Letter of thanks to Secretary Gao for showing me his long song謝高祕書示長歌書
1A single word raises up a state in danger
伏蒙特飛榮誨。寵示長歌。玉海金山。難測高深之本。北方南國。徒觀美麗之姿。贊詠無階。師資有路。但如靑蓮居士唯誇散誕之詞。白石山人只騁荒唐之作。但以風月琴罇爲勝槪。不以君臣禮樂爲宏規。遂使千年萬年所流傳。皆嗟大雅小雅之淪弊。今覩四十三叔行出人表。言成世資弄才子之筆端。寫忠臣之襟抱。在今行古。旣爲儒室之宗。憂國如家。固是德門之事。天有耳而必常悔福。雲無心而亦可銷兵。一言自此興危邦。六義於斯歸正道。則所謂陳平宰社。爾曹何知。鄧艾畫營。其志不小。永言他日。足驗前程。某畏影雖迷。偸光匪懈。旣知閱寶。直若發蒙。唯願將鵬擧篇章。傳於異域。豈獨以伯魚對答。誇向同聲。下情但增感戴欽仰降歎之至。續專祗候陳謝。
You sent down your glorious teaching on purpose and favored me by showing me your long song. A sea of jade, a mountain of gold: its height and depth cannot be measured at the root. The north country, the southern land: one can only look upon its beautiful form. There is no step by which I may praise it, but there is a road by which I may take it as my teacher. Now the Recluse of the Blue Lotus boasted only of loose and scattered words, and the Mountain Man of the White Stone gave rein to wild and empty work. They made wind and moon, zither and wine jar their finest scene, and they did not take ruler and subject, rites and music, for their broad rule. So it came about that all that has been handed down these thousand and ten thousand years makes men sigh over the ruin of the Greater Ya and the Lesser Ya. Now I see that the conduct of my forty-third uncle stands out above other men and that his words become the stock of the age. He moves a gifted man's brush tip and writes out a loyal servant's breast. Living now, he practices what is old, and he is already the head of the scholars' house. He sorrows for the state as for his own home, and this is truly the business of a house of virtue. Heaven has ears and must always repent of its blessings. The cloud has no mind, and yet it can melt weapons away. A single word from this raises up a state in danger, and the six principles turn here to the right road. This is what is meant by saying that when Chen Ping divided the meat at the altar, what did you people know of it, and that when Deng Ai drew out his camps, his purpose was not small. To speak of other days hereafter is enough to prove the road ahead. Though I am lost in fearing my own shadow, I am not slack in stealing a little light. Now that I know I have looked upon a treasure, it is as if my blindness were opened. I wish only to take the pieces that soar like the roc and hand them on in a far country. How should I merely boast toward those of the same voice with the answer of Boyu? My humble heart only grows in gratitude, in reverence, and in wonder. I shall wait upon you again on purpose and set out my thanks.