"I understand," answered the disciple: ‘We must cut, we must file,‘Must chisel and must grind.’That is what you mean, is it not?""My friend," replied Confucius, "now I can begin to speak of poetry to you. I see you understand how to apply the moral."

Tzu-kung said, "The Odes say,Like bone cut, like horn polished,Like jade carved, like stone ground.Is not what you have said a case in point?"The Master said, "Ssu, only with a man like you can one discuss the Odes. Tell such a man something and he can see its relevance to what he has not been told."

Zigong said, "The saying of the Songs,As thing cut, as thing filed,As thing chiselled, as thing polishedrefers, I suppose, to what you have just said?" The Master said, "Ci, now I can really begin to talk to you about the Songs, for when I allude to sayings of the past, you see what bearing they have on what was to come after."

Zigong said: "The Book of Songs states: ‘Like bone carved and polished, Like jade cut and ground.’ Is this not what you have in mind?" The Master said: "Zigong, it is only with the likes of you then that I can discuss the Songs! On the basis of what has been said, you know what is yet to come."

Chee-koong says, the See has it written, “First cut, then smoothe; carve, then polish.” This is rightly said. Chee says, Chhee is now able to quote the See. Tell him the past, and he knows what is to come.