《莊子·逍遙遊》原文、白話、英譯本

　　《莊子·內篇·逍遙遊第一》

　　北冥有魚，其名為鯤。鯤之大，不知其幾千里也。化而為鳥，其名為鵬。鵬之背，不知其幾千里也。怒而飛，其翼若垂天之雲。是鳥也，海運則將徙於南冥。南冥者，天池也。
　　《齊諧》者，志怪者也。《諧》之言曰：「鵬之徙於南冥也，水擊三千里，摶扶搖而上者九萬里，去以六月息者也。」野馬也，塵埃也，生物之以息相吹也。天之蒼蒼，其正色邪？其遠而無所至極邪？其視下也，亦若是則已矣。
　　且夫水之積也不厚，則其負大舟也無力。覆杯水於坳堂之上，則芥為之舟。置杯焉則膠，水淺而舟大也。風之積也不厚，則其負大翼也無力。故九萬里則風斯在下矣，而後乃今培風；背負青天而莫之夭閼者，而後乃今將圖南。
　　蜩與學鳩笑之曰：「我決起而飛，搶榆枋，時則不至而控於地而已矣，奚以之九萬里而南為？」適莽蒼者，三餐而反，腹猶果然；適百里者，宿舂糧；適千里者，三月聚糧。之二蟲又何知！
　　小知不及大知，小年不及大年。奚以知其然也？朝菌不知晦朔，蟪蛄不知春秋，此小年也。楚之南有冥靈者，以五百歲為春，五百歲為秋；上古有大椿者，以八千歲為春，八千歲為秋。而彭祖乃今以久特聞，眾人匹之，不亦悲乎！
　　湯之問棘也是已：窮髮之北，有冥海者，天池也。有魚焉，其廣數千里，未有知其修者，其名為鯤。有鳥焉，其名為鵬，背若泰山，翼若垂天之雲，摶扶搖羊角而上者九萬里，絕雲氣，負青天，然後圖南，且適南冥也。
　　斥囗（左「安」右「鳥」音ｙａｎ４）笑之曰：「彼且奚適也？我騰躍而上，不過數仞而下，翱翔蓬蒿之間，此亦飛之至也，而彼且奚適也？」此小大之辯也。
　　故夫知效一官，行比一鄉，德合一君，而徵一國者，其自視也，亦若此矣。而宋榮子猶然笑之。且舉世而譽之而不加勸，舉世而非之而不加沮，定乎內外之分，辯乎榮辱之境，斯已矣。彼其於世，未數數然也。雖然，猶有未樹也。
　　夫列子御風而行，泠然善也，旬有五日而後反。彼於致福者，未數數然也。此雖免乎行，猶有所待者也。
　　若夫乘天地之正，而御六氣之辯，以游無窮者，彼且惡乎待哉！故曰：至人無己，神人無功，聖人無名。
堯讓天下於許由，曰：「日月出矣，而爝火不息，其於光也，不亦難乎！時雨降矣，而猶浸灌，其於澤也，不亦勞乎！夫子立而天下治，而我猶屍之，吾自視缺 然。請致天下。」許由曰：「子治天下，天下既已治也，而我猶代子，吾將為名乎？名者，實之賓也，吾將為賓乎？鷦鷯巢於深林，不過一枝；偃鼠飲河，不過滿 腹。歸休乎君，予無所用天下為！庖人雖不治庖，尸祝不越樽俎而代之矣。」
　　肩吾問於連叔曰：「吾聞言於接輿，大而無當，往而不返。吾驚怖其言猶 河漢而無極也，大有徑庭，不近人情焉。」連叔曰：「其言謂何哉？」「曰'藐姑射之山，有神人居焉。肌膚若冰雪，淖約若處子；不食五穀，吸風飲露；乘雲氣， 御飛龍，而游乎四海之外；其神凝，使物不疵癘而年穀熟。』吾以是狂而不信也。」連叔曰：「然，瞽者無以與乎文章之觀，聾者無以與乎鐘鼓之聲。豈唯形骸有聾 盲哉？夫知亦有之。是其言也，猶時女也。之人也，之德也，將旁礴萬物以為一，世蘄乎亂，孰弊弊焉以天下為事！之人也，物莫之傷，大浸稽天而不溺，大旱金石 流、土山焦而熱。是其塵垢囗（左「米」右「比」）糠，將猶陶鑄堯舜者也，孰肯以物為事！」
　　宋人次章甫而適越，越人斷髮文身，無所用之。
　　堯治天下之民，平海內之政。往見四子藐姑射之山，汾水之陽，杳然喪其天下焉。
