Confucius’ Legendary Birth

孔子出生的傳說

Confucius’ Legendary Birth

中國儒家的祖師孔子是春秋戰國時代魯國最有影響力的教育學家，也曾擔任過官職。

Confucius, the founder of Chinese Confucianism, was the most influential educator in the State of Lu during the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods, where he once held an official position.

他畢生的精神及思想全部都在仁、義、禮、智、信這五個重點上，但也因為這五個思想，影響所及拓展到如今的韓國、日本及東南亞的國家。

His spirit and thoughts throughout his life were focused entirely on five main areas: benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom, and fidelity. It is, however, also due to these five ideas, that his influence has spread to present-day Korea, Japan, and Southeast Asian countries.

在中國的儒家傳承上，孔子的地位幾乎和天是等同，歷代的皇帝也都尊稱他為至聖，後代人也都奉為萬世師表。

In the tradition of Chinese Confucianism, Confucius’ status is virtually equal to that of Heaven. Emperors from successive dynasties had referred to him deferentially as “Supreme Sage,” while later generations revere him as “the teacher of ten thousand generations.”

像這一類聖人出世，總會伴隨著一些神話，才會更顯托出他的偉大，這在中西方都是如此。

When such a saint gains eminence, they are always accompanied by some myths to further illustrate their greatness, as is common in both China and the West.

像孔子出生的傳說也有如佛教的教主釋迦牟尼佛出世一般的聖境，說是出生的時候，夜晚有兩位天女拿著甘露香瓶，從虛空中為孔子的母親沐浴。

Confucius’ legendary birth, akin to the story about the supernatural circumstances surrounding the birth of the founder of Buddhism, Shakyamuni Buddha, details the night of his birth when two heavenly fairies bathed Confucius’ mother from the spirit world using bottles of sweet, fragrant nectar.

天帝還命令天界的司掌樂神演奏樂曲，這個時候虛空中便有聲音說道：﹁有聖人降世，因此奏樂沐浴，表示慶禱⋯⋯﹂這是孔子出生時的一段說法。

The Celestial Emperor also ordered the Commander of the Celestial World, the God of Music, to play a song, at which moment a voice emanating from the void declared, “A saint has been born into the world; therefore, play music and bathe in celebration… ” This was one of the expressions uttered around Confucius’ birth.

孔子的一生為了宣揚自己的理念，過得也頗不平靜，他的父親叔梁紇的元配一連生了九個女兒，心中極為渴望能生個兒子，後來便娶了一個妾，好不容易生了一個兒子，但沒想到卻是個瘸子。

Since he lived solely to spread his own ideas, his life did not pass very peacefully, though. His father, Kong He, who had nine daughters in a row, very earnestly desired a son. Later, he married a concubine and finally did have a son, but the boy was unexpectedly born with a chopfoot.

我們先姑且不論孔子的生母是如何與叔梁紇生下了他，只知道父母的年紀相差極大，當時母親只有十八歲左右，而父親已經是耄耋之年。

If we put aside exactly how Confucius’ biological mother and father were actually able to conceive a child, we just know that the two were quite different ages. At the time, his mother was only about eighteen years old, whereas his father had already grown to a ripe old age.

在生了孔子之後，沒過幾年便離開人間，因此孔子整個的人格教育完全是來自於母親。他的母親是一位知書達禮的婦女，所以孔子幼年的庭訓都是啟蒙於母親，她是一位極有愛心、仁慈的女性。

Following Confucius’ birth, his father retired from the world within a few years, so Confucius’ character education derived exclusively from his mother. Considering she was a well-educated, knowledgeable, and proper woman, Confucius’ lessons at home during his youth were all imparted to him by his mother, an extremely loving and kind person.

除了教導孔子如何識字，連附近鄰居的孩童，她也一併教他們童蒙之學，在教唱兒歌之中，啟迪良善的幼小心靈，這點對孔子而言，影響他終其一生教人不悔，有教無類。

In addition to teaching Confucius how to read and write, she taught the neighbors’ kids children’s literature, and while teaching them to sing children’s songs, inspired their young hearts and minds to be virtuous. This, for Confucius, was the influence that motivated him to devote his whole life to educating people of all backgrounds without discrimination.

*A ZT sample translation

Translated & edited by ZhongwenTranslation