Webbed Toes｜Zhuangzi | ChineseStudy

骈（pián）拇（mǔ）枝（zhī）指（zhǐ）出（chū）乎（hū）性（xìng）哉（zāi），（）而（ér）侈（chǐ）于（yú）德（dé）；（）附（fù）赘（zhuì）县（xuán）疣（yóu）出（chū）乎（hū）形（xíng）哉（zāi），（）而（ér）侈（chǐ）于（yú）性（xìng）；（）多（duō）方（fāng）乎（hū）仁（rén）义（yì）而（ér）用（yòng）之（zhī）者（zhě），（）列（liè）于（yú）五（wǔ）藏（zàng）哉（zāi），（）而（ér）非（fēi）道（dào）德（dé）之（zhī）正（zhèng）也（yě）。（）

A conjoined big toe or a branching finger may arise from one’s natural constitution, yet it is an excess beyond one’s inner power. An attached excrescence or a hanging wart may arise from the body’s form, yet it is an excess beyond one’s nature. As for those who devise benevolence and righteousness in many forms and put them to use—are these things really arrayed within the five viscera? They are not the proper course of the Way and its power.

是（shì）故（gù）骈（pián）于（yú）足（zú）者（zhě），（）连（lián）无（wú）用（yòng）之（zhī）肉（ròu）也（yě）；（）枝（zhī）于（yú）手（shǒu）者（zhě），（）树（shù）无（wú）用（yòng）之（zhī）指（zhǐ）也（yě）；（）多（duō）方（fāng）骈（pián）枝（zhī）于（yú）五（wǔ）藏（zàng）之（zhī）情（qíng）者（zhě），（）淫（yín）僻（pì）于（yú）仁（rén）义（yì）之（zhī）行（xíng），（）而（ér）多（duō）方（fāng）于（yú）聪（cōng）明（míng）之（zhī）用（yòng）也（yě）。（）

Thus, what is joined onto the foot is useless flesh fused to it; what branches from the hand is a useless finger growing there. Those who multiply such joined and branching additions upon the dispositions of the five viscera become excessive and perverse in the practice of benevolence and righteousness, and devise manifold uses for perceptiveness and discernment.

是（shì）故（gù）骈（pián）于（yú）明（míng）者（zhě），（）乱（luàn）五（wǔ）色（sè），（）淫（yín）文（wén）章（zhāng），（）青（qīng）黄（huáng）黼（fǔ）黻（fú）之（zhī）煌（huáng）煌（huáng）非（fēi）乎（hū）？（）而（ér）离（lí）朱（zhū）是（shì）已（yǐ）！（）多（duō）于（yú）聪（cōng）者（zhě），（）乱（luàn）五（wǔ）声（shēng），（）淫（yín）六（liù）律（lǜ），（）金（jīn）石（shí）丝（sī）竹（zhú）黄（huáng）钟（zhōng）大（dà）吕（lǚ）之（zhī）声（shēng）非（fēi）乎（hū）？（）而（ér）师（shī）旷（kuàng）是（shì）已（yǐ）！（）枝（zhī）于（yú）仁（rén）者（zhě），（）擢（zhuó）德（dé）塞（sāi）性（xìng）以（yǐ）收（shōu）名（míng）声（shēng），（）使（shǐ）天（tiān）下（xià）簧（huáng）鼓（gǔ）以（yǐ）奉（fèng）不（bù）及（jí）之（zhī）法（fǎ）非（fēi）乎（hū）？（）

Thus, those who add excess to keen sight throw the five colors into confusion and indulge in ornamentation—is this not the dazzling display of blue and yellow and embroidered fǔ and fú patterns? Li Zhu was just such a man. Those who add excess to acute hearing throw the five notes into confusion and indulge in the six pitch standards—is this not the sound of metal and stone, silk and bamboo, of the Yellow Bell and the Great Lü? Master Kuang was just such a man. Those who branch out from benevolence exalt virtue and obstruct inborn nature so as to gather fame, and sway all under heaven with beguiling speech into upholding standards beyond their reach—is this not so?