惠子謂莊子曰：「魏王貽我大瓠之種，我樹之成而實五石。以盛水漿，其堅不能自舉也。剖之以為瓢，則瓠落無所容。非不囗（左「口」右「號」音ｘｉａｏ１） 然大也，吾為其無用而掊之。」莊子曰：「夫子固拙於用大矣。宋人有善為不龜手之葯者，世世以囗（左「氵」右「並」音ｐｉｎｇ２）囗（左「氵」右「辟」音 ｐｉ４）囗（左「糹」右「光」音ｋｕａｎｇ４）為事。客聞之，請買其方百金。聚族而謀之曰：'我世世為(ｐｉｎｇ２ｐｉ４ｋｕａｎｇ４)，不過數金。今一 朝而鬻技百金，請與之。』客得之，以說吳王。越有難，吳王使之將。冬，與越人水戰，大敗越人，裂地而封之。能不龜手一也，或以封，或不免於 (ｐｉｎｇ２ｐｉ４ｋｕａｎｇ４)，則所用之異也。今子有五石之瓠，何不慮以為大樽而浮乎江湖，而憂其瓠落無所容？則夫子猶有蓬之心也夫！」
惠子謂莊子曰：「吾有大樹，人謂之樗。其大本臃腫而不中繩墨，其小枝捲曲而不中規矩。立之塗，匠者不顧。今子之言，大而無用，眾所同去也。」莊子曰：「子 獨不見狸囗（左「犭」右「生」即黃鼠狼）乎？卑身而伏，以候敖者；東西跳梁，不避高下；中於機辟，死於罔罟。今夫嫠牛，其大若垂天之雲。此能為大矣，而不 能執鼠。今子有大樹，患其無用，何不樹之於無何有之鄉，廣莫之野，彷徨乎無為其側，逍遙乎寢卧其下。不夭斤斧，物無害者，無所可用，安所困苦哉！



　　北海有一條魚，它的名字叫做鯤。鯤的巨大，不知道有幾千里。變化成為鳥，它的名字叫做鵬。鵬的背，不知道有幾千里長；奮起而飛時，它的翅膀象遮蓋天空的雲氣。這隻鳥，當海動風起時就飛往南海。那南海，就是個天然的大地。
《齊諧》這本書，是記載怪異之事的。這本書上說：「鵬鳥飛往南海時，激濺起來的水花達三千里，翼拍旋風而直上九萬里高空。它飛了六個月才停歇下來。」游 氣，塵埃，小生物，都是被風吹著在空氣中遊盪的呀！天氣蒼蒼茫茫，這是它的真正本色嗎？還是高遠無窮，不能看到它的至極深處呢？高飛九萬里的大鵬往下看地 面的景象，也不過就是這樣的情形。
　　水的聚積不深，那麼它就沒有力量浮載大船。在屋裡的窪地里倒一杯水，可以用小草當船，放在裡面飄浮著；放上 一個大杯子就要膠著在地上，這是水淺而船大的緣故。風的強度不大，那末它就沒有力量承負巨大的翅膀。所以，鵬高飛九萬里，那風就在它的下面，然後才乘著風 力，背負青天而無阻礙地飛往南海。
　　蟬和斑鳩譏笑大鵬說：「我們什麼時候願意飛就一下子飛起來，碰到榆樹、枋樹就停落在上邊；有時力氣不夠、飛不到，落到地上就是了。何必要高飛九萬里而到那遙遠的南海呢？」
　　去近郊旅行的，只帶三餐飯，當天回來，肚子還飽飽的；作百里之遠的旅行，就必須籌備三個月的糧食。這兩隻小蟲鳥又知道什麼呢？
「小知」不知道「大知」，「小年」不知道「大年」。怎麼知道是這樣的呢？見了太陽就死的「朝菌」，不知道一天的時光；春生夏死，夏生秋死的「蟪蛄」，不 知道一年的時光，這就是「小年」。楚國的南邊有隻靈龜，從五百年的一個春季，五百年為一個秋季；上古時代有一顆大椿樹，以八千年為一個春季，八千年為一個 秋季，這就是「大年」。而只活了八百歲的彭祖，卻以長壽之名流傳人間；大家都羨慕他，這豈不是太可憐了嗎！
　　商湯問棘也有這樣的話：
　　湯問：「上下四方有極限嗎？」
棘說：「無極之外，又是無極！在那個極荒遠的北極地方的北邊，有一個無邊無際的大海，那是天池。那裡邊有一條魚，它的身子有幾千里寬，沒有人知道它有多 么長，它的名字叫做鯤。有隻鳥，它的名字叫做鵬，鵬的背象泰山，翅膀象遮蓋天空的雲氣，乘著旋風而直上九萬里的高空，超絕雲氣，背負青天，然後向南飛翔， 而往南海。生活在小水窪里的鴳雀譏笑它說：'它想飛到哪裡去呢？我飛騰起來，不過十幾尺高就落下來，在蓬蒿之間自由自在的飛翔，這也是很愉快的啊！而它究 竟是要飛到哪裡去呢？』」
