大约才、胆、识、力，四者交相为济，苟一有所歉，则不可登作者之坛。四者无缓急，而要在先之以识，使无识，则三者俱无所托。无识而有胆，则为妄，为卤莽，为无知，其言背理叛道，蔑如也。无识而有才，虽议论纵横，思致挥霍，而是非淆乱，黑白颠倒，才反为累矣。无识而有力，则坚僻妄诞之辞，足以误人而惑世，为害甚烈。若在骚坛，均为风雅之罪人。惟有识则能知所从，知所奋，知所决，而后才与胆力，皆确然有以自信，举世非之，举世誉之，而不为其所摇，安有随人之是非以为是非者哉？其胸中之愉快自足，宁独在诗文一道已也？

                                                                       ——叶燮（1627-1703）《原诗》

In short, talent, judgment, courage, and force support one another: if one is lacking, a person cannot achieve the status of a major writer. None of the four is more urgent than any of the others, but it is essential to begin with judgment. If a person lacks (the capacity for) judgment, then none of the other three will have anything to rely on. Courage without judgment leads to error, rashness, and ignorance: such words turn their back on principle, rebel against the Way, and are worthless. Talent without the power of judgment may yield a deftness and skill in dispute and quickness of thought, but values will be all mixed up, black and white inverted, and one’s talent will catch a person up in problems. Force , without the power of judgment leads to writing that is opinionate and misleading——writing that can mislead people and deceive that people of the age-——the harm it can do is extensive. These are all equally criminals in the world of poetry.

Only the man who possesses the capacity for judgment will know which course to follow, where to exert energy, what must be dicided: thereafter talent, courage, and force all have something on which they can depend with confidence. Whether criticized or praised by the entire world, such a person is not swayed from his course; neither do his judgments depend on the judgment of others. The joy and satisfaction that come from this do not apply only to the Way of poetry and prose.

             (English Translation by Stephen Owen)