而（ér）曾（céng）、（）史（shǐ）是（shì）已（yǐ）！（）骈（pián）于（yú）辩（biàn）者（zhě），（）累（lěi）瓦（wǎ）结（jié）绳（shéng）窜（cuàn）句（jù），（）游（yóu）心（xīn）于（yú）坚（jiān）白（bái）同（tóng）异（yì）之（zhī）间（jiān），（）而（ér）敝（bì）跬（kuǐ）誉（yù）无（wú）用（yòng）之（zhī）言（yán）非（fēi）乎（hū）？（）而（ér）杨（yáng）、（）墨（mò）是（shì）已（yǐ）！（）故（gù）此（cǐ）皆（jiē）多（duō）骈（pián）旁（páng）枝（zhī）之（zhī）道（dào），（）非（fēi）天（tiān）下（xià）之（zhī）至（zhì）正（zhèng）也（yě）。（）

Zeng and Shi were just such men. Those devoted to elaborate disputation pile up words like tiles and knot and contrive phrases like cords, letting their minds roam among “hard and white” and “same and different” and exhausting themselves in pursuit of minor acclaim and useless talk—is this not so? Yang and Mo were just such men. Thus, all these are ways of excessive webbing and branching, not the supremely right Way under heaven.

彼（bǐ）正（zhèng）正（zhèng）者（zhě），（）不（bù）失（shī）其（qí）性（xìng）命（mìng）之（zhī）情（qíng）。（）故（gù）合（hé）者（zhě）不（bù）为（wèi）骈（pián），（）而（ér）枝（zhī）者（zhě）不（bù）为（wèi）跂（qí）；（）长（zhǎng）者（zhě）不（bù）为（wèi）有（yǒu）余（yú），（）短（duǎn）者（zhě）不（bù）为（wèi）不（bù）足（zú）。（）是（shì）故（gù）凫（fú）胫（jìng）虽（suī）短（duǎn），（）续（xù）之（zhī）则（zé）忧（yōu）；（）鹤（hè）胫（jìng）虽（suī）长（zhǎng），（）断（duàn）之（zhī）则（zé）悲（bēi）。（）故（gù）性（xìng）长（zhǎng）非（fēi）所（suǒ）断（duàn），（）性（xìng）短（duǎn）非（fēi）所（suǒ）续（xù），（）无（wú）所（suǒ）去（qù）忧（yōu）也（yě）。（）

One who is truly aligned does not lose the genuine condition of their nature and life. Thus what is joined is not deemed a webbed excess, nor what branches off deemed a superfluous finger; what is long is not regarded as having too much, nor what is short as lacking enough. Therefore, though a wild duck’s legs are short, lengthening them would cause it distress; though a crane’s legs are long, cutting them down would cause it grief. What is long by nature is not to be cut, and what is short by nature is not to be extended; there is then no distress that needs removing.

意（yì）仁（rén）义（yì）其（qí）非（fēi）人（rén）情（qíng）乎（hū）！（）彼（bǐ）仁（rén）人（rén）何（hé）其（qí）多（duō）忧（yōu）也（yě）。（）且（qiě）夫（fū）骈（pián）于（yú）拇（mǔ）者（zhě），（）决（jué）之（zhī）则（zé）泣（qì）；（）枝（zhī）于（yú）手（shǒu）者（zhě），（）龁（hé）之（zhī）则（zé）啼（tí）。（）二（èr）者（zhě）或（huò）有（yǒu）余（yú）于（yú）数（shù），（）或（huò）不（bù）足（zú）于（yú）数（shù），（）其（qí）于（yú）忧（yōu）一（yī）也（yě）。（）今（jīn）世（shì）之（zhī）仁（rén）人（rén），（）蒿（hāo）目（mù）而（ér）忧（yōu）世（shì）之（zhī）患（huàn）；（）不（bù）仁（rén）之（zhī）人（rén），（）决（jué）性（xìng）命（mìng）之（zhī）情（qíng）而（ér）饕（tāo）贵（guì）富（fù）。（）

