Fengyu — Meeting with Favor逢遇篇
操行有常賢，仕宦無常遇。賢不賢，才也；遇不遇，時也。才高行潔，不可保以必尊貴；能薄操濁，不可保以必卑賤。或高才潔行，不遇退在下流；薄能濁操，遇在眾上。世各自有以取士，士亦各自得以進。進在遇，退在不遇。處尊居顯，未必賢，遇也；位卑在下，未必愚，不遇也。故遇，或抱行，尊於桀之朝；不遇，或持潔節，卑於堯之廷。所以遇不遇，非一也：或時賢而輔惡；或以大才從於小才；或俱大才，道有清濁；或無道德而以技合；或無技能而以色幸。
Conduct has a constant worthiness, but office has no constant favor. Whether a man is worthy or not is a matter of talent. Whether he meets with favor or not is a matter of the times. High talent and clean conduct cannot ensure that a man will surely be honored and noble. Thin ability and muddy conduct cannot ensure that he will surely be low and base.
Some are high in talent and clean in conduct, yet fail to meet with favor and fall back into the lower ranks. Some are thin in ability and muddy in conduct, yet meet with favor and stand above the crowd. Each age has its own way of picking scholars, and each scholar finds his own way of coming forward. Coming forward lies in meeting with favor, falling back in failing to meet with it. To dwell in honor and stand in plain sight does not mean a man is worthy. He has met with favor. To hold a low place and stand below does not mean a man is foolish. He has failed to meet with favor. So a man who meets with favor may hold to his own conduct and still be honored at the court of Jie (桀), and a man who fails to meet with favor may hold to a clean integrity and still be lowered in the hall of Yao (堯).
The reasons for meeting with favor or failing to meet with it are not one. Some are worthy and yet aid an evil ruler. Some have great talent and follow small talent. Some have great talent alike, but their ways differ in clearness and muddiness. Some have no virtue at all and fit in by a skill. Some have no skill at all and win love by their looks.
伍員、帛喜，俱事夫差，帛喜尊重，伍員誅死，此異操而同主也。或操同而主異，亦有遇不遇，伊尹、箕子是也。伊尹、箕子才俱也，伊尹為相，箕子為奴，伊尹遇成湯，箕子遇商紂也。夫以賢事賢君，君欲為治，臣以賢才輔之，趨舍偶合，其遇固宜。以賢事惡君，君不欲為治，臣以忠行佐之，操志乖忤，不遇固宜。
Wu Yun and Bo Xi both served Fuchai. Bo Xi was honored and given weight, and Wu Yun was put to death. Here the conduct differed and the ruler was the same. Sometimes the conduct is the same and the rulers differ, and here too there is meeting with favor and failing to meet with it. Yi Yin and Jizi are such men. Yi Yin and Jizi were equal in talent, yet Yi Yin became prime minister and Jizi became a slave. Yi Yin met Cheng Tang, and Jizi met Zhou (紂) of Shang.
Now when a worthy man serves a worthy ruler, the ruler wishes to bring about order and the minister aids him with worthy talent. What they take up and what they lay aside match each other, and it is fitting that he should meet with favor. When a worthy man serves an evil ruler, the ruler does not wish to bring about order, yet the minister aids him with loyal conduct. Their aims run counter to each other, and it is fitting that he should fail to meet with favor.
或以賢聖之臣，遭欲為治之君，而終有不遇，孔子、孟軻是也。孔子絕糧陳、蔡，孟軻困於齊、梁，非時君主不用善也，才下知淺，不能用大才也。夫能御驥者，必王良也；能臣禹、稷、皋陶者，必堯、舜也。御百里之手，而以調千里之足，必摧衡折軛之患。有接具臣之才，而以御大臣之知，必有閉心塞意之變。故至言棄捐，聖賢距逆，非憎聖賢，不甘至言也。聖賢務高，至言難行也。夫以大才干小才，小才不能受，不遇固宜。
Sometimes a worthy and sagely minister meets a ruler who wishes to bring about order, and in the end still fails to meet with favor. Confucius and Meng Ke are such men. Confucius ran out of food between Chen and Cai, and Meng Ke was hard pressed in Qi and Liang. It was not that the rulers of that time refused to use what was good. Their talent was low and their knowledge shallow, and they could not use great talent.
Now the man who can drive a thousand league horse must be Wang Liang. The man who can have Yu and Ji and Gao Yao for his ministers must be Yao or Shun. Take hands that can drive a hundred leagues and set them to manage feet that run a thousand, and the crossbar will surely snap and the yoke break. Take the talent that can handle a minister who only fills a seat and set it to handle the knowledge of a great minister, and the mind will surely close and the will be blocked.