　　這就是小和大的分別。
　　那些才智可以勝任一官之職，行為可以聯合一鄉群眾，德行合於一君的要求而能取得一 國信任的人，他們自鳴得意，也和蟬、斑鳩、鴳雀一個樣。而宋榮子不禁嗤笑他們。宋榮子不因整個世界的人稱譽他而奮勉；也不因整個世界的人誹謗他而沮喪。他 能認定內我和外物的分際，辨別清楚光榮和恥辱的界限。就這樣罷了！他對於世俗的名譽，是未曾汲汲追求的。雖然這樣，但他還有未曾樹立的。
　　列子乘風遊行，飄然自得，過了五十天而後回來。他對於求福的事，是未曾濟濟追求的。像他這樣，雖然可以免徒步之勞，但畢竟有所依持。
　　若能順著自然的規律，而把握六氣的變化，以遨遊於無窮的宇宙，他還有什麼依持的呢！
　　所以說：「至人無已」，「神人無功」，「聖人無名」。
　　堯把天下讓給許由，說：「日月出來了，而燭火還沒熄滅，它和日月比起光亮來，不是太沒有意思了嗎！及時雨普遍降了，還要提灌溉，這對於潤澤禾苗，其不是徒勞嗎！先生如果在位，定會把天下治理得很好，可是我還佔著這個位子，自己覺得很慚愧，請允許我把天下奉交給先生。」
許由說：「你治理天下，天下已經治理得很好了，我若再來代替你，我為著名嗎？名是實的影子，我要做影子嗎？鷦鷯在森林裡築巢，不過佔一棵樹枝；偃鼠喝大 河裡的水，不過喝滿一肚皮。你回去吧，算了吧，我的君啊！天下對我是沒有什麼用的。廚師就是不做祭祀用的飯菜，掌祭典的人也決不能越位來代替他的工作。」
　　肩吾問連叔說：「我聽了接輿的一番言論，大而無當，不著邊際。我驚訝他那言論，就像天上的銀河而看不見它的首尾；真是怪誕背謬，不近人情啊！」
　　連叔說：「他說了些什麼呢？」
　　肩吾說：「他說：'遙遠的姑射山中，有一神人居住在裡邊。那神人皮膚潔白，如同冰雪；姿態柔婉，如同處女；不吃五穀，只是吸清風喝露水；乘著雲氣，架著飛龍，在四海之外遨遊。他的精神凝聚，使萬物不受災害，年年五穀豐收。』我認為這些話是狂妄而不可信的。」
　　連叔說：「是呀！瞎子，無法讓他領會文彩的美觀；聾子，無法讓他知曉鐘鼓的樂聲。豈只是形骸有聾有瞎，在智慧上也有啊！聽你剛才說的話，你還和往日一樣，一點也沒有進步。」
「那個神人，他的德行，與萬物和為一體。世人期望他來治理天下，他哪裡肯辛辛苦苦的管這種微不足道的事情呢！這樣的人，沒有什麼東西可以傷害他，洪水滔 天也淹不著他；大旱把金石溶化了，把土地燒焦了，他也不覺得熱。他的'塵垢秕糠』，也可以製造出堯、舜來。他哪裡肯把治理天下當作自己的事業呢！」
　　宋國有人販運「章甫」到越國去賣；越國人，頭髮剃得精光，身上刺著花紋，這種帽子對於他們是無用的。
　　堯治理天下的人民，使海內政治清平；他到遙遠的姑射山中，汾水的南邊，拜見了四位得道的真人，他不禁恍然大悟，把天下都忘掉了。
　　惠子對莊子說：「魏王送我一種大葫蘆的種子，我把它種在地里，成長而結出的葫蘆有五石的容量；用來盛水，它的堅硬程度卻不能勝任；把它鋸開來做瓢，卻又沒有那麼大的水缸可以容納。它不是不大，我認為他它沒有什麼用處，就把它砸碎了。」
