The Tî said, 'Ah! you, Hsîs and Hos, a round year consists of three hundred, sixty, and six days. Do you, by means of the intercalary month, fix the four seasons, and complete (the period of) the year. (Thereafter), the various officers being regulated, in accordance with this, all the works (of the year) will be fully performed.' 3. The Tî said, 'Who will search out (for me) a man according to the times, whom I can raise and employ?' Fang-khî said, '(Your) heir-son Kû 1 is highly intelligent.' The Tî said, 'Alas; he is insincere and quarrelsome:--can he do?' The Tî said, 'Who will search out (for me) a man'. equal to the exigency of my affairs?' Hwan-tâu 2 said, 'Oh! the merits of the Minister of Works have just been displayed on a wide scale.' The Tî, said, 'Alas! when all is quiet, he talks; but when, employed, his actions turn out differently. he is respectful (only) in appearance. See! the floods assail the heavens!' The Tî said, 'Ho! (President of) the Four p. 35 [paragraph continues] Mountains 1, destructive in their overflow are the waters of the inundation. In their vast extent they embrace the hills and overtop the great heights, threatening the heavens with their floods, so that the lower people groan and murmur 'Is there a capable man to whom I can assign the correction (of this calamity)?' All (in the court) said, 'Ah! is there not Khwăn 2?' The Tî said, 'Alas! how perverse is he! He is disobedient to orders, and tries to injure his peers.' (The President of) the Mountains said, 'Well but--. Try if he can (accomplish the work).' (Khwăn) was employed accordingly. The Tî said (to him), 'Go; and be reverent!' For nine years he laboured, but the work was unaccomplished.
Source: Internet Sacred Text Archive, file cfu/sbe03/sbe03008.htm.
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