Mencius 1B.14
Mencius (孟子), Book 1, Part II: Liang Hui Wang II 梁惠王下
滕文公問曰：「齊人將築薛，吾甚恐。如之何則可？」孟子對曰：「昔者大王居邠，狄人侵之，去之岐山之下居焉。非擇而取之，不得已也。苟為善，後世子孫必有王者矣。君子創業垂統，為可繼也。若夫成功，則天也。君如彼何哉？彊為善而已矣。」
The duke Wen of Teng asked Mencius, saying, 'The people of Qi are going to fortify Xue. The movement occasions me great alarm. What is the proper course for me to take in the case?'
Mencius replied, 'Formerly, when king Tai dwelt in Bin, the barbarians of the north were continually making incursions upon it. He therefore left it, went to the foot of mount Qi, and there took up his residence. He did not take that situation, as having selected it. It was a matter of necessity with him. If you do good, among your descendants, in after generations, there shall be one who will attain to the royal dignity. A prince lays the foundation of the inheritance, and hands down the beginning which he has made, doing what may be continued by his successors. As to the accomplishment of the great result, that is with Heaven. What is that Qi to you, 0 prince? Be strong to do good. That is all your business.'
Character glossary
- 滕téngan ancient state in Shandong province
- 文wénculture, literature, writing
- 公gōngfair, equitable; public; duke
- 問wènto ask about, to inquire after
- 曰yuēto speak; to say
- 齊qíeven, uniform, of equal length
- 人rénman, person; people
- 將jiāngthe future, what will be; ready, prepare
- 築zhùbuilding; a five-string lute
- 薛xuēwormwood, marsh grass; a feudal state
- 吾wúI, my, our; to resist, to impede
- 甚shénconsiderably; very, extremely; a great e
- 恐kǒngfearful, apprehensive; to fear, to dread
- 如rúas, as if, like, such as, supposing
- 之zhīmarks preceding phrase as modifier of fo
- 何héwhat, why, where, which, how
- 則zérule, law, regulation; grades
- 可kěmay, can, -able; possibly
- 孟mèngfirst in a series; great, eminent
- 子zison, child; seed, egg; fruit; small thin
- 對duìcorrect, right; facing, opposed
- 昔xīpast, former; ancient
- 者zhěthat which; they who; those who
- 大dàbig, great, vast, high, deep
- 王wángking, ruler; royal; surname
- 居jūto live, to reside; to dwell; to sit
- 邠bīna county in Shaanxi province
- 狄díbarbarians; a tribe from northern China;
- 侵qīnto invade, to encroach upon, to raid
- 去qùto go away, to leave, to depart
- 岐qíto diverge, to branch; the name of a mou
- 山shānmountain, hill, peak
- 下xiàbelow, underneath; inferior; to bring do
- 焉yānwhy? where? how?; strange; thereupon, th
- 非fēinot, negative, non-; to oppose
- 擇zéto select, to choose
- 而érand, and then, and yet; but
- 取qǔto take, to receive, to obtain; to selec
- 不bùno, not, un-; negative prefix
- 得déto obtain, to get, to acquire; suitable,
- 已yǐalready; finished; to stop; then, afterw
- 也yěalso, too
- 苟gǒucareless, frivolous, illicit; but, if on
- 為wèito do, to act; to handle, to govern; to
- 善shàngood, virtuous, charitable, kind
- 後hòuafter; behind, rear; descendants
- 世shìgeneration, era, age; world
- 孫sūngrandchild, descendent; surname
- 必bìsurely, certainly; must; will
- 有yǒuto have, to own, to possess; to exist
- 矣yǐparticle of completed action
- 君jūnsovereign, ruler, prince, monarch, chief
- 創chuàngto establish, to create; cut, wound, tra
- 業yèbusiness, profession; to study, to work
- 垂chuíto hang, to dangle; to hand down, to beq
- 統tǒngto govern, to command; to gather, to uni
- 繼jìto continue, to carry on; to succeed, to
- 若ruòif, supposing, assuming; similar
- 夫fūman, husband; worker; those
- 成chéngto accomplish; to become; to complete, t
Passages with shared wording
- Mencius 1B.15
- Zhuangzi On Declining Power
- Mencius 3A.3
- Mencius 2A.1
- Zhuangzi Knowledge travels North
- Mencius 3A.2
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.