So when the highest words are cast aside and sages and worthy men are pushed away, it is not that men hate sages and worthy men or find the highest words unwelcome. Sages and worthy men strive for what is high, and the highest words are hard to carry out. Now when great talent approaches small talent, the small talent cannot receive it, and it is fitting that it should fail to meet with favor.
或以大才之臣，遇大才之主，乃有遇不遇，虞舜、許由、太公、伯夷是也。虞舜、許由俱聖人也，并生唐世，俱面於堯。虞舜紹帝統，許由入山林。太公、伯夷俱賢也，并出周國，皆見武王。太公受封，伯夷餓死。夫賢聖道同、志合、趨齊，虞舜、太公行偶，許由、伯夷操違者，生非其世，出非其時也。道雖同，同中有異，志雖合，合中有離。何則？道有精粗，志有清濁也。許由，皇者之輔也，生於帝者之時；伯夷，帝者之佐也，出於王者之世，并由道德，俱發仁義。主行道德不清，留；主為仁義不高，不止，此其所以不遇也。堯混舜濁，武王誅殘，太公討暴，同濁皆粗，舉措均齊，此其所以為遇者也。故舜王天下，皋陶佐政，北人無擇深隱不見；禹王天下，伯益輔治，伯成子高委位而耕。非皋陶才愈無擇，伯益能出子高也，然而皋陶、伯益進用，無擇、子高退隱，進用行偶，退隱操違也。退隱勢異，身雖屈，不願進；人主不須其言，廢之意亦不恨，是兩不相慕也。
Sometimes a minister of great talent meets a ruler of great talent, and still there is meeting with favor and failing to meet with it. Yu Shun and Xu You, Taigong and Bo Yi (伯夷) are such men. Yu Shun and Xu You were both sages. They were born together in the age of Tang (唐) and both came before Yao. Yu Shun carried on the line of the sovereigns, and Xu You went into the mountain forests. Taigong and Bo Yi were both worthy men. They came forth together in the state of Zhou and both saw King Wu. Taigong received a fief, and Bo Yi starved to death.
Now worthy men and sages share one way, their aims agree, and their steps are even. Yet the deeds of Yu Shun and Taigong matched their age, and the conduct of Xu You and Bo Yi ran counter to it. They were not born in their own age and did not come forth in their own time. Though the way is the same, within that sameness there is difference. Though the aims agree, within that agreement there is parting. Why is this? Because ways have their fine and their coarse, and aims have their clear and their muddy.
Xu You was one to aid an august sovereign (皇), yet he was born in the time of an emperor (帝). Bo Yi was one to help an emperor, yet he came forth in the age of a king (王). Both followed virtue, and both set forth benevolence and righteousness. Because the ruler did not practice virtue with a clear heart, the one stayed back. Because the ruler did not hold benevolence and righteousness high, the other did not remain. This is why they failed to meet with favor. Yao was mixed and Shun was muddy. King Wu cut down the cruel and Taigong struck at the violent. Their muddiness was alike and both were coarse, and what they took up and set aside was evenly matched. This is why they met with favor.
So when Shun ruled all under heaven, Gao Yao helped him govern, while Beiren Wuze hid himself deep and was not seen. When Yu ruled all under heaven, Boyi (伯益) helped him govern, while Bocheng Zigao gave up his post and plowed. It was not that Gao Yao had more talent than Wuze, or that Boyi had greater ability than Zigao. Yet Gao Yao and Boyi came forward and were used, while Wuze and Zigao drew back and hid. They came forward and were used because their deeds matched the age. They drew back and hid because their conduct ran counter to it. Those who drew back and hid stood in a different position. Though their bodies were bent low, they did not wish to come forward. The ruler had no need of their words, and when he set them aside they bore no grudge in their hearts. Here the two did not long for each other.
商鞅三說秦孝公，前二說不聽，後一說用者：前二，帝王之論；後一，霸者之議也。夫持帝王之論，說霸者之主，雖精見距；更調霸說，雖粗見受。何則？精遇孝公所不〔欲〕得，粗遇孝公所欲行也。故說者不在善，在所說者善之；才不待賢，在所事者賢之。馬圄之說無方，而野人說之；子貢之說有義，野人不聽。
Shang Yang spoke three times to Duke Xiao of Qin. The first two times he was not heeded, and the third time he was used. The first two were discourses on emperors and kings (帝王). The last was a counsel for a hegemon (霸者). Now hold a discourse on emperors and kings and speak it to the ruler of a hegemon's state, and though it be fine it will be pushed away. Tune it again to a hegemon's counsel, and though it be coarse it will be received. Why is this? Because the fine words touched what Duke Xiao did not wish to get, and the coarse words touched what he wished to carry out.
