When a scholar’s talent and virtue encompasses the nation, he is dubbed the nation’s scholar; when a woman’s beauty encompasses the nation, she is dubbed the nation’s beauty; when an orchid’s fragrance encompasses the nation, it is dubbed the nation’s fragrance. Since time immemorial, people have known of the noble orchid, not needing to wait for Chu’s exile of a subject, then reinstatement as nobility.

The orchid does seem like a nobleman, living deep within the mountains in thin thickets, giving off fragrance regardless of whether anyone else is around; snow piles hard and seeks to weaken, yet cannot change its traits come the next year. Someone that, as it is alleged, “Will shun the world and not be sad for it, will not be lauded and yet not be sad for it.” Although orchids have a clean fragrance, it is typically not unique from mugwort. When a fresh breeze passes, that fragrance is amicable, and fills rooms, fills halls, publishing its withheld chapters all at once.

Yet the talents and virtues of single-stem and marsh orchids differ, while the world can hardly tell them apart. This one has wandered the world for days many, so I know of their clans as far as I can. Gentlemen are as single-stem orchids, scholar-officials are as marsh orchids; within the wilderness, there’s likely ten bunches for every stem. Encountering Sorrow states: “I have since nourished nine wan of single orchids, and planted a hundred mu of bunch orchids.” Thusly, this was not known only today; the Chu peoples long knew of both the lowly bunch orchids and the noble single-stem orchids.

Yet the talents and virtues of single-stem and marsh orchids differ, while the world can hardly tell them apart. This one has wandered the world for days many, so I know of their clans as far as I can. Gentlemen are as single-stem orchids, scholar-officials are as marsh orchids; within the wilderness, there’s likely ten bunches for every stem. Encountering Sorrow states: “I have since nourished nine wan of single orchids, and planted a hundred mu of bunch orchids.” Thusly, this was not known only today; the Chu peoples long knew of both the lowly bunch orchids and the noble single-stem orchids.

Single-stem and bunch orchids grow abundant; even in sand and stone, they bloom lush, even if irrigated with hot tea, they thrive, all in the same place. Once they bloom, one stalk with have one flower and be the plenty fragrant orchid, one stalk with five or seven flowers yet not enough of an aroma is the bunch orchid. Even though bunches are inferior to single-stem, bunch orchids are far and away superior to peppers. Orchids are believed to be the nation’s fragrance, yet those higher say that ‘If it’s at the door, it must be no more.’ For those hermits in mountain forests, this is why they leave, never to return!

Original Text
士之才德盖一国，则曰国士；女之色盖一国，则曰国色；兰之香盖一国，则曰国香。自古人知贵兰，不待楚之逐臣而后贵之也。兰甚似乎君子，生于深山薄丛之中，不为无人而不芳；雪霜凌厉而见杀，来岁不改其性也。是所谓“遁世无闷，不见是而无闷”者也。兰虽含香体洁，平居与萧艾不殊。清风过之，其香蔼然，在室满室，在堂满堂，所谓含章以时发者也。
然兰蕙之才德不同7，世罕能别之。予放浪江湖之日久，乃尽知其族。盖兰似君子，蕙似士大夫，大概山林中十蕙而一兰也。《离骚》曰：“予既滋兰之九畹，又树蕙之百亩。”是以知不独今，楚人贱蕙而贵兰久矣。兰蕙丛出，莳以砂石则茂，沃以汤茗则芳，是所同也。至其发花，一干一花而香有余者兰，一干五七花而香不足者蕙。蕙虽不若兰，其视椒榝远矣，世论以为国香矣。乃曰“当门不得不锄”11，山林之士，所以往而不返者耶！