Analects 12.9
The Analects (論語), BOOK XII. YEN YUAN 顏淵第十二
哀公問於有若曰年饑、用不足、如之何。有若對曰、盍徹乎。曰、二、吾猶不足、如之何其徹也。對曰、百姓足、君孰與不足、百姓不足、君孰與足。
1. The Duke Ai inquired of Yu Zo, saying, "The year is one of scarcity, and the returns for expenditure are not sufficient;—what is to be done?"
2. Yu Zo replied to him, "Why not simply tithe the people?"
3. "With two tenths, said the duke, "I find it not enough;—how could I do with that system of one tenth?"
4. Yu Zo answered, "If the people have plenty, their prince will not be left to want alone. If the people are in want, their prince cannot enjoy plenty alone."
James Legge (1861), Confucian Analects, The Chinese Classics vol. 1 (1861; 2nd ed. 1893) — public domain.
Character glossary
- 哀āisad, mournful, pitiful; to pity; to grie
- 公gōngfair, equitable; public; duke
- 問wènto ask about, to inquire after
- 於yúat, in, on; to, from; alas!
- 有yǒuto have, to own, to possess; to exist
- 若ruòif, supposing, assuming; similar
- 曰yuēto speak; to say
- 年niányear; anniversary; a person's age
- 饑jīfamine; to starve, to go hungry
- 用yòngto use, to employ, to apply; use
- 不bùno, not, un-; negative prefix
- 足zúfoot; to attain, to satisfy; enough
- 如rúas, as if, like, such as, supposing
- 之zhīmarks preceding phrase as modifier of fo
- 何héwhat, why, where, which, how
- 對duìcorrect, right; facing, opposed
- 盍héwhat? why not?
- 徹chèpenetrating, pervasive; to penetrate, to
- 乎hūinterrogative or exclamatory final parti
- 二èrtwo; twice
- 吾wúI, my, our; to resist, to impede
- 猶yóusimilar to, just like, as
- 其qíhis, her, its, their; that
- 也yěalso, too
- 百bǎione hundred; numerous, many
- 姓xìngname, family name, surname; clan, people
- 君jūnsovereign, ruler, prince, monarch, chief
- 孰shúwho? which? what? which one?
- 與yǔand; with; to; for; to give, to grant
Passages with shared wording
Data: English Wikisource (Public domain texts; transcription CC BY-SA 4.0). Retrieved 2026-10-22.