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18. HE PICKED MULBERRIES TO SERVE HIS MOTHER
Cài Shùn of the Hàn dynasty was left fatherless at a young age. He served his mother with utmost filial devotion. They had to endure the tumult of Wáng Măng, and the crops were bad and the land unproductive. He gathered mulberries, which he sorted into different containers until they were full. A [band of] Red-Eyebrow robbers [rebels against Wáng Măng] saw this and asked him about it. Shùn said: "The black, ripe ones I give to my mother. The red, unripe ones I eat myself." The robbers took compassion because of this filiality and gave him three catties of white rice and an ox leg. A verse says of him: With black mulberries he nourishes his mother; |
十八、拾桑供母 汉。蔡顺少孤。事母至孝。遭王莽乱。岁荒不给拾桑。以异器盛之。赤眉贼见而问之。顺曰。黑者奉母。赤者食。贼悯其孝。以白米三斗。牛蹄一只与之。有诗为颂。 诗曰 黑桑奉萱帏。饥啼泪满衣。赤眉知孝意。牛米赠君归。 18. Shí Shèn Gòng Mŭ Hàn Tsài Shùn shào gū. Shì mŭ zhì xiào. Zāo Wáng Măng luàn. Suì huāng bù jĭ. Shí sāng shèn. Yĭ yì qì chéng zhī. Chìméi zéi jiàn ér wèn zhī. Shùn yuē: Hēizhĕ fèng mŭ. Chìzhĕ zì shí. Zéi mĭn qí xiào. Yĭ bái mĭ sān dŏu. Niú tí yì zhī yŭ zhī. Yŏu shī wéi sòng. Shī yuē: Hēi chén fèng xuān wéi. Jī tí lèi măn yī. Chìméi zhī xiào yì. Niú mĭ zèng jūn guī. 十八、拾桑供母 漢。蔡順少孤。事母至孝。遭王莽亂。歲荒不給拾桑。以異器盛之。赤眉賊見而問之。順曰。黑者奉母。赤者食。賊憫其孝。以白米三斗。牛蹄一隻與之。有詩為頌。 詩曰 黑桑奉萱幃。饑啼淚滿衣。赤眉知孝意。牛米贈君歸。 |