shì士zhī之cái才dé德gài盖yì一guó国，zé则yuē曰guó国shì士；nǚ女zhī之sè色gài盖yì一guó国，zé则yuē曰guó国sè色；lán兰zhī之xiāng香gài盖yì一guó国，zé则yuē曰guó国xiāng香。zì自gǔ古rén人zhī知guì贵lán兰，bú不dài待chǔ楚zhī之zhú逐chén臣ér而hòu后guì贵zhī之yě也。lán兰shèn甚sì似hū乎jūn君zǐ子，shēng生yú于shēn深shān山báo薄cóng丛zhī之zhōng中，bú不wèi为wú无rén人ér而bù不fāng芳；xuě雪shuāng霜líng凌lì厉ér而jiàn见shā杀，lái来suì岁bù不gǎi改qí其xìng性yě也。shì是suǒ所wèi谓“dùn遁shì世wú无mèn闷，bú不jiàn见shì是ér而wú无mēn闷”zhě者yě也。lán兰suī虽hán含xiāng香tǐ体jié洁，píng平jū居yǔ与xiāo萧ài艾bù不shū殊。qīng清fēng风guò过zhī之，qí其xiāng香ǎi蔼rán然，zài在shì室mǎn满shì室，zài在táng堂mǎn满táng堂，suǒ所wèi谓hán含zhāng章yǐ以shí时fā发zhě者yě也。
rán然lán兰huì蕙zhī之cái才dé德bù不tóng同，shì世hǎn罕néng能bié别zhī之。yǔ予fàng放làng浪jiāng江hú湖zhī之rì日jiǔ久，nǎi乃jìn尽zhī知qí其zú族。gài盖lán兰sì似jūn君zǐ子，huì蕙sì似shì士dà大fū夫，dà大gài概shān山lín林zhōng中shí十huì蕙ér而yì一lán兰yě也。《lí离sāo骚》yuē曰：“yǔ予jì既zī滋lán兰zhī之jiǔ九wǎn畹，yòu又shù树huì蕙zhī之bǎi百mǔ亩。”shì是yǐ以zhī知bù不dú独jīn今，chǔ楚rén人jiàn贱huì蕙ér而guì贵lán兰jiǔ久yǐ矣。lán兰huì蕙cóng丛chū出，shì莳yǐ以shā砂shí石zé则mào茂，wò沃yǐ以tāng汤míng茗zé则fāng芳，shì是suǒ所tóng同yě也。zhì至qí其fā发huā花，yì一gān干yì一huā花ér而xiāng香yǒu有yú余zhě者lán兰，yì一gān干wǔ五qī七huā花ér而xiāng香bù不zú足zhě者huì蕙。huì蕙suī虽bú不ruò若lán兰，qí其shì视jiāo椒zé则yuǎn远yǐ矣，shì世lùn论yǐ以wéi为guó国xiāng香yǐ矣。nǎi乃yuē曰“dāng当mén门bù不dé得bù不chú锄”，shān山lín林zhī之shì士，suǒ所yǐ以wǎng往ér而bù不fǎn返zhě者yē耶！
