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Great and wide Heaven, |
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How is it you have contracted your kindness, |
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Sending down death and famine, |
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Destroying all through the kingdom? |
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Compassionate Heaven, arrayed in terrors, |
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How is it you exercise no forethought, no care? |
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Let alone the criminals: -- |
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They have suffered for their offences; |
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But those who have no crime, |
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Are indiscriminately involved in ruin. |
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The honoured House of Zhou is [nearly] extinguished, |
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And there is no means of stopping or settling [the troubles]. |
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The Heads of the officers have left their places, |
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And no one knows my toil. |
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The three high ministers, and [other] great officers, |
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Are unwilling [to attend to their duties] early and late. |
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The lords of the various States, |
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Are unwilling [to appear at court] morning and evening. |
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If indeed he would turn to good, -- |
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But on the contrary he proceeds to [greater] evil. |
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How is it, O great Heaven, |
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That he will not hearken to the justest words? |
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He is like a man going [astray], |
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[Who knows] not where he will proceed to. |
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All ye officers, |
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Let each of you reverently attend to his duties. |
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How do ye not stand in awe of one another? |
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Ye do not stand in awe of Heaven. |
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War has done its work, but he withdraws not [from evil]; |
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Famine has done its work, but he goes not on [to good]; |
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So that I, a [mere] groom of the chambers, |
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Am full of grief and in pain daily. |
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All ye officers, |
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Ye are unwilling to declare [the truth to him]. |
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When you hear a question, you [simply] answer it, |
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And when slander touches you, you withdraw. |
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Alas that [right words] cannot be spoken, |
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Which come not from the tongue [only]! |
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The speakers of them are sure to suffer. |
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Well is it for the words that can be spoken! |
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The artful speech flows like a stream, |
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And the speakers dwell at ease in prosperity. |
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It may be said about taking office, |
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That it is full of hazard and peril. |
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By [advice] that he says cannot be followed, |
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You offend against the Son of Heaven. |
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By advice that he says will be followed, |
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You excite the resentment of your friends. |
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I say to you, ' Remove to the royal capital, ' |
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And ye say that you have not got houses there. |
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Painful are my inmost thoughts, and I weep blood; -- |
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Every word I speak makes me hated; |
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But when you formerly left to reside elsewhere, |
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Who was it that made houses for you? |