Could benevolence and righteousness perhaps be contrary to genuine human feeling? Why, then, do those benevolent people have so many cares! Moreover, a person whose great toe is joined to the neighboring toe will weep if they are split apart; a person with a branching finger will cry out if it is gnawed off. Of the two, one has a surplus in number and the other a deficiency in number, yet their distress is the same. The benevolent people of the present age raise their eyes and gaze afar, worrying over the world’s afflictions, while those without benevolence sever the genuine condition of their nature and life in their ravenous pursuit of rank and wealth.

故（gù）意（yì）仁（rén）义（yì）其（qí）非（fēi）人（rén）情（qíng）乎（hū）！（）自（zì）三（sān）代（dài）以（yǐ）下（xià）者（zhě），（）天（tiān）下（xià）何（hé）其（qí）嚣（xiāo）嚣（xiāo）也（yě）。（）

So perhaps benevolence and righteousness are not part of genuine human feeling after all! Since the Three Dynasties, how clamorous the world has become!

且（qiě）夫（fū）待（dài）钩（gōu）绳（shéng）规（guī）矩（jǔ）而（ér）正（zhèng）者（zhě），（）是（shì）削（xuē）其（qí）性（xìng）者（zhě）也（yě）；（）待（dài）绳（shéng）约（yuē）胶（jiāo）漆（qī）而（ér）固（gù）者（zhě），（）是（shì）侵（qīn）其（qí）德（dé）者（zhě）也（yě）；（）屈（qū）折（shé）礼（lǐ）乐（yuè），（）呴（xǔ）俞（yú）仁（rén）义（yì），（）以（yǐ）慰（wèi）天（tiān）下（xià）之（zhī）心（xīn）者（zhě），（）此（cǐ）失（shī）其（qí）常（cháng）然（rán）也（yě）。（）天（tiān）下（xià）有（yǒu）常（cháng）然（rán）。（）

Moreover, what must rely on the carpenter’s hook, ink-line, compass, and square to be made correct has its nature pared away; what must rely on cords and bonds, glue and lacquer to be made secure has its inner potency encroached upon. To bend and contort oneself according to rites and music, and to speak soothingly of benevolence and righteousness in order to comfort the hearts of the world—this is to lose what is constantly so of itself. The world has that which is constantly so of itself.

常（cháng）然（rán）者（zhě），（）曲（qū）者（zhě）不（bù）以（yǐ）钩（gōu），（）直（zhí）者（zhě）不（bù）以（yǐ）绳（shéng），（）圆（yuán）者（zhě）不（bù）以（yǐ）规（guī），（）方（fāng）者（zhě）不（bù）以（yǐ）矩（jǔ），（）附（fù）离（lí）不（bù）以（yǐ）胶（jiāo）漆（qī），（）约（yuē）束（shù）不（bù）以（yǐ）纆（mò）索（suǒ）。（）故（gù）天（tiān）下（xià）诱（yòu）然（rán）皆（jiē）生（shēng），（）而（ér）不（bù）知（zhī）其（qí）所（suǒ）以（yǐ）生（shēng）；（）同（tóng）焉（yān）皆（jiē）得（dé），（）而（ér）不（bù）知（zhī）其（qí）所（suǒ）以（yǐ）得（dé）。（）故（gù）古（gǔ）今（jīn）不（bù）二（èr），（）不（bù）可（kě）亏（kuī）也（yě）。（）

What is constantly so of itself is this: the curved is not made so by the hook, the straight not by the line, the round not by the compass, and the square not by the carpenter’s square; things attach and join without glue or lacquer, and are held together without ropes or cords. Thus all things under heaven arise naturally, yet do not know what makes them arise; together they all attain what is theirs, yet do not know how they attain it. Therefore antiquity and the present are not two, and this cannot be diminished.

