Letter sent to Chancellor Jingyeong (晉卿)送晉卿承相書
右啓。冬寒。伏想台候淸勝萬福。瞻戀瞻戀。恭惟承相閣下。以磊落奇偉命世之才。際風雲之慶會。孕育周孔。吹噓高舜。擅文章道德之美。潤色帝化。發揮廟謨。使淸風爽韻橫被四海者久矣。予以邈寄海外窅遠之邦。故猶不得早聞紫鳳紅鸞之出瑞於上朝。昧昧焉眞可笑也。近憑小國使介。略聞緖餘。大恨知之之晚。然在此幽僻之中。尙能逖聽風聲者。豈以其白玉騰精而靈暉之所燭者遠矣。靑蘭挺質而餘芳之所播者多焉者歟。猶愈於聾者之便不聞金玉之音也。瞻望瓊樹。傾渴不已。兼聞閣下迺眷小邦。遇我賤介也。溫然如春。扶護甚力。遂使之遄還。不至淹久。銘感之心。言所不盡也。今者又遣使介詣皇帝闕下。伏望閣下益復護短。特於旒冕之下。乘間伺隙。善爲之辭。使小國可矜之狀。得入聰聽。求求保安弊邑。則予雖不敏。敢不報效萬一耶。此言如飾。天日照臨。無任惶悚之至。云云。
I report. In the cold of winter I trust that your honoured person is clear and well and in every happiness; I look up to you and long for you.
I consider that you, Your Excellency the Chancellor, with a talent towering and rare and renowned in the world, have met the auspicious meeting of wind and cloud. You have cherished and nourished the Duke of Zhou and Confucius, and lifted Yao and Shun on high. Making your own the beauty of letters and of virtue, you have given lustre to the Emperor's teaching and set forth the counsels of the court. Long now has your clear wind and cool resonance spread across the four seas.
Because I live attached to a country far off beyond the sea, I did not hear early that an auspice like the vermilion phoenix and the simurgh had come forth in the Imperial court; dark and dull of me, and truly laughable. Of late, leaning upon our small country's envoys, I have heard in outline even so much as the remainder of it, and I bitterly regret knowing it late. Yet that even here in this hidden and remote place I could hear, however distantly, the sound carried on the wind — how should it not be because white jade breathes out its essence so that its numinous light shines far, and the blue orchid makes its substance excel so that the remaining fragrance spreads wide? Still it is better than the deaf man who cannot hear the sound of metal and jade at all. Gazing toward that tree of gems, I do not cease to admire you.
I hear besides that Your Excellency has looked after our small country, treating our lowly envoys with the warmth of spring and upholding them with great effort, and at last let them return swiftly so that they were not long detained. The gratitude graven in me is more than words can tell.
Now again we send envoys to go up to the Emperor's palace. Prostrate we hope that Your Excellency will the more cover over our shortcomings, and especially, taking occasion beneath the imperial crown, will speak well of us. Let the pitiable condition of the small country come to those enlightened ears, and keep our district safe and at peace. If you do so, then, unready though I am, how should I not repay even one part in ten thousand? If there is any ornament in these words, the sun in heaven will shine upon them and see. I am in dread beyond measure.