Mencius 1A.6
Mencius (孟子), Book 1, Part I: Liang Hui Wang I 梁惠王上
孟子見梁襄王。出，語人曰：「望之不似人君，就之而不見所畏焉。卒然問曰：『天下惡乎定？』吾對曰：『定于一。』『孰能一之？』對曰：『不嗜殺人者能一之。』『孰能與之？』對曰：『天下莫不與也。王知夫苗乎？七八月之間旱，則苗槁矣。天油然作雲，沛然下雨，則苗浡然興之矣。其如是，孰能禦之？今夫天下之人牧，未有不嗜殺人者也，如有不嗜殺人者，則天下之民皆引領而望之矣。誠如是也，民歸之，由水之就下，沛然誰能禦之？』」
Mencius went to see the king Xiang of Liang. On coming out from the interview, he said to some persons, 'When I looked at him from a distance, he did not appear like a sovereign; when I drew near to him, I saw nothing venerable about him. Abruptly he asked me, "How can the kingdom be settled?" I replied, "It will be settled by being united under one sway."
'"Who can so unite it?" I replied, "He who has no pleasure in killing men can so unite it."'
'"Who can give it to him?" I replied, " All the people of the nation will unanimously give it to him. Does your Majesty understand the way of the growing grain? During the seventh and eighth months, when drought prevails, the plants become dry. Then the clouds collect densely in the heavens, they send down torrents of rain, and the grain erects itself, as if by a shoot. When it does so, who can keep it back? Now among the shepherds of men throughout the nation, there is not one who does not find pleasure in killing men. If there were one who did not find pleasure in killing men, all the people in the nation would look towards him with outstretched necks. Such being indeed the case, the people would flock to him, as water flows downwards with a rush, which no one can repress."'
Character glossary
- 孟mèngfirst in a series; great, eminent
- 子zison, child; seed, egg; fruit; small thin
- 見jiànto see, to observe, to meet, to appear
- 梁liángbridge; beam, rafter; surname
- 襄xiāngto aid, to help, to assist; to undress
- 王wángking, ruler; royal; surname
- 出chūto go out, to send out; stand; produce
- 語yǔwords, language; saying, expression
- 人rénman, person; people
- 曰yuēto speak; to say
- 望wàngto expect, to hope, to look forward to
- 之zhīmarks preceding phrase as modifier of fo
- 不bùno, not, un-; negative prefix
- 似shìresembling, similar to; as if, to seem
- 君jūnsovereign, ruler, prince, monarch, chief
- 就jiùjust, simply; to go to; to approach, nea
- 而érand, and then, and yet; but
- 所suǒplace, location; "that which", a particl
- 畏wèifear, dread, awe, reverence
- 焉yānwhy? where? how?; strange; thereupon, th
- 卒zúsoldier; servant; at last, finally
- 然ráncertainly; naturally; suddenly
- 問wènto ask about, to inquire after
- 天tiānsky, heaven; god, celestial
- 下xiàbelow, underneath; inferior; to bring do
- 惡èbad, evil, wicked; to hate, to loathe; f
- 乎hūinterrogative or exclamatory final parti
- 定dìngto decide, to fix, to settle; to order;
- 吾wúI, my, our; to resist, to impede
- 對duìcorrect, right; facing, opposed
- 于yúat, in, on; to, from; alas!
- 一yīone; a, an; alone
- 孰shúwho? which? what? which one?
- 能néngcan, may; capable, full of energy
- 嗜shìaddicted to, fond of, with a weakness fo
- 殺shāto kill, to murder, to slaughter; to hur
- 者zhěthat which; they who; those who
- 與yǔand; with; to; for; to give, to grant
- 莫mòcannot; do not; is not; negative
- 也yěalso, too
- 知zhīto know, to perceive, to comprehend
- 夫fūman, husband; worker; those
- 苗miáosprouts; Miao nationality
- 七qīseven
- 八bāeight; all around, all sides
- 月yuèmoon; month
- 間jiānbetween, among; midpoint; space, place,
- 旱hàndry; drought; desert
- 則zérule, law, regulation; grades
- 槁gǎoto wither; withered, rotten, dead
- 矣yǐparticle of completed action
- 油yóuoil, fat, grease, lard; oil paints
- 作zuòto make; to write, to compose; to act, t
- 雲yúncloud; to say, to speak
- 沛pèiabundant, copious, full
- 雨yǔrain
- 浡bóburst forth; rise; vigorous
- 興xìngto thrive, to prosper, to flourish
- 其qíhis, her, its, their; that
- 如rúas, as if, like, such as, supposing
Passages with shared wording
- Mencius 1A.7
- Zhuangzi Knowledge travels North
- Zhuangzi Hsü Wu Kuei
- Zhuangzi The Circling Sky
- Zhuangzi The Universe
- Zhuangzi Autumn Floods
Data: English Wikisource (Public domain texts; transcription CC BY-SA 4.0); Chinese Wikisource (Public domain texts; transcription CC BY-SA 4.0). Retrieved 2026-10-22.