莊子說：「這是你不會使用大的東西啊！宋國有一個人，善於製造不龜裂手的藥物，他家世世代代以漂絲絮為業。有個客人聽說了，願意出百金收買他的藥方。於 是集合全家人來商量說：'我家世世代代以漂絲絮為業，所得不過數金；現今賣出這個藥方，立刻可得百金，我看還是賣了吧。』這位客人得了這個藥方，去遊說吳 王。這時越國正有困難，吳王就派他為將，率兵在冬天跟越國水戰，因為有不龜裂手的葯，大敗越國；吳王就劃分了土地封賞給他。同是一個不龜裂手的藥方，有人 因此得到封賞，有人卻只是用來漂洗絲絮，這就是使用方法的不同。現在你有五百石容量的葫蘆，為什麼就不想到把它作為腰舟而浮遊於江湖之上？只是愁它大得無 處容納，可見你的心如茅塞一般沒有開通啊！」
　　惠子對莊子說：「我有一棵大樹，人們把它叫做'樗』。龐大樹身那麼臃腫，不能合乎繩墨；它的小枝那麼捲曲，不能合乎規矩。生長在大路旁邊；經過的匠人都不肯理睬它。現在你的言論，大而無用，是大家都不相信的。」
莊子說：「你不曾看見那野貓和黃鼠狼嗎？卑伏著身子，等待出遊的小動物；東西跳躍掠奪，不避高低，往往踏中捕獸的機關，死於網罟之中。再看那嫠牛，龐大 的身子象遮蓋天空的雲氣，有大的本領，但不能捕鼠。現在你有這麼一棵大樹，愁它無用，為什麼不把它種在虛無的鄉土裡，廣大無邊的曠野里；無所為地在它旁邊 徘徊，逍遙自在地在它下邊躺著，不遭受斧頭砍伐，也沒有東西會來侵害它。雖然沒有什麼用處，但又有什麼禍患呢！」



版本1：

　　A Happy Excursion
　 　 In the northern ocean there is a fish, called the k'un, I do not know how many thousand li in size. This k'un changes into a bird, called the p'eng. Its back is I do not know how many thousand li in breadth. When it is moved, it flies, its wings obscuring the sky like clouds.
　　 When on a voyage, this bird prepares to start for the Southern Ocean, the Celestial Lake. And in the Records of Marvels we read that when the p'eng flies southwards, the water is smitten for a space of three thousand li around, while the bird itself mounts upon a great wind to a height of ninety thousand li, for a flight of six months'duration.
　 　There mounting aloft, the bird saw the moving white mists of spring, the dust-clouds, and the living things blowing their breaths among them. It wondered whether the blue of the sky was its real color, or only the result of distance without end, and saw that the things on earth appeared the same to it.
