How does the story of Job sound to Chinese ears? Any Chinese analogs? A first reference is the ill-fated poet Qu Yuan, a long suffering righteous man who even composed a series of Questions to Heaven; more about him anon. But there's also the frontiersman whose tale is told in the Daoist collection Huainanzi, and who lives on in the saying 塞翁失马焉知非福: Sai Weng lost his horse, who's to say that's not good?
As for the revolutions and mutual generation of calamity and good fortune, their alterations are difficult to perceive. At the near frontier, there was a [family of] skilled diviners whose horse suddenly became lost among the Hu [people]. Everyone consoled them. The father said, 'This will quickly turn to good fortune!' After several months, the horse returned with a fine Hu steed. Everyone congratulated them. The father said, 'This will quickly turn to calamity!' The household was [now] replete with good horses; the son loved to ride, [but] he fell and broke his leg. Everyone consoled them. The father said, 'This will quickly turn to good fortune!' After one year, the Hu people entered the frontier in force; the able and strong all stretched their bowstrings and fought. Among the peoplee of the near frontier, nine out of ten died. It was only because of lameness that father and son protected each other. Thus,
good fortune becoming calamity,
calamity becoming good fortune;
their transformations are limitless,
so profound they cannot be fathomed.
As for the revolutions and mutual generation of calamity and good fortune, their alterations are difficult to perceive. At the near frontier, there was a [family of] skilled diviners whose horse suddenly became lost among the Hu [people]. Everyone consoled them. The father said, 'This will quickly turn to good fortune!' After several months, the horse returned with a fine Hu steed. Everyone congratulated them. The father said, 'This will quickly turn to calamity!' The household was [now] replete with good horses; the son loved to ride, [but] he fell and broke his leg. Everyone consoled them. The father said, 'This will quickly turn to good fortune!' After one year, the Hu people entered the frontier in force; the able and strong all stretched their bowstrings and fought. Among the peoplee of the near frontier, nine out of ten died. It was only because of lameness that father and son protected each other. Thus,
good fortune becoming calamity,
calamity becoming good fortune;
their transformations are limitless,
so profound they cannot be fathomed.
