君子聽鍾聲則思武臣。
When a man of quality hears the sound of gongs, he thinks of military officers.
石聲磬，磬以立辯，辯以致死。
Stone chimes produce a hollow sound.
君子聽磬聲則思死封疆之臣。
Hollow sounds are used to set forth integrity; and integrity is used to conduct a person to his death.
When a man of quality hears the sound of lithophones, he thinks of officers who have died in distant frontierlands.
絲聲哀，哀以立廉，廉以立志。
The sound of strings is mournful.
君子聽琴瑟之聲則思志義之臣。
Mournfulness is used to set forth uprightness; uprightness is used to establish one’s long-term aims.
竹聲濫，濫以立會，會以聚眾。
When a man of quality hears the sounds of zithers, he thinks of officers with noble ambitions.
君子聽竽笙簫管之聲則思畜聚之臣。
The sound of bamboo instruments is penetrating; this quality is used to create gatherings; and gatherings are used to make the masses come together.
When a man of quality hears the sound of bamboo instruments, he thinks of officers who unite the people.
鼓鞞之聲懽，懽以立動，動以進眾。
The sound of drums is joyous; joy is used to encourage activity.
君子聽鼓鞞之聲則思將帥之臣。
Activity is used to make the masses forge ahead.
君子之聽音，非聽其鏗鏘而已，彼亦有所合之也。
When a man of quality hears the sound of drums, he thinks of officers who serve as great commanders.
Thus, when a man of quality listens to sounds, he attends not just to their clanging and reverberation, but to all the things that are bound up in those sounds.