Sima Xiangru

Sima Xiangru (c. 179-117 BCE)

“Misfortune often lurks in the shadowy darkness and springs forth when men are off their guard.”

  • This quote comes from a memorial written by Sima Xiangru in protest against Emperor Wu’s unsafe hunting habits. It was included in the Records of the Grand Historian (Shi Ji, 117) by Sima Qian. Translated by Burton Watson (Columbia University Press, 1993).

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