隱君子

First attested in c. 91 B.C.E., in Shiji:

或曰儋即老子，或曰非也，世莫知其然否。老子，隱君子也。 [Traditional Chinese poetry, trad.]

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或曰儋即老子，或曰非也，世莫知其然否。老子，隐君子也。 [Traditional Chinese poetry, simp.]

From: The Records of the Grand Historian, by Sima Qian, c. 91 BCE

Huòyuē Dān jí Lǎozǐ, huòyuē fēi yě, shì mò zhī qí rán fǒu. Lǎozǐ, yǐnjūnzǐ yě. [Pinyin]

Some say that Taishi Dan is Laozi, while others disagree. In our age nobody can know whether it is right or not: [After all,] Laozi was a gentleman who had retired from the world.

隱君子

1. recluse; hermit (especially whose name is lost in history)

   • 時相與登覽，放意肆志焉。南望馬耳、常山，出沒隱見，若近若遠，庶幾有隱君子乎？ [Literary Chinese, trad.]
     时相与登览，放意肆志焉。南望马耳、常山，出没隐见，若近若远，庶几有隐君子乎？ [Literary Chinese, simp.]

     From: c. 1075, Su Shi,《超然臺記》, transl. Cyril Drummond Le Gros Clark

     Shí xiāngyǔ dēnglǎn, fàng yì sì zhì yān. Nánwàng Mǎ'ěr, Chángshān, chūmò yǐnxiàn, ruò jìn ruò yuǎn, shùjǐ yǒu yǐnjūnzǐ hū? [Pinyin]

     This I would often climb to gaze at the view and to relax my mind in restful meditation. Southwards, one could see the Ma Erh and Ch'ang Hills, now revealed, now hidden by the mists; now near, now seeming far away. Peradventure some hermit lived over there.

   • 圯上老人黃石公，大約為周秦時代的隱君子，飽覽兵書，參入玄妙，只因年已衰老，不及待時，所以傳授張良，俾為帝師。 [MSC, trad.]
     圯上老人黄石公，大约为周秦时代的隐君子，饱览兵书，参入玄妙，只因年已衰老，不及待时，所以传授张良，俾为帝师。 [MSC, simp.]

     From: 1925, Cai Dongfan,《秦漢演義》Volume IV

     Yíshànglǎorén Huángshígōng, dàyuē wéi Zhōu-Qín shídài de yǐnjūnzǐ, bǎolǎn bīngshū, cānrù xuánmiào, zhǐ yīn nián yǐ shuāilǎo, bùjí dàishí, suǒyǐ chuánshòu Zhāng Liáng, bǐ wéi dìshī. [Pinyin]

     The Old Man on the Bridge, also known as Huang Shigong, was probably a recluse during the transition from the Zhou to Qin dynasties. He studied military strategy extensively and delved into profound mysteries, but due to his advanced age, he was unable to apply his talents to realise his political ideals in his lifetime, which explains why he had passed on his knowledge to Zhang Liang, intending for him to become the emperor's teacher.

2. alternative form of 癮君子 / 瘾君子 (yǐnjūnzǐ, “addict”) (Should we delete⁽⁺⁾ this sense?)

• (recluse):