Second memorial of Privy Councillor Yu Gonggwon (柳公權) begging to retire from office柳樞密公權乞辭職表 第二表
臣某言。昨因風病。具表乞解官職。伏蒙今月某日特降手詔不允者。駑駘之力已疲。急於免軛。螻蟻之誠雖切。難以動天。本守不移。敢辭再瀆。伏念臣夤緣資序。汚衊朝廷。久貪優渥之私。果被沈嬰之疹。當夙夜在公之日。常戒蒲盈。況淹延伏枕之時。豈宜曠素。此又不退。何以爲顔。玆陳危苦之辭。願避高華之位。殘骸無益。上聽不廻。而不例委於掖垣。特自內降於手詔。方困頓中。扶腋迺興。伏見詔書曰。人惟求舊。又曰。圖任舊人共政。雖至人不遺於簪履。而小臣無補於絲毫。加又大明無遺察。而猶曰多忘。衆賢皆挾輔。而尙言孤立。夫何慰誨。至此綢繆。病身便於退安。故嘗觸冒嚴勅。責以辜負。玆獨震惶陛下。容無用之才而尙不忍遣歸。微臣受過厚之恩。而豈不欲勉進。但劇位非臥理之地。而上天有可畏之明。雖然。懷祿而飾讓。則斯謂好名。無疾而求安。則是亦近詆。如臣者。才雖至淺。性本不欺。在朋友之間。猶以誠信自許。況君主之側。安敢矯訐而言。誠以病莫能興。榮以爲懼。伏望聖上陛下。霽雷霆之怒。廻日月之明。不奪微誠。使安老境。則搶楡斤鷃。樂自適於逍遙。得水傷龜。恩豈忘於頃刻。云云。
I, your servant so-and-so, report. The other day, on account of my palsy, I prepared a memorial begging that my office be released; and on a certain day this month Your Majesty especially sent down a rescript in your own hand and did not consent. The strength of a dull horse is already spent, and it hastens to be freed of the yoke. Though the sincerity of mole cricket and ant be earnest, it is hard to move heaven. Since I cannot shift what I have always kept to, how should I decline to sully you a second time?
Prostrate, I consider that your servant rode up by the order of seats and sullied the court. Long coveting the private favour of a generous kindness, I have duly fallen into a chronic illness. Even on the days when I was at my duties from early dawn until night, I always guarded against being full and overflowing; how much more, now that I have long lain prostrate on my pillow, should I leave the seat empty and merely eat my salary? If after this I do not withdraw, what face is left me? So I report these fearful and distressed words, hoping to escape a seat high and splendid.
My worn-out body is of no use, yet Your Majesty's hearing above was not turned. And rather than leaving it to the lower office according to precedent, you especially sent down from within a rescript in your own hand. In the midst of my weariness I was raised up, held under the arms. Prostrate I looked at the rescript, and it said, "In men one seeks only the men of old," and again, "To charge a man of old with affairs and plan to govern together with him."
The Most High, they say, does not cast away even a hairpin or a shoe; but a small vassal adds not a thread of benefit. Besides, Your great brilliance is such that there is nothing it does not perceive, and yet you say "I am much forgetful"; the many worthy men all assist you at your side, and yet you say "I stand alone." What consolation and instruction is this, so full and particular?
Since it is right for a sick body to withdraw and be at ease, I once braved a stern edict and so heard the reproof of having failed you; and at this I tremble alone in dread. Your Majesty has taken in a useless talent and still cannot bear to send it back, and this paltry servant has received a kindness over-generous; how then should I not wish to press forward? Only, a busy post is no place to govern lying down, and in the heaven above there is a brightness to be feared.
Even so, to hold my salary and make a show of declining would be called a love of reputation; and to seek ease without being ill would likewise come near to deceit. One such as your servant is of the shallowest talent, but by nature does not deceive. Even among friends I prided myself on honesty and good faith; how much more at Your Majesty's side — how should I dare to dress up what I say and bring it forward? I am truly ill and cannot rise, and I hold glory to be a thing of dread.
Prostrate I hope that Your Sage Majesty will let your thunderous anger clear and turn back the brightness of sun and moon, and not take away this paltry sincerity, but set an old man's circumstances at ease. If you do so, then the quail that strikes against the elm will have its own gladness in roaming, and how should the wounded turtle that has found water forget the kindness even for a moment? And so forth.
Interlinear notes 1
中謝
Here the words of thanks (中謝) are inserted.