则（zé）仁（rén）义（yì）又（yòu）奚（xī）连（lián）连（lián）如（rú）胶（jiāo）漆（qī）纆（mò）索（suǒ）而（ér）游（yóu）乎（hū）道（dào）德（dé）之（zhī）间（jiān）为（wèi）哉（zāi）！（）使（shǐ）天（tiān）下（xià）惑（huò）也（yě）！（）

Then why should benevolence and righteousness cling and coil like glue, lacquer, cords, and ropes, moving about between the Way and its virtue? They only bewilder the world!

夫（fū）小（xiǎo）惑（huò）易（yì）方（fāng），（）大（dà）惑（huò）易（yì）性（xìng）。（）何（hé）以（yǐ）知（zhī）其（qí）然（rán）邪（xié）？（）自（zì）虞（yú）氏（shì）招（zhāo）仁（rén）义（yì）以（yǐ）挠（náo）天（tiān）下（xià）也（yě），（）天（tiān）下（xià）莫（mò）不（bù）奔（bèn）命（mìng）于（yú）仁（rén）义（yì）。（）是（shì）非（fēi）以（yǐ）仁（rén）义（yì）易（yì）其（qí）性（xìng）与（yǔ）？（）故（gù）尝（cháng）试（shì）论（lùn）之（zhī）：（）自（zì）三（sān）代（dài）以（yǐ）下（xià）者（zhě），（）天（tiān）下（xià）莫（mò）不（bù）以（yǐ）物（wù）易（yì）其（qí）性（xìng）矣（yǐ）！（）

A minor delusion alters one's direction; a great delusion alters one's nature. How do we know this is so? Ever since the House of Yu held up benevolence and righteousness and thereby unsettled the world, no one in the world has failed to rush about at their command. Is this not to exchange one's nature for benevolence and righteousness? So let us try to discuss it: from the Three Dynasties onward, no one in the world has failed to exchange their nature for external things.

小（xiǎo）人（rén）则（zé）以（yǐ）身（shēn）殉（xùn）利（lì）；（）士（shì）则（zé）以（yǐ）身（shēn）殉（xùn）名（míng）；（）大（dà）夫（fū）则（zé）以（yǐ）身（shēn）殉（xùn）家（jiā）；（）圣（shèng）人（rén）则（zé）以（yǐ）身（shēn）殉（xùn）天（tiān）下（xià）。（）故（gù）此（cǐ）数（shù）子（zi）者（zhě），（）事（shì）业（yè）不（bù）同（tóng），（）名（míng）声（shēng）异（yì）号（hào），（）其（qí）于（yú）伤（shāng）性（xìng）以（yǐ）身（shēn）为（wèi）殉（xùn），（）一（yī）也（yě）。（）臧（zāng）与（yǔ）穀（gǔ），（）二（èr）人（rén）相（xiāng）与（yǔ）牧（mù）羊（yáng）而（ér）俱（jù）亡（wáng）其（qí）羊（yáng）。（）

The petty man sacrifices himself for profit; the scholar sacrifices himself for reputation; the great officer sacrifices himself for his house; the sage sacrifices himself for the world. Thus these several men differ in their pursuits and bear different names and reputations, yet they are alike in injuring their nature and making their own bodies a sacrifice. Zang and Gu tended sheep together, and both lost their sheep.

