昔者由事二親之時，常食藜藿之實，而為親負米百里之外。
One whose family is poor and whose parents are old is not particular in accepting court appointments.
親沒之後，南遊於楚，從車百乘，積粟萬鍾，累茵而坐，列鼎而食，願食藜藿為親負米之時，不可復得也。
In former days, when I was still caring for my parents, I often subsisted on wild berries and, for my parents’ sake, would carry rice on my back for a hundred li or more.
枯魚銜索，幾何不蠹。
After my parents passed on, I traveled south to Chu and had a retinue of a hundred carriages and accumulated ten thousand zhong of grain. I sat on layers of mats and ate from an array of serving dishes, but my regret was that I could not relive the time when I subsisted on wild berries and bore rice on my back to serve my parents.
二親之壽，忽如過隙！
How long can dried fish be strung up before worms appear in them?
草木欲長，霜露不使，賢者欲養，二親不待！
The years of one’s parents pass by in a flash.
」故曰：家貧親老，不擇祿而仕也。
The plants and trees desire to grow, but the frost and dew will not allow them to; worthy men wish to serve their parents, but their parents do not wait for them.
Thus, it is said, ‘One whose family is poor and whose parents are old is not particular in accepting court appointments.’”