12月29日

崔子玉座右銘
東漢 崔瑗 ( 77~142 )

無道人之短，無說己之長；
施人慎勿念，受施慎勿忘。
世譽不足慕，唯仁為紀綱；
隱心而後動，謗議庸何傷？
無使名過實，守愚聖所臧；
在涅貴不惱，曖曖內含光。
柔弱生之徒，老氏誡剛強；
行行鄙夫志，悠悠故難量。
慎言節飲食，知足勝不祥；
行之苟有恒，久久自芬芳。

──選自《全宋詞》

December 29

Cui Ziyu's Mottos
Cui Yuan (77 - 142 , Eastern Han Dynasty)
English translation: Miao Guang

Do not speak of others' shortcomings,
Nor mention your own merits.
Expect no return for what you give,
Nor forget the kindness you have received.
What is there to envy about worldly fame?
Seek only the principle of self-discipline.
Conceal your intentions before acting upon them;
Remain unaffected by slander or criticism.
Do not let your reputation exceed you;
Sages admire the fact that still water runs deep.
Remain uninfluenced when emerged in black;
Let a dim appearance hide your splendor.
Soft and weak is the way to survive,
Laozi had thus admonished against the hard and strong.
Acts of the latter are that of mediocre minds,
As time goes by, the trouble deepens immeasurably.
Speak with caution and control what you eat,
Contentment defeats misfortune,
If one acts with persistence,
Eventually there will be fragrance in life.

── from Quan Song Ci (Complete Collection of Song Poems)