问（wèn）臧（zāng）奚（xī）事（shì），（）则（zé）挟（xié）筴（cè）读（dú）书（shū）；（）问（wèn）谷（gǔ）奚（xī）事（shì），（）则（zé）博（bó）塞（sāi）以（yǐ）游（yóu）。（）二（èr）人（rén）者（zhě），（）事（shì）业（yè）不（bù）同（tóng），（）其（qí）于（yú）亡（wáng）羊（yáng）均（jūn）也（yě）。（）伯（bó）夷（yí）死（sǐ）名（míng）于（yú）首（shǒu）阳（yáng）之（zhī）下（xià），（）盗（dào）跖（zhí）死（sǐ）利（lì）于（yú）东（dōng）陵（líng）之（zhī）上（shàng）。（）二（èr）人（rén）者（zhě），（）所（suǒ）死（sǐ）不（bù）同（tóng），（）其（qí）于（yú）残（cán）生（shēng）伤（shāng）性（xìng）均（jūn）也（yě）。（）奚（xī）必（bì）伯（bó）夷（yí）之（zhī）是（shì）而（ér）盗（dào）跖（zhí）之（zhī）非（fēi）乎（hū）？（）

Ask what Zang was doing, and he was holding bamboo slips and reading; ask what Gu was doing, and he was amusing himself by playing bo-sai. The two were engaged in different pursuits, yet they were alike in losing the sheep. Boyi died for reputation below Mount Shouyang, while Robber Zhi died for gain atop Dongling. What they died for was different, yet they were alike in maiming their lives and injuring their natures. Why must Boyi be judged right and Robber Zhi wrong?

天（tiān）下（xià）尽（jǐn）殉（xùn）也（yě）：（）彼（bǐ）其（qí）所（suǒ）殉（xùn）仁（rén）义（yì）也（yě），（）则（zé）俗（sú）谓（wèi）之（zhī）君（jūn）子（zǐ）；（）其（qí）所（suǒ）殉（xùn）货（huò）财（cái）也（yě），（）则（zé）俗（sú）谓（wèi）之（zhī）小（xiǎo）人（rén）。（）其（qí）殉（xùn）一（yī）也（yě），（）则（zé）有（yǒu）君（jūn）子（zǐ）焉（yān），（）有（yǒu）小（xiǎo）人（rén）焉（yān）。（）若（ruò）其（qí）残（cán）生（shēng）损（sǔn）性（xìng），（）则（zé）盗（dào）跖（zhí）亦（yì）伯（bó）夷（yí）已（yǐ），（）又（yòu）恶（wū）取（qǔ）君（jūn）子（zǐ）小（xiǎo）人（rén）于（yú）其（qí）间（jiān）哉（zāi）！（）

Everyone under heaven sacrifices himself to something. If what a person sacrifices himself to is benevolence and righteousness, convention calls him a gentleman; if it is goods and wealth, convention calls him a petty man. The sacrificing is the same, yet in one case there is a gentleman and in the other a petty man. But as for maiming life and damaging one’s nature, Robber Zhi is simply another Boyi. How, then, can one choose between them as gentleman and petty man?

且（qiě）夫（fū）属（zhǔ）其（qí）性（xìng）乎（hū）仁（rén）义（yì）者（zhě），（）虽（suī）通（tōng）如（rú）曾（zēng）、（）史（shǐ），（）非（fēi）吾（wú）所（suǒ）谓（wèi）臧（zāng）也（yě）；（）属（zhǔ）其（qí）性（xìng）于（yú）五（wǔ）味（wèi），（）虽（suī）通（tōng）如（rú）俞（yú）儿（ér），（）非（fēi）吾（wú）所（suǒ）谓（wèi）臧（zāng）也（yě）；（）属（zhǔ）其（qí）性（xìng）乎（hū）五（wǔ）声（shēng），（）虽（suī）通（tōng）如（rú）师（shī）旷（kuàng），（）非（fēi）吾（wú）所（suǒ）谓（wèi）聪（cōng）也（yě）；（）属（zhǔ）其（qí）性（xìng）乎（hū）五（wǔ）色（sè），（）虽（suī）通（tōng）如（rú）离（lí）朱（zhū），（）非（fēi）吾（wú）所（suǒ）谓（wèi）明（míng）也（yě）。（）

Moreover, one who binds his nature to benevolence and righteousness, even if as accomplished as Zeng Shen and Shi Qiu, is not what I call good. One who binds his nature to the five flavors, even if as accomplished as Yu’er, is not what I call good. One who binds his nature to the five tones, even if as accomplished as Music Master Kuang, is not what I call keen of hearing. One who binds his nature to the five colors, even if as accomplished as Li Zhu, is not what I call clear-sighted.

