Delight in the power of vision
Leads to excess in the pursuit
Of ornamental colours;
Delight in the power of hearing
Leads to excess in seeking
The pleasures of sound;
Delight in love tends to confusion
That virtue as proper to the nature;
Delight in justice sets the men
In opposition to what is right;
Delight in the practice of rites
Is helpful to artful formalities;
Delight in music and singing
Leads to voluptuous thinking;
Delight in spirit is useful
To ingenious contrivances;
Delight in knowledge
Contributes to fault-findings.
If it happens that all people
Were to rest in the instincts
Of their nature, to keep or
Extinguish the eight delights
Might be a matter of indifference;
But if they do not rest in instincts,
These eight delights begin to be
Imperfectly and unevenly run,
Poorly developed
And violently suppressed;--
The entire world
Would be thrown in disarray
Before much time has gone by.
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