　　If there is not sufficient depth, water will not float large ships. Upset a cupful into a hole in the yard, and a mustard-seed will be your boat. Try to float the cup, and it will be grounded, due to the disproportion between water and vessel.
　　So with air. If there is not sufficient a depth, it cannot support large wings. And for this bird, a depth of ninety thousand li is necessary to bear it up. Then, gliding upon the wind, with nothing save the clear sky above, and no obstacles in the way, it starts upon its journey to the south.
　　A cicada and a young dove laughed, saying, "Now, when I fly with all my might, 'tis as much as I can do to get from tree to tree. And sometimes I do not reach, but fall to the ground midway. What then can be the use of going up ninety thousand li to start for the south?"
　　He who goes to the countryside taking three meals with him comes back with his stomach as full as when he started. But he who travels a hundred li must take ground rice enough for an overnight stay. And he who travels a thousand li must supply himself with provisions for three months. Those two little creatures, what should they know?
　　Small knowledge has not the compass of great knowledge any more than a short year has the length of a long year. How can we tell that this is so? The fungus plant of a morning knows not the alternation of day and night. The cicada knows not the alternation of spring and autumn. Theirs are short years. But in the south of Ch'u there is a mingling (tree) whose spring and autumn are each of five hundred years'duration. And in former days there was a large tree which had a spring and autumn each of eight thousand years. Yet, P'eng Tsu is known for reaching a great age and is still, alas! an object of envy to all!
　　It was on this very subject that the Emperor T'ang spoke to Chi, as follows: "At the north of Ch'iungta, there is a Dark Sea, the Celestial Lake. In it there is a fish several thousand li in breadth, and I know not how many in length. It is called the k'un. There is also a bird, called the p'eng, with a back like Mount T'ai, and wings like clouds across the sky. It soars up upon a whirlwind to a height of ninety thousand li, far above the region of the clouds, with only the clear sky above it. And then it directs its flight towards the Southern Ocean.
　　"And a lake sparrow laughed, and said: Pray, what may that creature be going to do? I rise but a few yards in the air and settle down again, after flying around among the reeds. That is as much as any one would want to fly. Now, wherever can this creature be going to?" Such, indeed, is the difference between small and great.
　　Take, for instance, a man who creditably fills some small office, or whose influence spreads over a village, or whose character pleases a certain prince. His opinion of himself will be much the same as that lake sparrow's. The philosopher Yung of Sung would laugh at such a one. If the whole world flattered him, he would not be affected thereby, nor if the whole world blamed him would he be dissuaded from what he was doing. For Yung can distinguish between essence and superficialities, and understand what is true honor and shame. Such men are rare in their generation. But even he has not established himself.
　　Now Liehtse could ride upon the wind. Sailing happily in the cool breeze, he would go on for fifteen days before his return. Among mortals who attain happiness, such a man is rare. Yet although Liehtse could dispense with walking, he would still have to depend upon something.
　　As for one who is charioted upon the eternal fitness of Heaven and Earth, driving before him the changing elements as his team to roam through the realms of the Infinite, upon what, then, would such a one have need to depend? Thus it is said, "The perfect man ignores self; the divine man ignores achievement; the true Sage ignores reputation."
　　The Emperor Yao wished to abdicate in favor of Hsu: Yu, saying, "If, when the sun and moon are shining, the torch is still lighted, would it be not difficult for the latter to shine? If, when the rain has fallen, one should still continue to water the fields, would this not be a waste of labor? Now if you would assume the reins of government, the empire would be well governed, and yet I am filling this office. I am conscious of my own deficiencies, and I beg to offer you the Empire."
　　"You are ruling the Empire, and the Empire is already well ruled," replied Hsu: Yu. "Why should I take your place? Should I do this for the sake of a name? A name is but the shadow of reality, and should I trouble myself about the shadow? The tit, building its nest in the mighty forest, occupies but a single twig. The beaver slakes its thirst from the river, but drinks enough only to fill its belly. I would rather go back: I have no use for the empire! If the cook is unable to prepare the funeral sacrifices, the representative of the worshipped spirit and the officer of prayer may not step over the wines and meats and do it for him."
