说苑/秦繆公嘗出而亡其駿馬，自往求之，見人已殺其馬，方共食其肉，繆公謂曰：「是吾駿馬也。

秦繆公嘗出而亡其駿馬，自往求之，見人已殺其馬，方共食其肉，繆公謂曰：「是吾駿馬也。

Eric Henry

Lord Mu of Qin31 once lost an exceptionally fine horse in the course of an excursion. On going out in person to look for it, he found that some people had already killed it and were eating the flesh.

」諸人皆懼而起。

Eric Henry

“That was a fine horse of mine,” said Lord Mu to the people.

繆公曰：「吾聞食駿馬肉不飲酒者殺人。

Eric Henry

They all got up and waited fearfully.

」即以次飲之酒，殺馬者皆慚而去。

Eric Henry

“I have heard,” continued Lord Mu, “that if one does not drink wine when eating the flesh of a fine horse, one may die.” He then had each of them in turn drink wine, after which the people who had killed the horse went away shamefacedly.

居三年，晉攻秦繆公圍之，往時食馬肉者相謂曰：「可以出死報食馬得酒之恩矣。

Eric Henry

Three years later, Jin attacked Lord Mu and surrounded him.

」遂潰圍，繆公卒得以解難勝晉，獲惠公以歸。

Eric Henry

Those who on the earlier occasion had eaten the flesh of Lord Mu’s horse said to each other, “It would be proper for us to go to our deaths to repay the favor he did us in bestowing wine to go with the horse flesh.” They then broke the encirclement, and Lord Mu was at length able to get free and defeat Jin, capturing Lord Hui [of Jin]32 and returning with him in captivity.

此德出而福反也。

Eric Henry

This was a case of a virtuous deed rewarded by a subsequent blessing.

Eric Henry

King Zhuang of Chu Acts Magnanimously