Against the Banishment of Guests (Foreign Talents)

(It isn’t a word for word translation, too troublesome)

Your Dear Minister heard of your decision to banish Foreign Talents. Just to remind you, your ancestor Duke Mu had an edict welcoming foreign talents from all over the states. Take for eg, Mr Bai Li Xi from the East, Mr You Yu (sounds like cuttle fish in Chinese) from the West. He had five distinguished Foreign Talents serving under him. Using them Duke Mu conquered twenty states and reigned as the Hegemon of the West! Another Ancestor Duke Xiao used Foreign Talent Mr Shang Yang’s laws to change the customs and laws of the land giving rise to the Powerful Qin State that we have today. We defeated the armies of Chu and Wei, conquering land of thousand miles. Yet another ancestor King Hui uses Foreign Talent Zhang Yi scheme to defeat the armies of the six existing states and conquered huge chunks of their land. Your Grandpa King Zhao had Foreign Talent Fan Zhou as Prime Minister to accomplish his dreams towards becoming an Emperor. Your four ancestors were all using Foreign Talents to help the State of Qin achieved far greater heights. Now you are kicking out the Foreign Talents that had been loyal to Qin. Such a move will weaken Qin and strengthen the powers of the six states.

谏逐客书

臣闻吏议逐客，窃以为过矣。昔穆公求士，西取由余于戎，东得百里奚于宛，迎蹇叔于宋，求邳豹、公孙支于晋。此五子者，不产于秦， 而穆公用之，并国二十，遂霸西戎。孝公用商鞅之法，移风易俗，民以殷盛，国以富强，百姓乐用，诸侯亲服，获楚、魏之师，举地千里，至今治强。惠王用张仪之计，拔三川之地，西并巴、蜀，北收上郡，南取汉中，包九夷，制鄢、郢， 东据成皋之险，割膏腴之壤，遂散六国之众，使之西面事秦，功施到今。昭王得范雎，废穰侯，逐华阳，强公室，杜私门，蚕食诸侯，使秦成帝业。此四君者，皆以客之功。由此观之，客何负于秦哉！向使四君却客而不内，疏士而不用，是使国无富利之实而秦无强大之名也。