晏子聞之，不待請而入見，景公汗出惕然。
When Yanzi heard of this, he went to see Lord Jing at once without waiting for a summons.
晏子曰：「君胡為者也？
Lord Jing was frightened, and sweat appeared on his face.
」景公曰：「我探爵鷇，鷇弱，故反之。
“What has Your Lordship been doing?” asked Yanzi.
」晏子逡巡北面再拜而賀曰：「吾君有聖王之道矣。
“I was searching for sparrow chicks,” said Lord Jing.
」景公曰：「寡人探爵鷇，鷇弱，故反之，其當聖王之道者何也？
“The ones I found were too weak, so I put them back.” Slowly, Yanzi faced north, made several prostrations, and congratulated Lord Jing: “My ruler, you are following the way of the sage-kings.” “I was seeking sparrow chicks and put some back because they were too weak—how is this an example of the way of the sage-kings?” he asked.
」晏子對曰：「君探爵鷇，鷇弱故反之，是長幼也。
“Returning the fledglings to their nests because they were too weak,” said Yanzi, “is an example of helping the young to mature.
吾君仁愛，禽獸之加焉，而況於人乎？
Since the sagelike benevolence of Your Lordship is applied even to animals, how much more must it apply to human beings!
此聖王之道也。」
This is the way of the sage-kings.” Lord Jing of Qi Inquires about Some Begging Children