吾（wú）所（suǒ）谓（wèi）臧（zāng）者（zhě），（）非（fēi）仁（rén）义（yì）之（zhī）谓（wèi）也（yě），（）臧（zāng）于（yú）其（qí）德（dé）而（ér）已（yǐ）矣（yǐ）；（）吾（wú）所（suǒ）谓（wèi）臧（zāng）者（zhě），（）非（fēi）所（suǒ）谓（wèi）仁（rén）义（yì）之（zhī）谓（wèi）也（yě），（）任（rèn）其（qí）性（xìng）命（mìng）之（zhī）情（qíng）而（ér）已（yǐ）矣（yǐ）；（）吾（wú）所（suǒ）谓（wèi）聪（cōng）者（zhě），（）非（fēi）谓（wèi）其（qí）闻（wén）彼（bǐ）也（yě），（）自（zì）闻（wén）而（ér）已（yǐ）矣（yǐ）；（）吾（wú）所（suǒ）谓（wèi）明（míng）者（zhě），（）非（fēi）谓（wèi）其（qí）见（jiàn）彼（bǐ）也（yě），（）自（zì）见（jiàn）而（ér）已（yǐ）矣（yǐ）。（）

What I call good does not mean benevolence and righteousness; goodness lies in one's own virtue. What I call good does not mean what is called benevolence and righteousness; it means letting the genuine condition of one's nature and life take its course. What I call keen hearing does not mean hearing what is outside oneself, but hearing oneself. What I call clear sight does not mean seeing what is outside oneself, but seeing oneself.

夫（fū）不（bù）自（zì）见（jiàn）而（ér）见（jiàn）彼（bǐ），（）不（bù）自（zì）得（dé）而（ér）得（dé）彼（bǐ）者（zhě），（）是（shì）得（dé）人（rén）之（zhī）得（dé）而（ér）不（bù）自（zì）得（dé）其（qí）得（dé）者（zhě）也（yě），（）适（shì）人（rén）之（zhī）适（shì）而（ér）不（bù）自（zì）适（shì）其（qí）适（shì）者（zhě）也（yě）。（）夫（fū）适（shì）人（rén）之（zhī）适（shì）而（ér）不（bù）自（zì）适（shì）其（qí）适（shì），（）虽（suī）盗（dào）跖（zhí）与（yǔ）伯（bó）夷（yí），（）是（shì）同（tóng）为（wèi）淫（yín）僻（pì）也（yě）。（）

One who does not see himself but sees what is other, and does not attain anything from himself but attains what belongs to another, has gained another person's gain without gaining his own gain; he finds satisfaction in another person's satisfaction without finding satisfaction in his own. Whoever finds satisfaction in another's satisfaction but not in his own is equally given to extravagant deviation, whether he is Robber Zhi or Bo Yi.

余（yú）愧（kuì）乎（hū）道（dào）德（dé），（）是（shì）以（yǐ）上（shàng）不（bù）敢（gǎn）为（wèi）仁（rén）义（yì）之（zhī）操（cāo），（）而（ér）下（xià）不（bù）敢（gǎn）为（wèi）淫（yín）僻（pì）之（zhī）行（xíng）也（yě）。（）

I stand ashamed before the Way and virtue. Therefore, at the higher extreme I dare not adopt the discipline of benevolence and righteousness, while at the lower extreme I dare not engage in wanton and deviant conduct.

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