So the worth of a speaker does not lie in his being good. It lies in the hearer holding him good. Talent does not wait upon being worthy. It lies in the man he serves holding him worthy. The groom's words had no method, yet the country folk were pleased with them. Zigong's words held righteousness, yet the country folk would not listen.
吹籟工為善聲，因越王不喜，更為野聲，越王大說。故為善於不欲得善之主，雖善不見愛；為不善於欲得不善之主，雖不善不見憎。此以曲伎合，合則遇，不合則不遇。
A player of the reed pipe made a fine sound, and the king of Yue was not pleased. He made a rustic sound instead, and the king of Yue was greatly pleased. So if you do what is good before a ruler who does not wish to get what is good, though it be good it will not be loved. If you do what is not good before a ruler who wishes to get what is not good, though it be not good it will not be hated. Here a man fits in by a crooked skill. If it fits, he meets with favor. If it does not fit, he fails to meet with favor.
或無伎，妄以奸巧合上志，亦有以遇者，竊簪之臣，雞鳴之客是。竊簪之臣，親於子反。雞鳴之客，幸於孟嘗。子反好偷臣，孟嘗愛偽客也。以有補於人君，人君賴之，其遇固宜。或無補益，為上所好，籍孺、鄧通是也。籍孺幸於孝惠，鄧通愛於孝文。無細簡之才，微薄之能，偶以形佳骨嫻，皮媚色稱。夫好容，人所好也，其遇固宜。或以丑面惡色，稱媚於上，嫫母、無鹽是也。嫫母進於黃帝，無鹽納於齊王。故賢不肖可豫知，遇難先圖。何則？人主好惡無常，人臣所進無豫，偶合為是，適可為上。進者未必賢，退者未必愚，合幸得進，不幸失之。
Sometimes a man has no skill at all and fits the mind of his superior by mere cunning, and he too meets with favor. The minister who stole the hairpin and the guest who crowed like a cock are such men. The minister who stole the hairpin was close to Zifan, and the guest who crowed like a cock was loved by Lord Mengchang. Zifan liked a minister who could steal, and Lord Mengchang cherished a guest who could feign. They were of use to their lord, and their lord leaned on them. It is fitting that they met with favor.
Sometimes a man is of no use at all and yet becomes what his superior likes. Ji Ru and Deng Tong are such men. Ji Ru was loved by Emperor Xiaohui, and Deng Tong was loved by Emperor Xiaowen. They had not the talent to write a fine hand on a slip, nor the thinnest ability. They only happened to be fair in form and graceful in frame, smooth of skin and pleasing in color. Now a fair face is what men like, and it is fitting that they met with favor.
Sometimes a woman with an ugly face and a harsh color is called lovely by her superior. Momu and Wuyan are such women. Momu came before the Yellow Emperor, and Wuyan was taken in by the king of Qi.
So whether a man is worthy or unworthy can be known beforehand, but meeting with favor is hard to plan for in advance. Why is this? Because what a ruler likes and hates is never constant, and what a minister brings forward cannot be settled beforehand. What happens to match is called right, and what happens to suit is held highest. The man who comes forward is not surely worthy, and the man who falls back is not surely foolish. If he fits, he is lucky and comes forward. If he is unlucky, he loses his place.
世俗之議曰：「賢人可遇，不遇亦自其咎也。生不希世准主，觀鑒治內，調能定說，審詞際會，能進有補贍主，何不遇之有？今則不然，作無益之能，納無補之說，以夏進爐，以冬奏扇，為所不欲得之事，獻所不欲聞之語，其不遇禍幸矣，何福佑之有乎？」進能有益，納說有補，人之所知也。或以不補而得佑，或以有益而獲罪；且夏時爐以炙濕，冬時扇以火，世可希，主不可准也。說可轉，能不可易也。世主好文，己為文則遇；主好武，己則不遇。主好辯，有口則遇；主不好辯，己則不遇。文主不好武，武主不好文，辯主不好行，行主不好辯。文與言，尚可暴習。行與能，不可卒成。學不宿習，無以明名。名不素著，無以遇主。倉猝之業，須臾之名，日力不足不預聞，何以准主而納其說，進身而托其能哉？昔周人有仕數不遇，年老白首，泣涕於塗者，人或問之：「何為泣乎？」
The talk of the age runs thus. "A worthy man can meet with favor. If he fails to meet with it, that too is his own fault. Let him look to his age and take the measure of his ruler, watch and weigh the state of the government, tune his ability and settle his words, study his phrases and match the moment. If he can come forward and be of use and of plenty to his ruler, how should he fail to meet with favor? But now it is not so. He works up a useless ability and brings in words of no use. It is like offering a brazier in summer and presenting a fan in winter. He does what men do not wish to get and offers up words they do not wish to hear. That he has not met with disaster is luck enough. What blessing could there be?"
