Memorial declining the posts of Grand Master of the Silver Seal and Blue Ribbon, Deputy Privy Councillor, Left Cavalier Attendant-in-Ordinary, and Academician of the Bomun Pavilion讓銀靑光祿大夫樞密院副使左散騎常侍寶文閣學士表
云云。位峻黃樞。本號高華之地。命宣紫檢。過推駑猥之才。省己靡宜。緘辭自訴。伏念臣天資拙訥。人品妄庸。爲文多狂蕩浮夸之辭。行己寡矜持愼重之態。世皆目薄行之輩。臣亦無遠到之期。久莫除官。徒有戢鱗之嘆。晚方從宦。尙稽驤首之驅。幸遘昌期。始參要職。每沐甄收之渥。不離侍從之班。雍容藥省之游。密勿花甎之步。或玷泮宮之師席。或司祕閣之天書。此皆踰分之榮。縱難謬處。旣曰業文之任。幸或得居。若其帷幄豫謀。台衡亞體。本欲待經綸之佐。未宜容腐爛之儒。況復珥於貂璫。而獲陪於輦乘。臣本無所效。何有此除。因反覆思之。則臣唯於國之與達旦。交好已來。專以文翰委之。常耗竭精思。粗修不腆書牘而已。若考績則此特弄筆通戎之薄勞也。不足爲功。及受賞則乃與褰旗平賊者同昇而彼反在下。辭無可籍。顔得無慙。苟冒昧以敢當。卽顚躋之隨至。伏望云云。知臣實懼盈而思遜。諒臣非飾讓以徼名。追寢明緡。更求英器。則銜勒之下。豈無騏驥之縻。蕃籬之間。自守鷦鷯之適。云云。
And so forth. The post stands high in the Privy Council, and is of itself called a lofty and shining place. By a writing sealed in purple you issued the command and pushed up beyond measure a dull and trifling talent. Looking at myself it is unfitting, and so I seal up my words and plead my own case.
Prostrate I consider that your servant is by birth clumsy and halting of speech, and loosely mean in his person. When I compose, there is much that is wild and dissolute and much flighty talk; and in bearing myself I have little of careful keeping and prudence. The world took me for one of the company of thin conduct, and your servant too had no expectation of reaching far. Long I received no office, and had merely the lament of drawing in my scales; late I came to follow office, and even then was slow to raise my head and run.
Happily meeting a flourishing age, I at last took part in essential offices. Always bathing in the thickness with which you pick out and gather men, I never left the ranks that attend upon the sovereign. I roamed at ease in the Medicine Department (藥省) and was diligent in treading the flower-figured paving tiles. Now I defiled the teacher's place of the Ban Palace (泮宮), now I had charge of the royal writings in the Secret Pavilion. All these are glories beyond my measure, and though it is hard that there be no fault in it, since the charge was already one that makes letters its business, happily I could perhaps hold it.
But to plan beforehand within the curtain and to place one's person in the seat next to the councillors — this of itself waits upon an assistant who will govern and weave the state, and it is not fitting that a rotten scholar be taken in. How much more, when I am besides to wear a cap set with a sable's tail and attend upon the royal carriage. Your servant has from the first done nothing of any merit; how should he have such an office?
Going over it again, your servant has only had sole charge of the business of writing since our country came to be on good terms with the Dadan (達旦). Always spending my whole spirit and thought, I did no more than roughly compose letters that were not ample. If one looks at achievement, this is merely the thin labour of plying a brush and communicating with that country, and it is not ample enough to be called merit. Yet in the receiving of rewards I go up together with those who furled the banners and put down the brigands, and they are set below me instead. Having no word to offer in excuse, can my face be free of shame? If I meanly and blindly brave it and bear it, a fall will presently follow.
Prostrate I hope, and so forth. Know that your servant truly fears overflowing and so thinks of declining, and reckon that your servant is not dressing up a refusal in order to seek a name; withdraw the bright command and seek again an outstanding vessel. Then how should there be no thousand-league courser to be tied beneath bit and rein? And your servant will keep, among the hedges, the measure of a wren for whom a single branch is ample. And so forth.
Interlinear notes 1
中謝。
Here the words of thanks (中謝) are inserted.