Note on Hsun Tzu
"By saying, 'There are no names necessarily appropriate of themselves,'
Hsun Tzu means that at the time when names were first invented, a certain
name was used to indicate a certain thing according to the free will of
those who made these designations. For example, men agreed with one
another that they would call a dog by the word 'dog,' yet at the beginning
they might just as conceivably have agreed upon the word 'horse' to
designate it. When these designations had once been agreed upon, however,
so that people used a certain name to indicate only that certain thing,
this became customary. Thereupon names and the things they designated had
their necessary appropriateness, one to the other, and could no longer be
changed at pleasure. Even when the names were first being made, however,
at the time when 'there were no names necessarily appropriate of
themselves,' there were nevertheless some that were 'especially
felicitous.' Names which could be readily pronounced, for example, would
be more felicitous than difficult sounding names." (from A History of
Chinese Philosophy, Fung Yu-Lan, 1952) - Saussure two millennia early.
But what is missing is the institutionalization of names - for example,
who or what declares the 'Axis of Evil'? The distortion of names is the
reification of an empathetic magic in which earlier designations resonate
with later; the result is a population, ourselves, unsure of any meaning
whatsoever, or even if meaning is ever applicable - perhaps it is nothing
more than an operator, a function ...
===
characters right to left
(ongoing translation with ellen zweig)
heaven
earth
black
yellow is earth black, is heaven :: yellow
cosmos the
cosmos the
vast are
wasteland desolate a
fills sun the
fills moon the
west the in sets sun the
dusk it's
morning the in 9 to 7 from
constellations the
up line
out spread they word, measure a it's
cold
comes
heat the
goes
autumn in
harvesting the
winter in
concealing hiding, the
timing intercalary
residue leftover the
tenth one becomes
years of measurement
lu the so
pitches bamboo
position shift
open
clouds
galloping, ascend,
sending
rain
dew
forms
becoming
frost
gold
birth gives
beautiful
water
jade
out emanates
mountain Kun from
summit
dagger double-edged the
named furiously
huge the
gate-tower
pearl the
called
light the
darkness of
treasure the
fruit of
plum
apple
many
vegetables
mustard
ginger
sea the
salted
rivers the
fresh
fishscales
depths in hidden
feathers
above circling
fire the
dragon
emperor the
teaching
phoenix the
royal the
official
men
beginning
making
writing
characters
then
wearing uniforms,
clothing < robes
clothing < skirts
expel
throne the
yield
country the
yao
tang
has
predicted
console
people the
down strike
guilty the
hold
boundary the
talk
scalding with test and
case a trying
court at
query
way the
bequeath
bow and
doubting
sections the
love
up raise
hosts the
leaders the
minister
prostrate
army the
barbarians
near
far and
one
reality
ration
guest the of
to returning
emperor the
phoenix the
cries
in
bamboo the
white the
colt
grazes
there
change
covers
weeds and grass
(vegetation)
trust
attain
(10,000) myriad a
(square) directions
covering
person the
issues
to) birth (giving
four
great
five
normal (is)
respect
alone) / (connector
rearing the
children of
(!)
flattering
destroys
injures and
women
adore
chastity
unyielding
men
imitate
pleasing
genius
know
passes what
certainty the
change of
attainment
ability of
never
neglect
deception
of talk the
other the
brief (is)
disintegration in
reliance
(self-reliance) self the on
long (is)
faith
of cause the
should
faith) your (protect covered be
(utensil) tool the
desire of
trouble (is)
measure-word (quantity)
ink the
sadness sorrow, (of)
silk) (on
silk) the stains (sadness printed is
poetry
of praise the
(lamb) small
(sheep) sheep
scenery view,
lines
lined-up or tied
wisdom
conquering restraint,
study (of)
(creates) makes
sage the
benevolence
built is
name the
stands
origin the
shape of
(upright) proper
model
sky
valley and
proclaim
fame (one's)
empty the
room) (public hall chamber
lessons) (review learn
carefully
(catastrophe) disaster
by) caused (is on depends
accumulation the
evil (of)
(fortune) blessings
by) caused (are
virtuous
happiness
ruler) (scale, meter 1/3
hole) with disk (circular bi-jade
) (un- negative
treasure
small) (measurement, meter 1/30
secret) feminine, organs, sexual moon, (shadow, yin
be) (to so) (just is
with) (compete emulated
capital the
(parallels) father the (of)
affairs (business) the
ruler supreme the (of)
speak
(accurately) strictly
give
respect
piety filial
(accepts) as serves
end the
others) of power (the power of
devotion
(rules) follows
(of) end the
life
confront) (meet, face
deep the
shoes) on (put tread
lightly
morning) the in (early dawn
prosper
warm
pure) (and
like
orchid(s) (an)
this
fragrance
like
pine(s) a
this
prospers
river the
flows
(un) not
(ceaselessly) stopping
(abyss) depths the
(transparent) clear
(create) up take
reflection a
(form) contain
stop (and)
if
thinking is) (one
say
rhetoric) (classical diction
peaceful quiet, (with)
determination
deliberate
beginnings
fidelity sincerity,
beauty beautiful,
prudent
all
good
laws ancient
honorable
trade
place) (the
foundation of
rolls the
greatly
nothing
end the) (in
learn
outstanding
(to) ascend
(service) official
to addition in
work
obey
government
survive
of means by
wild the
pear
go
and
increase
chant the
music
particularly
precious is
humble (and)
rites
well as
valuable are
low and
above
harmony
below
harmonious
husband the
upon) (calls chants
wife the
follows
(foreign) external the
accept
on pass
instructions
internal) (the enter
music) (play music
mother the
(ceremony) appearance (of)
all
sister father's
brother older father's
brother younger father's
as) same (the like
child a
(to) compared
(child) son a
\ much very think
other each of
brother elder
brother younger
agreeing
spirit) (ch'i, mind (as)
(joining) linking
branches
make
friends
(and) join
divide
cut
polish (and)
precepts
rules (and)
kind
humanity
(conceal)
compassion
create
order
not
separation
integrity
(justice)
back gives
honesty
wicked the
suffer
setbacks
money of loss
still a
nature
evades
passion
heart the
moves
weary the
mind
guard
truth the
full with
intention
follow
idea the
change and
(mind) heart (your)
hold
strictly
steer
properly
please
office) (of rank the
bind
yourself
city
village (and)
flourish
summer the) (in
east
west (and)
two
capitals
back (one's)
(mountain) Mong the) (to
face
(river) Luo the
floating
(river) Wei
(seize) to according
river) (Sheu Jing the
(government) official the
hall
tray a
fragrance) (strong (blossoms) plum (with)
tower the) (from
out) (look watch
flying if) (as
amazed (be)
(painting) drawing
(paint) draw
birds
animals (and)
pictures
colorful
(hermits) immortals
spirits (and)
stem third the
abandon) (cottage, alms give
(beside) near drawn
(disclosure) awaken
stem first the
album) (notebook, curtain a
reply) (answer, against
pillar the
(wantonly) four
mats bamboo
establish
place a
(play) drum
se4) (25-string lute the
blow
instrument) reed (mouth sheng1 the
climb
stairs the
accept
throne the of steps high the
cap the
changes
distrust
stars the
(direction) right the
through passes
broad a
interior
left the
attains
holds (and)
brightness
[...]
public
rectification
fit
[...]
many
men
[...]
dwell
leisure in
[...]
ch'in the
instrument 4-stringed
[...]
good
wonderful and
[...]
problem or question
[...]
gate
[...]
well as
===