　　Chien Wu said to Lien Shu, "I heard Chieh Yu: talk on high and fine subjects endlessly. I was greatly startled at what he said, for his words seemed interminable as the Milky Way, but they are quite detached from our common human experience."
　　"What was it?" asked Lien Shu.
　 　"He declared," replied Chien Wu, "that on the Miao-ku-yi mountain there lives a divine one, whose skin is white like ice or snow, whose grace and elegance are like those of a virgin, who eats no grain, but lives on air and dew, and who, riding on clouds with flying dragons for his team, roams beyond the limit's of the mortal regions. When his spirit gravitates, he can ward off corruption from all things, and bring good crops. That is why I call it nonsense, and do not believe it."
　　"Well," answered Lien Shu, "you don't ask a blind man's opinion of beautiful designs, nor do you invite a deaf man to a concert. And blindness and deafness are not physical only. There is blindness and deafness of the mind. His words are like the unspoiled virgin. The good influence of such a man with such a character fills all creation. Yet because a paltry generation cries for reform, you would have him busy himself about the details of an empire!
　　 "Objective existences cannot harm. In a flood which reached the sky, he would not be drowned. In a drought, though metals ran liquid and mountains were scorched up, he would not be hot. Out of his very dust and siftings you might fashion two such men as Yao and Shun. And you would have him occupy himself with objectives!"
　　A man of the Sung State carried some ceremonial caps to the Yu:eh tribes for sale. But the men of Yu:eh used to cut off their hair and paint their bodies, so that they had no use for such things.
　　The Emperor Yao ruled all under heaven and governed the affairs of the entire country. After he paid a visit to the four sages of the Miao-ku-yi Mountain, he felt on his return to his capital at Fenyang that the empire existed for him no more.
　　Hueitse said to Chuangtse, "The Prince of Wei gave me a seed of a large-sized kind of gourd. I planted it, and it bore a fruit as big as a five bushel measure. Now had I used this for holding liquids, it would have been too heavy to lift; and had I cut it in half for ladles, the ladles would have been too flat for such purpose. Certainly it was a huge thing, but I had no use for it and so broke it up."
　　"It was rather you did not know how to use large things," replied Chuangtse. "There was a man of Sung who had a recipe for salve for chapped hands, his family having been silk-washers for generations. A stranger who had heard of it came and offered him a hundred ounces of silver for this recipe; whereupon he called together his clansmen and said, 'We have never made much money by silk-washing. Now, we can sell the recipe for a hundred ounces in a single day. Let the stranger have it.'
　　"The stranger got the recipe, and went and had an interview with the Prince of Wu. The Yu:eh State was in trouble, and the Prince of Wu sent a general to fight a naval battle with Yu:eh at the beginning of winter. The latter was totally defeated, and the stranger was rewarded with a piece of the King's territory. Thus, while the efficacy of the salve to cure chapped hands was in both cases the same, its applications were different. Here, it secured a title; there, the people remained silk-washers.
　　"Now as to your five-bushel gourd, why did you not make a float of it, and float about over river and lake? And you complain of its being too flat for holding things! I fear your mind is stuffy inside."
　　Hueitse said to Chuangtse, "I have a large tree, called the ailanthus. Its trunk is so irregular and knotty that it cannot be measured out for planks; while its branches are so twisted that they cannot be cut out into discs or squares. It stands by the roadside, but no carpenter will look at it. Your words are like that tree -- big and useless, of no concern to the world."
　 　"Have you never seen a wild cat," rejoined Chuangtse, "crouching down in wait for its prey? Right and left and high and low, it springs about, until it gets caught in a trap or dies in a snare. On the other hand, there is the yak with its great huge body. It is big enough in all conscience, but it cannot catch mice. Now if you have a big tree and are at a loss what to do with it, why not plant it in the Village of Nowhere, in the great wilds, where you might loiter idly by its side, and lie down in blissful repose beneath its shade? There it would be safe from the axe and from all other injury. For being of no use to others, what could worry its mind?"

