先生曰：「古乐不作久矣；今之戏子，尚与古乐意思相近。」
未达，请问。
先生曰：「《韶》之九成，便是舜的一本戏子；《武》之九变，便是武王的一本戏子。圣人一生实事，俱播在乐中，所以有德者闻之，便知他尽善尽美与尽美未尽善处。若后世作乐，只是做些词调，于民俗风化绝无关涉，何以化民善俗？今要民俗反朴还淳，取今之戏子，将妖淫词调俱去了，只取忠臣、孝子故事，使愚俗百姓人人易晓，无意中感激他良知起来，却于风化有益。然后古乐渐次可复矣。」
曰：「洪要求元声不可得，恐于古乐亦难复。」
先生曰：「你说元声在何处求？」
对曰：「古人制管候气，恐是求元声之法。」
先生曰：「若要去葭灰黍粒中求元声，却如水底捞月，如何可得？元声只在你心上求。」
曰：「心如何求？」
先生曰：「古人为治，先养得人心和平，然后作乐。比如在此歌诗，你的心气和平，听者自然悦怿兴起，只此便是元声之始。《书》云『诗言志』，志便是乐的本；『歌永言』，歌便是作乐的本；『声依永，律和声』，律只要和声，和声便是制律的本。何尝求之于外？」
曰：「古人制候气法，是意何取？」
先生曰：「古人具中和之体以作乐，我的中和原与天地之气相应，候天地之气，协凤凰之音，不过去验我的气果和否，此是成律已后事，非必待此以成律也。今要候灰管，必须定至日，然至日子时，恐又不准，又何处取得准来？」
先生说：「古乐湮没已久了；如今的戏子，倒还与古乐意思相近。」
听众不解，请教。
先生说：「《韶》乐的九成，便是舜的一本戏；《武》乐的九变，便是武王的一本戏。圣人一生的实事，都播在乐中，所以有德者听了，便知道他尽善尽美与尽美未尽善之处。后世作乐，只是做些词调，与民俗风化毫无关涉，怎么能化民善俗？如今要民俗返朴还淳，取如今的戏子，把妖淫的词调都去掉，只取忠臣孝子的故事，使愚俗百姓人人易晓，无意中激发他们的良知起来，才于风化有益；然后古乐才可渐次恢复。」
（德洪）说：「我（德洪）要求元声总求不到，恐怕古乐也难恢复。」
先生说：「你说元声到哪里去求？」
答：「古人制管候气，恐怕就是求元声的方法。」
先生说：「若要到葭灰黍粒中去求元声，就像水底捞月，怎么求得到？元声只在你心上求。」
问：「心上怎么求？」
答：「古人治理天下，先养得人心和平，然后作乐。比如在这里歌诗，你心气和平，听的人自然悦怿兴起，这便是元声之始。《尚书》说『诗言志』，志便是乐的本；『歌永言』，歌便是作乐的本；『声依永，律和声』，律只求和声，和声便是制律的本。何尝向外去求？」
问：「古人制候气之法，取的什么意？」
答：「古人怀中和之体来作乐，我的中和原与天地之气相应。候天地之气、协凤凰之音，不过是去验证我的气果然和没有，这是定律以后的事，不是必待此以成律。如今要候灰管，必须定到冬至，可是至日子时恐怕又不准，又到哪里取得准来？」
The Master said: 'The ancient music has long been lost; yet today's players are still near its sense.'
None understood; they asked.
'The nine movements of the Shao were Shun's one play; the nine changes of the Wu, King Wu's play. The sage's whole life of deeds was sown into the music — hence the virtuous, hearing, knew his perfect goodness and beauty, or beauty short of perfect goodness. Later music-making fashions tunes only, nothing to do with the people's ways — how could it transform and better them? To return the folk to simplicity and honesty, take today's players, cut the lewd and wild airs, keep only the tales of loyal ministers and filial sons, plain to the dullest hearer, stirring their innate knowledge unawares — that would serve the moral air; and then the ancient music might step by step return.'
I said: 'Seeking the primal tone, I can never find it — I fear the ancient music can hardly return.'
'Where would you seek the primal tone?'
'The ancients' pipes waiting on the breath — perhaps that was the way.'
'To seek the primal tone among reed ashes and millet grains is fishing the moon from the water's floor. The primal tone is to be sought only on your own heart.'
'How on the heart?'
'The ancients, to govern, first brought men's hearts to peace, then made music. As when we sing the poems here: your heart's breath at peace, the hearers rise gladdened of themselves — that is the beginning of the primal tone. The Documents says the poem speaks the will: will is music's root; song prolongs the words: song is music-making's root; sound follows the prolonging, the pitch-pipes harmonize the sound: the pipes seek only harmony, and harmony is the root of the pipes. When was it sought outside?'
'What did the ancients intend by waiting on the breath?'
'They made music from a body of centered harmony: my own harmony accords of itself with heaven-and-earth's breath. Waiting on the breath of heaven and earth, attuning the phoenix's note — only to test whether my breath was indeed in harmony: that is business after the pitches were fixed, not what fixed them. To wait on the ash-pipes you must fix the solstice; but at the solstice midnight even that may err — where then will you find the exact?'