Memorial of Thanks on Choe Jongbeon's (崔宗藩) Appointment as Superintendent of the Lesser Treasury (判小府事)崔宗藩謝判小府事表
云云。秩視月卿。署稱泉府。循涯未副。聞命若驚。伏念臣器本庸虛。性惟昏蔽。濫收科第。反慙附贅於儒林。夙涉班聯。蓋藉餘膏於世祿。自從先代。常侍內庭。每瞻龍衮之光。榮則多矣。未側蛾眉之列。意頗慊如。及値聖辰。始參法從。五年掌制。訖無典麗之詞。三載司刑。莫有端詳之聽。自惟曠職。猶恐興譏。復墮眷於九重。特崇資於三品。此蓋云云。摠包微薄。務廣聰明。故令樗散之資。與沐露濡之澤。臣敢不益硏素履。痛礪初心。旣竭吾才。勺水儻裨於海大。不渝其節。貞松堪耐於歲寒。云云。
And so forth. The rank is matched with Wolgyeong (月卿), and the office is called Cheonbu (泉府). Measuring my own station, it does not fit, and on hearing the command I was as one startled.
Bowing, I consider that your servant's vessel was from the first mean and empty, and his nature nothing but dark and blinded. Presumptuously I passed the examination, and am ashamed rather at being a superfluous appendage to the grove of scholars; that I entered the ranks of office early was in the main because I leaned on the leftover fat of a hereditary stipend. From my forebears' time on I have always attended within the palace and looked up each day to the light of the dragon robe, so that my glory has been much; yet having not yet been placed among the ranks of Ami (蛾眉), my heart was rather disappointed.
Only on meeting Your Majesty's reign did I at last enter the ranks of those who attend the sovereign. For five years I had charge of drafting edicts, yet in the end there was no writing of mine both well ordered and fine; for three years I had charge of punishments, yet I did not judge uprightly and with close examination. Reckoning that I had left my office empty, I feared rather that mockery would arise — and then once more the regard of the ninefold palace came down, and by special favor you raised me to the rank of the third grade.
This is in the main — and so forth. Because you enfold even the slight and the thin, and strive to broaden your discernment, you have let a stuff as useless as the thorn-elm share in the grace of being steeped in dew.
How should your servant dare not polish his everyday conduct the more, and whet his first intent until it hurts? Having already spent all the talent that is mine, I hope to add even a cup of water to the greatness of the sea; and not changing that integrity, I shall be as the upright pine that endures the cold season. And so forth.
Interlinear notes 1
已上二首。皆昔所著。今方拾得。未附前集。
The two pieces above were both written long ago and have only now been picked up. They could not be appended to the first collection.