chén qíng biǎo
陈 情 表
Your Majesty,

wèi jìn xī jìn lǐ mì
( 魏 晋 ) 西 晋 ·· 李 密
Li Mi of the Western Jin Dynasty (during the Wei and Jin periods)

chén mì yán chén yǐ xiǎn xìn sù zāo mǐn xiōng
臣 密 言 ： 臣 以 险 衅 ， 夙 遭 闵 凶 。
I, Li Mi, humbly submit: I have faced numerous misfortunes and dangers from a young age.

shēng hái liù yuè cí fù jiàn bèi
生 孩 六 月 ， 慈 父 见 背 ；
At the age of six months, I tragically lost my father;.

xíng nián sì suì jiù duó mǔ zhì
行 年 四 岁 ， 舅 夺 母 志 。
By the time I was four years old, my maternal uncle had forced my mother to abandon me.

zǔ mǔ liú mǐn chén gū ruò gōng qīn fǔ yǎng
祖 母 刘 愍 臣 孤 弱 ， 躬 亲 抚 养 。
My grandmother, Liu, pitied my weak and vulnerable state, and took it upon herself to raise and care for me.

chén shào duō jí bìng jiǔ suì bù xíng líng dīng gū kǔ zhì yú chéng lì
臣 少 多 疾 病 ， 九 岁 不 行 ， 零 丁 孤 苦 ， 至 于 成 立 。
I suffered from many illnesses in my youth, and by the age of nine, I was still unable to walk. Alone and miserable, I struggled until I finally grew up and established myself.

jì wú bó shū zhōng xiǎn xiōng dì
既 无 伯 叔 ， 终 鲜 兄 弟 ，
I had neither uncles nor many brothers,

mén shuāi zuò báo wǎn yǒu ér xī
门 衰 祚 薄 ， 晚 有 儿 息 。
My family’s fortunes waned, and I had no children until later in life.

wài wú jī gōng qiǎng jìn zhī qīn nèi wú yìng mén wǔ chǐ zhī tóng
外 无 期 功 强 近 之 亲 ， 内 无 应 门 五 尺 之 僮 ，
Without close relatives to rely on, and no servants at home

qióng qióng jié lì xíng yǐng xiāng diào
茕 茕 孑 立 ， 形 影 相 吊 。
Alone and isolated, a solitary figure with only its shadow for comfort.

ér liú sù yīng jí bìng cháng zài chuáng rù chén shì tāng yào wèi céng fèi lí
而 刘 夙 婴 疾 病 ， 常 在 床 蓐 ， 臣 侍 汤 药 ， 未 曾 废 离 。
Liu had been suffering from illness, often confined to bed, and I, your servant, attended to him with medicine, never leaving his side.

dài fèng shèng cháo mù yù qīng huà
逮 奉 圣 朝 ， 沐 浴 清 化 。
Upon the arrival of the sacred dynasty, I was bathed in its pure and righteous governance.

qián tài shǒu chén kuí chá chén xiào lián
前 太 守 臣 逵 察 臣 孝 廉 ；
The former governor, my lord Kui, recognized my filial piety and integrity;

hòu cì shǐ chén róng jǔ chén xiù cái
后 刺 史 臣 荣 举 臣 秀 才 。
The later inspector, my lord Rong, praised my exceptional talent.

chén yǐ gōng yǎng wú zhǔ cí bù fù mìng
臣 以 供 养 无 主 ， 辞 不 赴 命 。
I, however, declined the appointments due to the lack of someone to provide for, and did not obey the orders.

zhào shū tè xià bài chén láng zhōng
诏 书 特 下 ， 拜 臣 郎 中 ，
A special decree was issued, appointing me as a courtier;

xún méng guó ēn chú chén xiǎn mǎ
寻 蒙 国 恩 ， 除 臣 洗 马 。
Soon after, I was granted the favor of the nation and appointed as a royal groom.

wěi yǐ wēi jiàn dāng shì dōng gōng
猥 以 微 贱 ， 当 侍 东 宫 ，
Humbled by my lowly status, I was appointed to serve the Eastern Palace,

fēi chén yǔn shǒu suǒ néng shàng bào
非 臣 陨 首 所 能 上 报 。
A duty which I cannot repay even by offering my life.

chén jù yǐ biǎo wén cí bù jiù zhí
臣 具 以 表 闻 ， 辞 不 就 职 。
I have presented my situation in a report, declining the positions.

zhào shū qiè jùn zé chén bū màn
诏 书 切 峻 ， 责 臣 逋 慢 ；
The decree was stern and urgent, accusing me of evading and delaying;

jùn xiàn bī pò cuī chén shàng dào
郡 县 逼 迫 ， 催 臣 上 道 ；
The local authorities pressed me to set forth on my journey,

zhōu sī lín mén jí yú xīng huǒ
州 司 临 门 ， 急 于 星 火 。
With a sense of urgency akin to that of a blazing fire.

chén yù fèng zhào bēn chí zé liú bìng rì dǔ
臣 欲 奉 诏 奔 驰 ， 则 刘 病 日 笃 ，
If I were to obey the decree and rush to serve, Liu’s illness would worsen;

yù gǒu shùn sī qíng zé gào sù bù xǔ
欲 苟 顺 私 情 ， 则 告 诉 不 许 。
If I were to follow my personal desires, my pleas would not be permitted.

