It can transform into a great bird, which is named Peng.	化而為鳥 其名為鵬
The Peng's back was expansive; who knows how many thousands of miles its width is?	鵬之背 不知其幾千里也
When it flew to the heavens, its wings were as great as the clouds hanging in the sky.	怒而飛 其翼若垂天之雲
That bird we spoke of will be able to migrate to the South Sea when the seas begin to rouse.	是鳥也 海運則將徙於南冥
Where is the South Sea? It is the Heavenly Lake.	南冥者 天池也
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There is a book named Qi Xie, which recorded all the fantastical things in the world.	齊諧者 志怪者也
Xie has such a passage: "The Peng migrated to the South Sea, its wings stroke waves three thousand miles wide.	諧之言曰 鵬之徙於南冥也 水擊三千里
With those wings it rose to ninety thousand miles high, riding the great Breath of June.	摶扶搖而上者九萬里 去以六月息者也
Whether the most formless of wind or the dust carried by it, everything was supported by that same Breath.	野馬也 塵埃也 生物之以息相吹也
The sky was a light shade of blue, was that its true color?	天之蒼蒼 其正色邪
Was there no end to the sky's expanse?	其遠而無所至極邪
The great Peng looked down, and all it could see is thus.	其視下也 亦若是則已矣
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If the water was not deep enough, it would not have enough force to lift a great ship.	且夫水之積也不厚 則其負大舟也無力
If you poured a puddle of water in front of your room, you could perhaps use a stalk of grass for a ship over it;	覆杯水於坳堂之上 則芥為之舟
But if you put a cup on the puddle it would surely sink and stick to the bottom, because the water would be too shallow for such a great ship.	置杯焉則膠 水淺而舟大也
If the wind did not condense enough, it would not be able to lift great wings.	風之積也不厚 則其負大翼也無力
Thus, only at ninety thousand miles high would the wind be strong enough to lift the great Peng.	故九萬里 則風斯在下矣
And then it would be able to ride the currents of the wind, and reach for the South Sea with the sky on its back."	而後乃今培風 背負青天而莫之夭閼者 而後乃今將圖南
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The Cicada and the tiny Cuckoo laughed at the great Peng, and said thus:	蜩與學鳩笑之曰
"We tried our hardest to fly, but we could only reach the branches of an elm tree. Sometimes we couldn't make it and would drop to the ground.	我決起而飛 搶榆枋而止 時則不至而控於地而已矣
What would be the point of you rising ninety thousand miles to fly to the South Sea?"	奚以之九萬里而南為
In a trip to the suburbs, you could prepare three meals and still return within the day with your stomach full.	適莽蒼者 三餐而反 腹猶果然
In a trip to a hundred miles away, you must prepare enough food for a day.	適百里者 宿舂糧
In a trip to a thousand miles away, you must prepare enough food for three months.	適千里者 三月聚糧
How would these tiny critters know these things?	之二虫又何知
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Small wit could not compare to larger intelligence, those who were short-lived cannot compare to those who lived long.	小知不及大知 小年不及大年 奚以知其然也
For those worms that would die the day they were born, they would never know how long a month is.	朝菌不知晦朔
For those frost cicadas that never lived for longer than a season, they would never know how long a year is.	蟪蛄不知春秋
This was, however, only a "small year."	此小年也
There was a great turtle to the south of Chu, whose spring lasts five hundred years, and its autumn another five hundred years.	楚之南有冥靈者 以五百歲為春 五百歲為秋
In the ancient times, there was a great Elm tree, whose spring lasts a full eight millennia, and its autumn another eight millennia.	上古有大椿者 以八千歲為春 八千歲為秋
Even today, Peng Zu, famous for his eight hundred years of longevity, got everyone wishing to live as long as he does, isn't the short-sightedness sad?	而彭祖乃今以久特聞 眾人匹之 不亦悲乎
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Shang Tang asked Ji thus: "Are there an end to any direction of the world?"	湯之問棘也是已 湯之問棘曰 上下四方有極乎
Ji answered, "No, no matter how far you travel outwards, there will be a place farther still. Further north from our northern frontier, there is a great sea, called the Heavenly Lake.	棘曰 無極之外 復無極也 窮髮之北有冥海者 天池也
There as a fish there that is thousands of mile wide, but nobody knows how long it was, it was named Kun.	有魚焉 其廣數千里 未有知其修者 其名為鯤
There was a bird, named Peng, whose back was as great as Mt. Tai itself, and its wings were like the clouds that hung from heavens.	有鳥焉 其名為鵬 背若太山 翼若垂天之雲
It rode the whirlwind to rise ninety thousand miles high, far above the clouds and even air, and flew south with the sky on its back towards the South Sea.	摶扶搖羊角而上者九萬里 絕雲氣 負青天 然后圖南 且適南冥也
