造物

造物

1. the divine force that created the universe

   • 一雨三日，伊誰之力？民曰太守，太守不有；歸之天子，天子曰不然；歸之造物，造物不自以為功；歸之太空，太空冥冥。 [Literary Chinese, trad.]
     一雨三日，伊谁之力？民曰太守，太守不有；归之天子，天子曰不然；归之造物，造物不自以为功；归之太空，太空冥冥。 [Literary Chinese, simp.]

     From: 1062, 蘇軾 (Su Shi), 《喜雨亭記》, translated into English as The Arbour to Joyful Rain by Herbert A. Giles

     Yīyǔ sānrì, yī shuí zhī lì? Mín yuē tàishǒu, tàishǒu bùyǒu; guī zhī tiānzǐ, tiānzǐ yuē bùrán; guī zhī zàowù, zàowù bù zì yǐwéi gōng; guī zhī tàikōng, tàikōng míngmíng. [Pinyin]

     It has rained without cease for three days―whose was the influence at work? Should you say it was that of your Governor, the Governor himself refers it to the Emperor. But the Emperor says ‘No! it was God.’ And God says ‘No! it was Nature.’

   • 唐人學漢魏變漢魏，宋學唐變唐。其變也，非有心於變也，乃不得不變也。使不變，則不足以為唐、不足以為宋也。子孫之貌，莫不本於祖父，然變而美者有之，變而丑者有之。若必禁其不變，則雖造物有所不能。先生許唐人之變漢魏，而獨不許宋人之變唐，惑也。 [Literary Chinese, trad.]
     唐人学汉魏变汉魏，宋学唐变唐。其变也，非有心于变也，乃不得不变也。使不变，则不足以为唐、不足以为宋也。子孙之貌，莫不本于祖父，然变而美者有之，变而丑者有之。若必禁其不变，则虽造物有所不能。先生许唐人之变汉魏，而独不许宋人之变唐，惑也。 [Literary Chinese, simp.]

     From: c. 1757, 袁枚 (Yuan Mei),《答沈大宗伯論詩書》(Letter to Shen Deqian on Poetry)

     Tángrén xué Hàn-Wèi biàn Hàn-Wèi, Sòng xué Táng biàn Táng. Qí biàn yě, fēi yǒuxīn yú biàn yě, nǎi bùdébù biàn yě. Shǐ bùbiàn, zé bùzúyǐ wéi Táng, bùzúyǐ wéi Sòng yě. Zǐsūn zhī mào, mòbù běn yú zǔfù, rán biàn ér měi zhě yǒu zhī, biàn ér chǒu zhě yǒu zhī. Ruò bì jìn qí bùbiàn, zé suī zàowù yǒusuǒ bùnéng. Xiānshēng xǔ Tángrén zhī biàn Hàn-Wèi, ér dú bùxǔ Sòngrén zhī biàn Táng, huò yě. [Pinyin]

     The Tang people learned from the Han and Wei but transformed Han and Wei; the Song learned from the Tang but transformed the Tang. This transformation was not some deliberate intention to change, but an inevitable necessity. Had they not changed, then the Tang would not have been truly the Tang, nor would the Song have been truly the Song. The appearance of descendants always stems from their parents and grandparents, yet some become better, and some grow worse. If we were to forbid such transformation, even the Creator would find it impossible. Sir, you approve of the Tang people's transformation of Han and Wei, but uniquely disapprove of the Song people's transformation of the Tang—this is perplexing.

2. (obsolete) luck; fate

• (divine force that created the universe):

• (fate):

造物

1. to create all things