chén zhī jìn tuì shí wéi láng bèi
臣 之 进 退 ， 实 为 狼 狈 。
My dilemma, whether to advance or retreat, is truly a difficult predicament.

fú wéi shèng cháo yǐ xiào zhì tiān xià fán zài gù lǎo
伏 惟 圣 朝 以 孝 治 天 下 ， 凡 在 故 老 ，
I humbly submit that this sacred dynasty governs with filial piety, and even the elderly are cared for and nurtured.

yóu méng jīn yù kuàng chén gū kǔ tè wèi yóu shèn
犹 蒙 矜 育 ， 况 臣 孤 苦 ， 特 为 尤 甚 。
How much more so for me, an orphaned and suffering servant, in a particularly dire situation.

qiě chén shào shì wěi cháo lì zhí láng shǔ
且 臣 少 仕 伪 朝 ， 历 职 郎 署 ，
Moreover, I served in the false dynasty from a young age, holding positions in the imperial bureaus,

běn tú huàn dá bù jīn míng jié
本 图 宦 达 ， 不 矜 名 节 。
Originally aiming for official success, not priding oneself on integrity.

jīn chén wáng guó jiàn fú zhì wēi zhì lòu guò méng bá zhuó
今 臣 亡 国 贱 俘 ， 至 微 至 陋 ， 过 蒙 拔 擢 ，
Now I am a humble prisoner from a defeated nation, utterly insignificant and lowly, yet I have unexpectedly been elevated and promoted.

chǒng mìng yōu wò qǐ gǎn pán huán yǒu suǒ xī jì
宠 命 优 渥 ， 岂 敢 盘 桓 ， 有 所 希 冀 ！
Favored with imperial grace, how dare I hesitate, with expectations to pursue!

dàn yǐ liú rì bó xī shān qì xī yān yān
但 以 刘 日 薄 西 山 ， 气 息 奄 奄 ，
But as Liu’s days grow dim like the setting sun, his breaths faint and weak,

rén mìng wēi qiǎn zhāo bù lǜ xī
人 命 危 浅 ，朝 不 虑 夕 。
Human life is fragile and shallow, worrying about the morrow before the day is through.

chén wú zǔ mǔ wú yǐ zhì jīn rì
臣 无 祖 母 ， 无 以 至 今 日 ，
Without my grandmother, I would not have reached today,

zǔ mǔ wú chén wú yǐ zhōng yú nián
祖 母 无 臣 ， 无 以 终 余 年 。
Without me, my grandmother would not have her remaining years to enjoy.

mǔ sūn èr rén gēng xiāng wéi mìng shì yǐ qū qū bù néng fèi yuǎn
母 孙 二 人 ， 更 相 为 命 ， 是 以 区 区 不 能 废 远 。
The two of us, grandmother and grandson, rely on each other for life, which is why I cannot abandon her from afar.

chén mì jīn nián sì shí yòu sì zǔ mǔ jīn nián jiǔ shí yòu liù
臣 密 今 年 四 十 有 四 ， 祖 母 今 年 九 十 有 六 ，
I, your servant, am now forty-four years old; my grandmother is ninety-six this year,

shì chén jìn jié yú bì xià zhī rì cháng bào yǎng liú zhī rì duǎn yě
是 臣 尽 节 于 陛 下 之 日 长 ， 报 养 刘 之 日 短 也 。
The time I can serve Your Majesty is longer, while the time to repay Liu’s nurturing is brief.

wū niǎo sī qíng yuàn qǐ zhōng yǎng
乌 鸟 私 情 ， 愿 乞 终 养 。
The private feelings of a bird, I wish to beg for the care of the elderly.

chén zhī xīn kǔ fēi dú shǔ zhī rén shì jí èr zhōu mù bó suǒ jiàn míng zhī
臣 之 辛 苦 ， 非 独 蜀 之 人 士 及 二 州 牧 伯 所 见 明 知 ，
My hardships are not only witnessed and known by the scholars of Shu and the governors of the two states,

huáng tiān hòu tǔ shí suǒ gòng jiàn
皇 天 后 土 ， 实 所 共 鉴 。
Heaven and Earth can truly see and judge.

yuàn bì xià jīn mǐn yú chéng tīng chén wēi zhì
愿 陛 下 矜 悯 愚 诚 ， 听 臣 微 志 ，
I hope Your Majesty takes pity on my sincere and foolish heart, listens to my humble ambition,

shù liú jiǎo xìng bǎo zú yú nián
庶 刘 侥 幸 ， 保 卒 余 年 。
Perhaps Liu may be fortunate and protected, to live out his remaining years.

chén shēng dāng yǔn shǒu sǐ dàng jié cǎo
臣 生 当 陨 首 ， 死 当 结 草 。
In life, I shall serve loyally; in death, I shall be grateful.

chén bù shēng quǎn mǎ bù jù zhī qíng jǐn bài biǎo yǐ wén
臣 不 胜 犬 马 怖 惧 之 情 ， 谨 拜 表 以 闻 。
Overwhelmed by fear like a dog or horse, I respectfully present this petition to be known.