The small sparrows in the swamp laugh at it,	斥鴳笑之曰
'Where will it go? I can rise up for a few meters and then drop to the ground.	彼且奚適也 我騰躍而上 不過數仞而下
I can weave between the reeds as well, is that not all there is to flying?'	翱翔蓬蒿之間 此亦飛之至也 而彼且奚適也
That, my lord, is the difference between large and small."	此小大之辯也
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Some men had enough talent to perform well in a position.	故夫知效一官
Some men could easily blend into the traditions of a village.	行比一鄉
Some men had conduct that could match a ruler's heart and gain the country's trust.	德合一君而徵一國者
They're proud of this the same way the sparrow is proud of its flight.	其自視也亦若此矣
Song Rongzi couldn't help but laugh at them.	而宋榮子猶然笑之
Song Rongzi did not feel excited even if the entire world praised him.	且舉世而譽之而不加勸
Song Rongzi did not feel dejected even if the whole world despised him.	舉世而非之而不加沮
He could identify the gap between the inner self and the outer world, and differentiate between honor and humility.	定乎內外之分 辯乎榮辱之境
However, that is still having a "self".	斯已矣
He didn't seek after anything, but he nevertheless had something to establish.	彼其於世 未數數然也 雖然 猶有未樹也
Liezi traveled by riding the wind, and it was light and convenient. He came back after fifteen days	夫列子御風而行 泠然善也 旬有五日而後反
He did not seek to be perfect at things, and thus although he can avoid walking, he still would need to rely on things.	彼於致福者 未數數然也 此雖免乎行 猶有所待者也
If one could go with the rhythm of nature and understand the Six Airs' changes to explore endless possibilities, then what would he need to rely on?	若夫乘天地之正 而御六氣之辯 以游無窮者彼且惡乎待哉
Thus, we would say, "The Utmost had no concept of self" "The Divine had no concept of accomplishments," and "The Sages had no concept of fame."	故曰 至人無己 神人無功 聖人無名
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Emperor Yao wanted to relinquish his throne to Xu You. He said,	堯讓天下於許由 曰
"The sun and moon may came out, but the candlelight won't be extinguished.	日月出矣 而爝火不息
Wouldn't it be difficult to match the light of the sun and moon?	其於光也 不亦難乎
After the rain had already fallen, some still tried to water the plants.	時雨降矣 而猶浸灌
For irrigation, wouldn't this be fruitless?	其於澤也 不亦勞乎
If you would become Emperor, then the entire land would become peaceful.	夫子立而天下治
Therefore, I am ashamed that I still occupied this throne.	而我猶尸之 吾自視缺然
Allow me to cede it to you."	請致天下
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Xu You replied	許由曰
"Your Majesty had already brought peace to the land. What would letting me replace you yield, fame?	子治天下 天下既已治也 而我猶代子 吾將為名乎
Fame would be only secondary to accomplishments; I am not interested in just the secondary.	名者實之賓也 吾將為賓乎
A bird making a nest in the forest only needed one branch. A mole drinking from a river only needed to fill one stomach.	鷦鷯巢於深林 不過一枝 偃鼠飲河 不過滿腹
Please return. What would I need the throne for?	歸休乎君 予無所用天下為
Even if the cook refused to cook, the Master of Ceremonies should not go beyond his position to cook in his stead."	庖人雖不治庖 尸祝不越樽俎而代之矣
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Jian Wu tells Lian Shu,	肩吾問於連叔曰
"When I heard Jie Yu talk, he spoke of great things without limits, and could never stop once he starts.	吾聞言於接輿 大而無當 往而不返
I was surprised by his talks; it was endless like the universe.	吾驚怖其言猶河漢而無極也
It was too different from common knowledge, and was irreconcilable with normal experience."	大有徑庭 不近人情焉
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Lian Shu replies, "What did he say?"	連叔曰 其言謂何哉
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"He said, 'In the distant Mount Gushe, there lived a divine being.	曰 藐姑射之山 有神人居焉
His skin was as pale as ice and snow, and he was more beautiful than any maiden.	肌膚若冰雪 綽約若處子
He did not eat grain, but instead dined on wind and dew.	不食五穀 吸風飲露
He rode the clouds and directed a flying dragon to travel beyond the world's limits.	乘雲氣 御飛龍 而游乎四海之外
His power was so great that he could divert calamities and bring great harvests.'	其神凝 使物不疵癘而年穀熟
I think it was not real, so I didn't believe him."	吾以是狂而不 信也
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Lian Shu says, "Of course.	連叔曰 然
One could not share the beauty of paintings with the blind.	瞽者無以與乎文章之觀
One could not share the beauty of music with the deaf.	聾者無以與乎鐘鼓之聲
It was not just the body than could be blind and deaf, one's heart could also be so.'	豈唯形骸有聾盲哉 夫知亦有之
