Mencius 1B.11
Mencius (孟子), Book 1, Part II: Liang Hui Wang II 梁惠王下
齊人伐燕，取之。諸侯將謀救燕。宣王曰：「諸侯多謀伐寡人者，何以待之？」孟子對曰：「臣聞七十里為政於天下者，湯是也。未聞以千里畏人者也。《書》曰：『湯一征，自葛始。』天下信之。『東面而征，西夷怨；南面而征，北狄怨。曰，奚為後我？』民望之，若大旱之望雲霓也。歸市者不止，耕者不變。誅其君而弔其民，若時雨降，民大悅。《書》曰：『徯我后，后來其蘇。』「今燕虐其民，王往而征之。民以為將拯己於水火之中也，簞食壺漿，以迎王師。若殺其父兄，係累其子弟，毀其宗廟，遷其重器，如之何其可也？天下固畏齊之彊也。今又倍地而不行仁政，是動天下之兵也。王速出令，反其旄倪，止其重器，謀於燕眾，置君而後去之，則猶可及止也。」
The people of Qi, having smitten Yan, took possession of it, and upon this, the princes of the various States deliberated together, and resolved to deliver Yan from their power. The king Xuan said to Mencius, 'The princes have formed many plans to attack me - how shall I prepare myself for them?'
Mencius replied, 'I have heard of one who with seventy li exercised all the functions of government throughout the kingdom. That was Tang. I have never heard of a prince with a thousand li standing in fear of others. It is said in the Book of History, As soon as Tang began his work of executing justice, he commenced with Ge. The whole kingdom had confidence in him. When he pursued his work in the east, the rude tribes on the west murmured. So did those on the north, when he was engaged in the south. Their cry was "Why does he put us last?" Thus, the people looked to him, as we look in a time of great drought to the clouds and rainbows. The frequenters of the markets stopped not. The husbandmen made no change in their operations. While he punished their rulers, he consoled the people. His progress was like the falling of opportune rain, and the people were delighted. It is said again in the Book of History, "We have waited for our prince long; the prince's coming will be our reviving!"
'Now the ruler of Yan was tyrannizing over his people, and your Majesty went and punished him. The people supposed that you were going to deliver them out of the water and the fire, and brought baskets of rice and vessels of congee, to meet your Majesty's host. But you have slain their fathers and elder brothers, and put their sons and younger brothers in confinement. You have pulled down the ancestral temple of the State, and are removing to Qi its precious vessels. How can such a course be deemed proper? The rest of the kingdom is indeed jealously afraid of the strength of Qi; and now, when with a doubled territory you do not put in practice a benevolent government - it is this which sets the arms of the kingdom in in motion. If your Majesty will make haste to issue an ordinance, restoring your captives, old and young, stopping the removal of the precious vessels, and saying that, after consulting with the people of Yen, you will appoint them a ruler, and withdraw from the country - in this way you may still be able to stop the threatened attack.'
Character glossary
- 齊qíeven, uniform, of equal length
- 人rénman, person; people
- 伐fácut down, subjugate, attack
- 燕yànlovebird, swallow
- 取qǔto take, to receive, to obtain; to selec
- 之zhīmarks preceding phrase as modifier of fo
- 諸zhūall, many, various; surname
- 侯hóumarquis, lord; target in archery
- 將jiāngthe future, what will be; ready, prepare
- 謀móuto plan, to scheme; strategem
- 救jiùaid, help; to rescue, to save
- 宣xuānto proclaim, to declare, to announce; su
- 王wángking, ruler; royal; surname
- 曰yuēto speak; to say
- 多duōmuch, many, multi-; more than, over
- 寡guǎwidowed; friendless, alone
- 者zhěthat which; they who; those who
- 何héwhat, why, where, which, how
- 以yǐaccording to; so as to; because of; then
- 待dàito entertain, to receive, to treat; to d
- 孟mèngfirst in a series; great, eminent
- 子zison, child; seed, egg; fruit; small thin
- 對duìcorrect, right; facing, opposed
- 臣chénminister, statesman, official, vassal
- 聞wénnews; to hear, to smell; to make known
- 七qīseven
- 十shíten, tenth; complete; perfect
- 里lǐunit of distance equal to 0.5km; village
- 為wèito do, to act; to handle, to govern; to
- 政zhènggovernment, politics
- 於yúat, in, on; to, from; alas!
- 天tiānsky, heaven; god, celestial
- 下xiàbelow, underneath; inferior; to bring do
- 湯tāngsoup, gravy, broth; hot water
- 是shìto be; indeed, right, yes; okay
- 也yěalso, too
- 未wèinot yet; 8th terrestrial branch
- 千qiānthousand; many, numerous; very
- 畏wèifear, dread, awe, reverence
- 書shūbook, letter, document; writing
- 一yīone; a, an; alone
- 征zhēngto summon, to recruit; levy, tax; journe
- 自zìself; private, personal; from
- 葛géan edible bean; vine; surname
- 始shǐto begin, to start; beginning
- 信xìnto trust, to believe; letter, sign
- 東dōngeast, eastern, eastward
- 面miànface; surface, side; plane, dimension
- 而érand, and then, and yet; but
- 西xīwest, western, westward
- 夷yíancient barbarian tribes
- 怨yuànto blame, to complain, to hate; enmity,
- 南nánsouth; southern; southward
- 北běinorth; northern; northward
- 狄díbarbarians; a tribe from northern China;
- 奚xīwhere, what, why, how
- 後hòuafter; behind, rear; descendants
- 我wǒI, me, my; our, us
- 民míncitizens, subjects; a nation's people
- 望wàngto expect, to hope, to look forward to
Passages with shared wording
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.