韩宣子问于叔向曰：「楚其克乎？」对曰：「克哉！蔡侯获罪于其君，而不能其民，天将假手于楚以毙之，何故不克？然肸闻之，不信以幸，不可再也。楚王奉孙吴以讨于陈，曰：『将定而国。』陈人听命，而遂县之。今又诱蔡而杀其君，以围其国，虽幸而克，必受其咎，弗能久矣。桀克有婚以丧其国，纣克东夷而陨其身。楚小位下，而亟暴于二王，能无咎乎？天之假助不善，非祚之也，厚其凶恶而降之罚也。且譬之如天，其有五材而将用之，力尽而敝之，是以无拯，大可没振。」
五月，齐归薨，大蒐于比蒲，非礼也。
孟僖子会邾庄公，盟于祲祥，修好，礼也。泉丘人有女梦以其帷幕孟氏之庙，遂奔僖子，其僚从之。盟于清丘之社，曰：「有子，无相弃也。」僖子使助薳氏之簉。反自祲祥，宿于薳氏，生懿子及南宫敬叔于泉丘人。其僚无子，使字敬叔。
诗歌原文: 左传·昭公十一年
韩宣子问于叔向曰：「楚其克乎？」对曰：「克哉！蔡侯获罪于其君，而不能其民，天将假手于楚以毙之，何故不克？然肸闻之，不信以幸，不可再也。楚王奉孙吴以讨于陈，曰：『将定而国。』陈人听命，而遂县之。今又诱蔡而杀其君，以围其国，虽幸而克，必受其咎，弗能久矣。桀克有婚以丧其国，纣克东夷而陨其身。」楚小位下，而亟暴于二王，能无咎乎？天之假助不善，非祚之也，厚其凶恶而降之罚也。且譬之如天，其有五材而将用之，力尽而敝之，是以无拯，大可没振。」
五月，齐归薨，大蒐于比蒲，非礼也。
孟僖子会邾庄公，盟于祲祥，修好，礼也。泉丘人有女梦以其帷幕孟氏之庙，遂奔僖子，其僚从之。盟于清丘之社，曰：「有子，无相弃也。」僖子使助薳氏之簉。反自祲祥，宿于薳氏，生懿子及南宫敬叔于泉丘人。其僚无子，使字敬叔。
下面是这首诗的译文和解析：
translated: Zhou Shuang, the eleventh year of Zhao King’s reign, asked Zhuguan Xu about whether Chu could conquer. Zhuguan Xu replied, “Chu can indeed conquer!” He explained that Cai’s king had violated his people and was not trusted by the heavens. The heaven is about to entrust its mighty power to Chu to crush him; why not conquer? However, I heard that one should be cautious not to rely on chance but on good fortune. In this case, Chu’s king, Sun Wu, led his soldiers to Chen. They proclaimed, “We will secure our kingdom.” The people of Chen followed orders and were captured. Now, if you tempt Cai with their death and then surround them, even though luck favors you and you manage to defeat them, you must inevitably suffer for your deception! Remember how King Khrihi of Yin was killed by King Lü after he married Lü’s daughter in hopes of gaining wealth. King Zhou of Zhao was also destroyed by Dongxi. Smaller countries like Chu, having been violently treated by two kings before, can’t possibly escape punishment. Heaven lends aid to evil forces; it isn’t blessing them—it’s just punishing them severely. Imagine a sky full of five virtues, and if one applies all these virtues, exhaust them and they become useless. Thus, there is no salvation when everything is exhausted. Just like King Ha of Yin who, despite being married into a powerful family, ended in misfortune, and King Zhou of Zhao who defeated Dongxi but lost his life. Since Chu is small and inferior, it has been violently treated by both kings, can’t there be punishment? But remember, heaven’s punishment doesn’t come from itself but from those who act against heaven. Heaven is kind but only if people are bad. And as it says in dreams, a woman dream she is covering her mother-in-law’s hall with curtains and runs to Zhuguan Xu. Her servant follows her. They meet at the temple at Qingqiu, saying, “If a child is born, don’t reject him.” Zhuguan Xu assisted with the funeral of Pu. Returning from Qingqiu, they stayed overnight at the house of Pu and had Zhuge Weiborn in Qiuchao and Nongjingzhu in Qiuchao. When their servants found out they didn’t have any children, they adopted Zhengjing.
Unusual: May 1st, Qu Yuan returns home, holds a grand hunt at Bipu, which is unproper.
At the meeting between Meng Xizi and Duke of Zhuang, they made an alliance at Jianxiang, which is proper. A man from Quanqiu saw a dream where he took the curtains from the Hall of Marquis Meng and fled to Meng Xizi, following him. They met at the Temple of Jingshan, said, “If you have a son, do not reject him.” Meng Xizi sent his vassals to aid the Wei family’s ancestral halls. After returning from Jingshan, they slept at Wangshi’s house and gave birth to Yizi and Nongjingzhu in Quanqiu. His vassals who did not have any children were given names to Nongjingzhu.
Translation:
The poem discusses how Chu might succeed or fail in their war against Cai. It also mentions how Zhuguan Xu warned about the consequences of acting against heaven. Later, there was a dream where a lady ran to a certain person because she wanted to hide from fate. This is a metaphor for the heavens using its power to punish those who are evil. It also shows that some people are so greedy that they cannot find a place for themselves.
This poem also narrates another story where a man from Quanqiu saw a dream where he took the curtains from the Hall of Marquis Meng and escaped to Meng Xizi. Later, he and his followers met at the Temple of Jingshan to discuss matters of state and decided to help the Wei family’s ancestral halls. They returned from Jingshan. Stayed at Wangshi’s house. During this stay, they had a baby girl named Yizi and another boy named Nongjingzhu. The men who had no children received the name Nongjingzhu.
Analysis:
This poem uses several metaphoric expressions. For example, the “five virtues” symbolize the heavenly resources, while “ceasing to use” implies that these resources can no longer be used effectively. The metaphor “closing the mouth” means losing one’s fortune, while “braving the storm” refers to overcoming difficulties bravely. These metaphors show the poet’s deep understanding and insight into history.
This poem also highlights the importance of morality and history through metaphorical language and historical context. It reminds us to follow the right path and not rely on chance in our interactions with others. The poet suggests that if someone acts badly and relies on chance without trustworthiness, they will ultimately suffer. This is a lesson from history for all to learn.
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