臣密言：臣以險釁，夙遭閔兇。生孩六月，慈父見背；行年四歲，舅奪母志。祖母劉憫臣孤弱，躬親撫養。臣少多疾病，九歲不行，零丁孤苦，至于成立。既無伯叔，終鮮兄弟，門衰祚薄，晚有兒息。外無期功強近之親，內無應門五尺之僮，煢煢孑立，形影相吊。而劉夙嬰疾病，常在床蓐，臣侍湯藥，未曾廢離。

Your subject Li Mi observed that due to my star-crossed fate, I encountered misfortunes when I was young. Six months after I was born, my father passed away, and when I was four years old, my uncle forced my mother to marry someone else. My grandmother Liu pitied me for having to live alone so young and untended that she decided to raise me up by herself. I was prone to sickness when I was a young boy, and I could not walk even when I was nine. I had led an extremely lonely life until I grew up, having no recourse to uncles, siblings, lineages, or fortune. Until late, I finally had a son myself. However, I had no close next-of-kin externally or any housekeepers or servants internally to take care of my daily life. I was so helpless that the shadow of my body had been my only company. My grandmother, Liu, was bedridden, and she relied on me feeding her food and the herb madicine every day.

逮奉圣朝，沐浴清化。前太守臣逵察臣孝廉；后刺史臣榮舉臣秀才。臣以供養無主，辭不赴命。詔書特下，拜臣郎中，尋蒙國恩，除臣洗馬。猥以微賤，當侍東宮，非臣隕首所能上報。臣具以表聞，辭不就職。詔書切峻，責臣逋慢；郡縣逼迫，催臣上道；州司臨門，急于星火。臣欲奉詔奔馳，則劉病日篤，欲茍順私情，則告訴不許。臣之進退，實為狼狽。

Until Your Majesty founded this noble dynasty, your subjects, including me, had experienced a society of political clarity. Formerly, the magistrate, Kui, checked and recommanded me as a Xiaolian; later, the governor, Rong, also recommanded me as a Xiucai. However, no one else could take over my filial duty towards my grandmother, so I declined the offers. Now I received the imperial edict to assign me as an assistant minister, also one of the retinue of His Royal Highness. That is the greatest honor to a humble person like me, and I would give away all I have to repay it, including my life. Then I reiterated my difficulties, saying that I could not do the task, but the harsh edicts kept coming, reprimanding me for shirking the royal order intentionally. The officials from the county and the province kept pushing me on my way at once. They even called me in person, asking me to move on as quickly as I could. I would be more than happy to accept the edict, but the illness of my grandmother exacerbated it day by day. I implored them to empathize with my difficulties, but the answer was still no. Now I am in a quandary—should I go or should I not?—that has put me in an extremely embarrassing situation.

伏惟圣朝以孝治天下，凡在故老，猶蒙矜育，況臣孤苦，特為尤甚。且臣少仕偽朝，歷職郎署，本圖宦達，不矜名節。今臣亡國賤俘，至微至陋，過蒙拔擢，寵命優渥，豈敢盤桓，有所希冀！但以劉日薄西山，氣息奄奄，人命危淺，朝不慮夕。臣無祖母，無以至今日，祖母無臣，無以終余年。母孫二人，更相為命，是以區區不能廢遠。

 I reckon that Your Majesty is ruling the country with the notion of filial duties. All senior officers of virtue would be well taken care of, let alone a much more pathetic person like me. When I was younger, I served the puppet regime, Shu, as an assistant minister. Hence, I am a person who is pursuing a political career, not a person who cherishes good fame. Now I am virtually a captive, humble, and wretched; instead, I am excessively honored and elevated to positions that I do not deserve. How should I hesitate about taking the offer and think otherwise? However, the life of my grandmother, like the setting sun, is approaching its end. She is on her deathbed right now, and no one can guarantee that she will see the morning sun tomorrow. I would not have today if my grandmother had not given me so many yesterdays, whereas she could not reach her last day peacefully without me. So we are inseparable from each other. and that is why I cannot stop taking care of her and leave her alone.       

臣密今年四十有四，祖母今年九十有六，是臣盡節于陛下之日長，報養劉之日短也。烏鳥私情，愿乞終養。臣之辛苦，非獨蜀之人士及二州牧伯所見明知，皇天后土，實所共鑒。愿陛下矜憫愚誠，聽臣微志，庶劉僥幸，保卒余年。臣生當隕首，死當結草。臣不勝犬馬怖懼之情，謹拜表以聞。

Your subject Li Mi is forty-four years old, while my grandmother is ninety-six. Therefore, I have plenty of time to pay my allegiance and serve Your Majesty, but I do not have much time any more to repay my grandmother for her immense love for me. Now I embrace the thought like the yearling crows feeding their mother to beseech Your Majesty to grant me the privilege of accompanying my grandmother to her last day. Not only the people of Shu and the officials of Yi and Liang could understand my difficulties and pains, but also the Heavenly God could. I hereby hope Your Majesty can empathize with my sincerity and thus grant my humble wish so as to let my grandmother fortunately complete her last days in this world. I hereby take a solemn oath that I will return this great favor to Your Majesty throughout the rest of my life, even posthumously. Now your humble servant, Li Mi, is in an extremely frightened mood and is submitting his report to Your Majesty pending your sagacious decision.