地其处乎？
How (constantly) earth abides at rest!
日月其争于所乎？
And do the sun and moon contend about their (respective) places?
孰主张是？
Who presides over and directs these (things)?
孰维纲是？
Who binds and connects them together?
孰居无事推而行是？
Who is it that, without trouble or exertion on his part, causes and maintains them?
意者其有机缄而不得已邪？
Is it, perhaps, that there is some secret spring, in consequence of which they cannot be but as they are?
意者其运转而不能自止邪？
Or is it, perhaps, that they move and turn as they do, and cannot stop of themselves?
云者为雨乎？
(Then) how the clouds become rain!
雨者为云乎？
And how the rain again forms the clouds!
孰隆施是？
孰居无事淫乐而劝是？
Who diffuses them so abundantly?
风起北方，一西一东，有上彷徨，孰嘘吸是？
Who is it that, without trouble or exertion on his part, produces this elemental enjoyment, and seems to stimulate it?
孰居无事而披拂是？
The winds rise in the north; one blows to the west, and another to the east; while some rise upwards, uncertain in their direction.
敢问何故？
By whose breathing are they produced?
”巫咸祒曰：“来！
Who is it that, without any trouble and exertion of his own, effects all their undulations ?
吾语女。
I venture to ask their cause Wû-hsien Thiâo 504 said, ‘Come, and I will tell you.
天有六极五常，帝王顺之则治，逆之则凶。
To heaven there belong the six Extreme Points, and the five Elements 505.
九洛之事，治成德备，监照下土，天下戴之，此谓上皇。
When the Tis and Kings acted in accordance with them, there was good government; when they acted contrary to them, there was evil.
”
商大宰荡问仁于庄子。
Observing the things (described) in the nine divisions (of the writing) of Lo 506, their government was perfected and their virtue was complete.
庄子曰：“虎狼，仁也。
They inspected and enlightened the kingdom beneath them, and all under the sky acknowledged and sustained them.
”曰：“何谓也？
”庄子曰：“父子相亲，何为不仁？
Such was the condition under the august (sovereigns 507) and those before them.’ Tang 508, the chief administrator of Shang 508, asked about Benevolence 509, and the answer was, wolves and tigers are benevolent.’ ‘What do you mean?’ said Tang. replied, ‘Father and son (among them) are affectionate to one another.
”曰：“请问至仁。
Why should they be considered as not benevolent?’ ‘Allow me to ask about perfect benevolence,’ pursued the other. said, perfect benevolence 510 does not admit (the feeling) of affection.’ The minister said, ‘ I have heard that, without (the feeling of) affection there is no love, and without love there is not filial duty ;—is it permissible to say that the perfectly benevolent are not filial?’ rejoined, ‘ That is not the way to put the case.
”庄子曰：“至仁无亲。
Perfect Benevolence is the very highest thing—filial duty is by no means sufficient to describe it.