Even more from the Chan Guo Ce
Feb. 17th, 2005 11:22 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
tylikLord Meng Chang was going to enter Qin. As for those who wanted him to halt, they were a thousand in number, and yet he didn't listen to them. Su Chin desired to stop him. Meng Chang said "As for the affairs of men, I already know them exhaustively. That which I do not know is the affairs of the myriad spirits, and that's it."
Su Chin said: " As for my coming, I would not dare to speak of the affairs of men. But I have used the affairs of the spirit world to look at you, Lord." Lord Meng Chan met with him, and he [Su Chin] said to Lord Meng Chang:
"Today, came across near the Zhi river, and saw an earthen idol with a peach wood effigy*, coming together to converse. The peach wood effigy spoke to the earthen idol, saying: "You are the earth of the western bank. You were pulled out and made into a person. In the eighth month of the year, if the pouring rains fall, and the Zhi waters arrive [rise up to his location] you will be eroded away."
"The earthen idol spoke: "That's not the way it is. I am the earth of the west bank. If I am earth, then to the west bank I will return, and that's the end of it. Now you are the Eastern county's peach wood effigy. You were carved and cut and made into a person. If the pouring rain comes down, and the water arrives to flow around you and take you away, then you will be drifting and floating, and what will that be like?"
"Now the Qin is a country of four frontiers. It can be compared to a tiger's mouth, and Lord, if you enter, I do not know how you will get out."
Lord Meng Chang said "Good" and he halted.
* A figure made from the wood of peach trees from a certain forest and carved and painted to resemble the protective spirits associated with that forest.
[This is one of the weirder ones. I still think the analogy between the story of the peach wood effigy and the earthen idol, and Meng Chang's invasion of Qin is kind of opaque... Of course, Su Chin, with his knowledge of the spirit world, was not necessarily trying to be that clear. Notice again how the Qin are, as always, incredibly bad ass.]
Su Chin said: " As for my coming, I would not dare to speak of the affairs of men. But I have used the affairs of the spirit world to look at you, Lord." Lord Meng Chan met with him, and he [Su Chin] said to Lord Meng Chang:
"Today, came across near the Zhi river, and saw an earthen idol with a peach wood effigy*, coming together to converse. The peach wood effigy spoke to the earthen idol, saying: "You are the earth of the western bank. You were pulled out and made into a person. In the eighth month of the year, if the pouring rains fall, and the Zhi waters arrive [rise up to his location] you will be eroded away."
"The earthen idol spoke: "That's not the way it is. I am the earth of the west bank. If I am earth, then to the west bank I will return, and that's the end of it. Now you are the Eastern county's peach wood effigy. You were carved and cut and made into a person. If the pouring rain comes down, and the water arrives to flow around you and take you away, then you will be drifting and floating, and what will that be like?"
"Now the Qin is a country of four frontiers. It can be compared to a tiger's mouth, and Lord, if you enter, I do not know how you will get out."
Lord Meng Chang said "Good" and he halted.
* A figure made from the wood of peach trees from a certain forest and carved and painted to resemble the protective spirits associated with that forest.
[This is one of the weirder ones. I still think the analogy between the story of the peach wood effigy and the earthen idol, and Meng Chang's invasion of Qin is kind of opaque... Of course, Su Chin, with his knowledge of the spirit world, was not necessarily trying to be that clear. Notice again how the Qin are, as always, incredibly bad ass.]