That an ability brought forward should be of benefit and words brought in be of use, this all men know. Yet some are of no use and win favor, and some are of benefit and get punished. Besides, in summer a brazier dries what is damp, and in winter a fan blows up the fire. An age can be looked to, but a ruler cannot be measured.
Words can be turned about, but ability cannot be changed. If the ruler of the age likes letters and you do letters, you meet with favor. If the ruler likes arms, you fail to meet with favor. If the ruler likes debate and you have a mouth, you meet with favor. If the ruler does not like debate, you fail to meet with favor. A ruler of letters does not like arms, and a ruler of arms does not like letters. A ruler of debate does not like conduct, and a ruler of conduct does not like debate.
Letters and speech can still be got up in haste. Conduct and ability cannot be finished in a moment. If learning is not practiced long beforehand, there is no way to make a name clear. If a name is not known from the first, there is no way to meet a ruler. A trade taken up in a rush and a name made in an instant leave the days and the strength too short to be heard of in advance. With what then will you measure your ruler and bring in your words, come forward and entrust him with your ability?
Long ago there was a man of Zhou who served in office and many times failed to meet with favor. He grew old, his head turned white, and he wept on the road. Someone asked him, "Why do you weep?"
對曰：「吾仕數不遇，自傷年老失時，是以泣也。」人曰：「仕奈何不一遇也？」對曰：「吾年少之時，學為文。文德成就，始欲仕宦，人君好用老。用老主亡，後主又用武，吾更為武。武節始就，武主又亡。少主始立，好用少年，吾年又老。是以未嘗一遇。」仕宦有時，不可求也。夫希世准主，尚不可為；況節高志妙，不為利動，性定質成，不為主顧者乎？
He answered, "I have served in office and many times failed to meet with favor. It grieves me that I am old and have lost my time, and so I weep." The man said, "How is it that in all your service you never once met with favor?" He answered, "When I was young I studied letters. When my letters and my virtue were formed and I first wished to take office, the ruler liked to use old men. The ruler who used old men died, and the next ruler used men of arms, so I turned to arms. My discipline in arms was barely formed when the ruler of arms also died. A young ruler had newly ascended the throne, and he liked to use young men, and by then I was old again. This is why I never once met with favor."
Office has its time and cannot be sought after. Now even to look to the age and take the measure of a ruler cannot be done. How much less for the man whose integrity is high and whose aim is subtle, who is not moved by gain, whose nature is settled and whose substance is formed, and who does not look to a ruler at all?
且夫遇也，能不預設，說不宿具，邂逅逢喜，遭觸上意，故謂之遇。如推主調說，以取尊貴，是名為揣，不名曰遇。春種谷生，秋刈谷收。求物得物，作事事成，不名為遇。不求自至，不作自成，是名為遇。猶拾遺於塗，摭棄於野，若天授地生，鬼助神輔，禽息之精陰慶，鮑叔之魂默舉。若是者，乃遇耳。今俗人即不能定遇不遇之論，又就遇而譽之，因不遇而毀之。是据見效案成事，不能量操審才能也。
Moreover, meeting with favor means that the ability was not set up beforehand and the words were not made ready in advance. A man happens upon a gladness and touches his superior's mind, and this is why it is called meeting with favor. If he works out his ruler and tunes his words to gain honor and rank, that is called calculation. It is not called meeting with favor.
Sow in spring and the grain comes up. Reap in autumn and the grain is gathered. To seek a thing and get the thing, to do a work and have the work done, is not called meeting with favor. To have it come of itself without seeking, to have it done of itself without doing, this is called meeting with favor. It is like picking up what was dropped on the road, or gathering what was thrown away in the field. It is like a gift from heaven and a birth from earth, ghosts helping and spirits upholding. It is like the spirit of Qin Xi quietly bringing blessing, or the soul of Bao Shu silently raising a man up. Only such a thing is meeting with favor.
Now the common men of today cannot settle the argument over meeting with favor and failing to meet with it. Yet they go by the man who met with favor and praise him, and they take the man who failed to meet with it and tear him down. This is to lean on results in plain sight and judge by deeds already done. It is not to weigh a man's conduct and look into his ability.