This quote referred specifically to you.	是其言也 猶時女也
That divine being's accomplishments had already made him one with the universe.	之人也 之德也 將旁礡萬物以為一
The trivial things of humanity were not something he would bother with.	世蘄乎亂 孰弊弊焉以天下為事
These kinds of people could not be hurt by external means.	之人也 物莫之傷
Even if a deluge rose to the heavens, he wouldn't drown.	大浸稽天而不溺
Even if a drought melted metal and rocks and scalded the earth and mountains, he would not feel warm.	大旱金石流 土山焦而不熱
His dust could even do great things on par with the works with Emperors Yao and Shun.	是其塵垢秕糠 將猶陶鑄堯舜者也
Why should he bother with trivial things such as what humans were concerned with?	孰肯分分然以物為事
A man from Song tried to sell hats in Yue.	宋人資章甫而適越
But the people of Yue traditionally shaved their heads and painted patterns onto their body, and had no use for hats.	越人斷髮文身 無所用之
Yao might have had the wisdom to rule the people and pacify the problems.	堯治天下之民 平海內之政
But when he left for Mount Gushe to meet four transcendants,	往見四子藐姑射之山
His subjects, living north of the Fen River, all lost their way."	汾水之陽窅然喪其天焉
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Hui Shi told Zhuang Zi,	惠子謂莊子曰
"The King of Wei gave me a seed for a large gourd, and it yielded a fruit weighing five Dan.	魏王貽我大瓠之種 我樹之成而實五石
If I used it to hold water, it was too brittle to stand its own weight.	以盛水漿 其堅不能自舉也
If I split it to use as a spoon, there was nothing suitable for it to hold.	剖之以為瓢 則瓠落無所容
It wasn't that it was not big enough, but rather because I thought it has no use whatsoever, and therefore I destroyed it."	非不呺然大也 吾為其無用而掊之
Zhuang Zi replied, "You are poor at using large things.	莊子曰 夫子固拙於用大矣
A man from Song was adept at creating a salve that would prevent your skin from chapping.	宋人有善為不龜手之藥者
His family for generations had been laundrymen, and he used it for that purpose.	世世以洴澼絖為事
A guest heard of this product, and offered a hundred taels of gold to buy the formula.	客聞之 請買其方百金
The man gathered his family and said,	聚族而謀之曰
'We did laundry for generations, and could only get a little money for it.	我世世為洴澼絖 不過數金
If just selling this formula would gain us a hundred taels of gold, let us sell it.'	今一朝而鬻技百金 請與之
The guest obtained the formula, and went to meet the King of Wu.	客得之 以說吳王
At this time, Yue invaded, so the King of Wu made him a general.	越有難 吳王使之將
During the winter, he led the Wu navy to fight the Yue navy, and defeated them because the salve eased the pain of the soldiers exposed to water in a prolonged manner.	冬 與越人水戰 大敗越人
He was then given a fief and made into a marquess.	裂地而封之
For the same formula, some only used it to do laundry, and some used it to get ennobled.	能不龜手一也 或以封 或不免於洴澼絖
This was the difference in application.	則所用之異
Now you had a gourd that can hold five Dan, why didn't you use it as a floating device to explore the rivers, and instead worried that it couldn't be used?	也今幾有五石之瓠 何不慮以為大樽而浮乎江湖 而憂其瓠落無所容
It was clear you are still limited in imagination."	則夫子猶有蓬之心也夫
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Hui Shi told Zhuang Zi,	惠子謂莊子曰
"I own a great tree, and people called it 'Chu'	吾有大樹 人謂之樗
Its trunk grew weird patterns so you couldn't write on it, and its branches were irregular so you couldn't use it for wood.	其大本臃腫而不中繩墨 其小枝卷曲而不中規矩
It grew on the side of the road, and no woodworker even looked at it.	立之涂 匠者不顧
Your teachings, although grand, were useless, and people of course would discard it."	今子之言 大而無用 眾所同去也
Zhuang Zi replied,	莊子曰
"Have you ever seen cats and weasels? They crouched their small bodies to wait for little animals.	子獨不見狸牲乎 卑身而伏 以候敖者
They jumped left and right to pillage, and did not care where it went.	東西跳梁 不辟高下
Many times it would step on a trap and would die in it.	中於機辟 死於罔罟
Have you seen the great Yak? Its body was as great as the clouds in the sky.	今夫斄牛 其大若垂天之雲
Even if it possessed such grandness, it still couldn't be tasked to catch mice.	此能為大矣 而不能執鼠
Now you own such a tree, but you worried that it had no uses.	今子有大樹 患其無用
Why didn't you plant it in that barren homeland, where there were endless plains?	何不樹之於無何有之鄉 廣莫之野
Thus the wanderers near it would, in utmost freedom, lie under its shade.	彷徨乎無為其側 逍遙乎寢臥其下
It would never be cut down, and nothing would ever harm it.	不夭斤斧 物無害者
Thus removed from the trappings of needing a purpose, there would be no need for worry."	無所可用 安所困苦哉