王曰：「父老苦矣！
The king said, “You have gone to much trouble on my behalf.” Then, speaking to his attendants, he said, “Confer some rent-free fields upon these elders.” The elders all bowed except for one among them named Lü Qiu.
」謂左右：「賜父老田不租。
“Do you feel that what I have given is too little?” asked the king.
」父老皆拜，閭丘先生獨不拜。
Then he said to his attendants, “Have these elders exempted from corvée service.” Again the elders all bowed except for Mr. Lü Qiu.
王曰：「父老以為少耶?」謂左右：「復賜父老無徭役。
“Let all the ones who bowed depart,” said the king, “and let the one who did not bow step forward.” Then he said, “I came here today to make a tour of this region. You elders were kind enough to prepare a feast for me, so I made you all a gift of some rent-free fields.
」父老皆拜，閭丘先生又不拜。
When you alone among all the elders refrained from bowing, I felt I had given too little, so I did you all the further favor of exempting you from corvée service.
王曰：「拜者去，不拜者前。
Again you refrained from bowing with the others.
」曰：「寡人今日來觀，父老幸而勞之，故賜父老田不租。
Could I have offended you in some way?” “It’s just that we heard Your Majesty was coming here on an excursion,” said Lü Qiu, “so we prepared a feast in the hope that we might gain long life, heavenly favor, and high position from Your Majesty.” “The death of living things, please note, is determined by the seasons,” said the king.
父老皆拜，先生獨不拜，寡人自以為少，故賜父老無徭役。
“It is not something that I can help determine; I am powerless to confer long life on you.
父老皆拜，先生又獨不拜，寡人得無有過乎?閭丘先生對曰：「惟聞大王來遊，所以為勞大王：望得壽於大王，望得富於大王，望得貴人於大王。
Though the granaries are full in preparation for natural disasters, I am powerless to confer wealth upon you.
」王曰：「夫殺生有時，非寡人所得與也，無以壽先生；倉廩雖實，以備災害，無以富先生；大官無缺，小官卑賤，無以貴先生。」
There are no vacancies among the high positions at court, and the lesser positions are mean and trifling.
I am powerless to confer high position upon you.