版本2：

　　Free and Easy Wandering
　 　In the northern darkness there is a fish and his name is K'un. The K'un is so huge I don't know how many thousand li he measures. He changes and becomes a bird whose name is P'eng. The back of the P'eng measures I don't know how many thousand li across and, when he rises up and flies off, his wings are like clouds all over the sky. When the sea begins to move, this bird sets off for the southern darkness, which is the Lake of Heaven.
　　The Universal Harmony records various wonders, and it says: 「When the P'eng journeys to the southern darkness, the waters are roiled for three thousand li. He beats the whirlwind and rises ninety thousand li, setting off on the sixth-month gale.」Wavering heat, bits of dust, living things blown about by the wind - the sky looks very blue. Is that its real color, or is it because it is so far away and has no end? When the bird looks down, all he sees is blue too.
　　If water is not piled up deep enough, it won't have the strength to bear up a big boat. Pour a cup of water into a hollow in the floor and bits of trash will sail on it like boats. But set the cup there and it will stick fast, for the water is too shallow and the boat too large. If wind is not piled up deep enough, it won't have the strength to bear up great wings. Therefore when the P'eng rises ninety thousand li, he must have the wind under him like that. Only then can he mount on the back of the wind, shoulder the blue sky, and nothing can hinder or block him. Only then can he set his eyes to the south.
　　The cicada and the little dove laugh at this saying, ``When we make an effort and fly up, we can get as far as the elm or the sapanwood tree, but sometimes we don't make it and just fall down on the ground. Now how is anyone going to go ninety thousand li to the south!''
　　If you go off to the green woods nearby, you can take along food for three meals and come back with your stomach as full as ever. If you are going a hundred li, you must grind your grain the night before; and if you are going a thousand li you must start getting together provisions three months in advance. What do these two creatures understand? Little understanding cannot come up to great understanding; the short-lived cannot come up to the long-lived.
　　 How do I know this is so? The morning mushroom knows nothing of twilight and dawn; the summer cicada knows nothing of spring and autumn. They are short-lived. South of Ch'u there is a caterpillar which counts five hundred years as one spring and five hundred years as one autumn. Long, long ago there was a great rose of Sharon that counted eight thousand years as one spring and eight thousand years as one autumn. Yet P'eng-tsu alone is famous today for having lived a long time, and everybody tries to ape him. Isn't it pitiful!
　　Among the questions of T'ang to Ch'i we find the same thing. In the bald and barren north, there is a dark sea, the Lake of Heaven. In it is a fish which is several thousand li across, and no one knows how long. His name is K'un. there is also a bird there, named P'eng, with a back like Mount T'ai and wings like clouds filling the sky. He beats the whirlwind, leaps into the air, and rises up ninety thousand li, cutting through the clouds and mist, shouldering the blue sky, and then he turns his eyes south and prepares to journey to the southern darkness.
　 　The little quail laughs at him, saying, ``Where does he think he's going? I give a great leap and fly up, but I never get more than ten or twelve yards before I come down fluttering among the weeds and brambles. And that's the best kind of flying anyway! Where does he think he's going?''Such is the difference between big and little.
　 　Therefore a man who has wisdom enough to fill one office effectively, good conduct enough to impress one community, virtue enough to please one ruler, or talent enough to be called into service in one state, has the same kind of self-pride as these little creatures. Sung Jung-tzu would certainly burst out laughing at such a man. The whole world could praise Sung Jung-tzu and it wouldn't make him exert himself; the whole world could condemn him and it wouldn't make him mope. He drew a clear line between the internal and the external, and recognized the boundaries of true glory and disgrace. But that was all. As far as the world went, he didn't fret or worry, but there was still ground he left unturned.
　　Lieh Tzu could ride the wind and go soaring around with cool and breezy skill, but after fifteen days he came back to earth. As far as the search for good fortune went, he didn't fret and worry. He escaped the trouble of walking, but he still had to depend on something to get around. If he had only mounted on the truth of Heaven and Earth, ridden the changes of the six breaths, and thus wandered through the boundless, then what would he have had to depend on?
　　Therefore I say, the Perfect Man has no self; the Holy Man has no merit; the Sage has no fame.
 

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