Explanatory Statement..........Li Mi

陈情表

李密

臣密言：臣以险衅，夙遭闵凶。生孩六月，慈父见背；行年四岁，舅夺母志。祖母刘愍臣孤弱，躬亲抚养。臣少多疾病，九岁不行，零丁孤苦，至于成立。既无伯叔，终鲜兄弟，门衰祚薄，晚有儿息。外无期功强近之亲，内无应门五尺之僮，茕茕孑立，形影相吊。而刘夙婴疾病，常在床蓐，臣侍汤药，未曾废离。

逮奉圣朝，沐浴清化。前太守臣逵察臣孝廉；后刺史臣荣举臣秀才。臣以供养无主，辞不赴命。诏书特下，拜臣郎中，寻蒙国恩，除臣洗马。猥以微贱，当侍东宫，非臣陨首所能上报。臣具以表闻，辞不就职。诏书切峻，责臣逋慢；郡县逼迫，催臣上道；州司临门，急于星火。臣欲奉诏奔驰，则刘病日笃，欲苟顺私情，则告诉不许：臣之进退，实为狼狈。

伏惟圣朝以孝治天下，凡在故老，犹蒙矜育，况臣孤苦，特为尤甚。且臣少仕伪朝，历职郎署，本图宦达，不矜名节。今臣亡国贱俘，至微至陋，过蒙拔擢，宠命优渥，岂敢盘桓，有所希冀。但以刘日薄西山，气息奄奄，人命危浅，朝不虑夕。臣无祖母，无以至今日，祖母无臣，无以终余年。母、孙二人，更相为命，是以区区不能废远。

臣密今年四十有四，祖母今年九十有六，是臣尽节于陛下之日长，报养刘之日短也。乌鸟私情，愿乞终养。臣之辛苦，非独蜀之人士及二州牧伯所见明知，皇天后土实所共鉴。愿陛下矜愍愚诚，听臣微志，庶刘侥幸，保卒余年。臣生当陨首，死当结草。臣不胜犬马怖惧之情，谨拜表以闻。

Explanatory Statement

Li Mi

Your humble subject Li Mi begs to make the following explanatory statement: I met my dire misfortune at an early age. My loving father abandoned me and died when I was only six months old. When I was four years old, my uncle compelled my mother to change her decision not to marry again. Seeing I had no parents at such an early age, my Grandma Liu took pity on me and decided to bring me up by herself. When I was young, I often fell ill and could not walk even when I was nine. I remained lonely and miserable till my adulthood. I have neither uncles nor brothers, except a poor family of no blessing, and a few sons late in my life. I have no close nor even remote relatives outside, nor a child servant inside to answer the door, and I have been living a solitary and lonely life, with only my own body and shadow comforting each other. Grandma Liu has been plagued by illness, bedridden all year round. I have been taking care of her for food and medicine without ever leaving her for a day.

  Since the establishment of the great Jin Dynasty, I have been bathed in the perfectly enlightened governance. The ex-governor named Kui recommended me for my filial piety, and a later governor named Rong recommended me for an official position because of my outstanding talents. I declined the appointment because I had no one to take care of my grandmother. Then a special edict was issued to appoint me to the position of Langzhong. Soon after, by the grace of the imperial court, I was appointed as Xima. For a man of such a humble status as I am, the position of serving the crown prince is really not what I can repay for even by having myself beheaded. I had intended to report the above reasons for declining the position. But the edict was urgent and strict, accusing me of neglect and disrespect. The county magistrate urged me to start off; the state officials came to my door to press me in a way more urgent than a falling meteor. I would fain serve the Emperor, but Grandmother Liu’s illness is getting worse with each passing day. I am in a desperate dilemma, so I intend to defer to my private affairs, for which I am not allowed.

  I believe the great Jin Dynasty governs the country on the basis of filial piety, for even the retired elderly ministers are still supported by the imperial court. I am now even much more helpless and miserable at home. Besides, when I was young, I was once an official of the bogus Kingdom of Shu Han, holding a position of ministry chief. I had hoped to be a prominent official regardless of reputation and integrity. Now being a captive from a subjugated kingdom, so humble and so lowly, I am already over promoted and over favoured, so how should I dare to hesitate and hope for more? But my Grandma Liu is dying, with her breath barely perceptible, and her life will come to an end at any moment. Without Grandma, I would not have achieved what I have today. Now without me Grandma could not spend the rest of her life. The two of us are interdependent, and that’s why I cannot leave for anywhere far away.

  I am now forty-four years old and Grandma is ninety-six. It seems that my days of devotion to Your Majesty is still very long, but my days of filial piety to Grandma Liu is very short. Cherishing the same wish of feeding back as the crows do, I beg to be allowed to fulfill my filial piety of serving her while she is living and giving her a proper burial after her death. Not only the people of Shu and the governors of Yizhou and Liangzhou know and understand my bitterness, but also heaven above and and earth below can jointly bear witness for me. Your Majesty is earnestly requested to have profound compassion on me and grant my slight wish, so that Grandma Liu can be lucky enough to spend the rest of her life contentedly. I should take my life to repay the court while I live, and twist grass into entangling ropes to repay Your Majesty’s kindness after my death. I respectfully submit this explanatory statement with the dread of a dog and a horse to keep Your Majesty informed.

Translated by Jin Deming