When the Governor of Po, of Ch’u, was in difficulty, there was a certain Chuang Chih-shan, who took leave of his mother to go die for his prince.
His mother said, "Is it right to leave your mother to die for your prince?"
He said, "I have heard that in serving his prince, a man takes pay for his own family but devotes his person to someone outside his family. Now what I use to support my mother is the salary I get from my prince. I beg to go die for him."
On the way to the court he thrice fell down in his chariot. His servant said, "If you are afraid, why not turn back?"
He said, "Fear is my personal feeling. To die for my prince is my public duty. I have heard that the superior man does not let personal feelings interfere with his public duty." Then he went and died for him.
When the superior man hears of this he says, "Who really loves his duty (i) must, alas, carry it out."
The Ode says,
If deep, I will go through with my clothes on;
If shallow, I will do so, holding them up.
This is illustrated in the above story.
楚白公之难，有仕之善者，辞其母，将死君。其母曰：“弃母而死君，可乎？”曰：“闻事君者、内其禄而外其身。今之所以养母者，君之禄也，请往死之。”比至朝，三废车中。其仆曰：“子惧、何不反也？”曰：“惧、吾私也，死君、吾公也。吾闻君子不以私害公。”遂死之。君子闻之曰：“好义哉！必济矣夫！”《诗》云：“深则厉，浅则揭。”此之谓也。
His mother said, "Is it right to leave your mother to die for your prince?"
He said, "I have heard that in serving his prince, a man takes pay for his own family but devotes his person to someone outside his family. Now what I use to support my mother is the salary I get from my prince. I beg to go die for him."
On the way to the court he thrice fell down in his chariot. His servant said, "If you are afraid, why not turn back?"
He said, "Fear is my personal feeling. To die for my prince is my public duty. I have heard that the superior man does not let personal feelings interfere with his public duty." Then he went and died for him.
When the superior man hears of this he says, "Who really loves his duty (i) must, alas, carry it out."
The Ode says,
If deep, I will go through with my clothes on;
If shallow, I will do so, holding them up.
This is illustrated in the above story.
楚白公之难，有仕之善者，辞其母，将死君。其母曰：“弃母而死君，可乎？”曰：“闻事君者、内其禄而外其身。今之所以养母者，君之禄也，请往死之。”比至朝，三废车中。其仆曰：“子惧、何不反也？”曰：“惧、吾私也，死君、吾公也。吾闻君子不以私害公。”遂死之。君子闻之曰：“好义哉！必济矣夫！”《诗》云：“深则厉，浅则揭。”此之谓也。
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