Mencius 2B.11
Mencius (孟子), Book 2, Part II: Gong Sun Chou II 公孫丑下
孟子去齊，宿於晝。有欲為王留行者，坐而言。不應，隱几而臥。客不悅曰：「弟子齊宿而後敢言，夫子臥而不聽，請勿復敢見矣。」曰：「坐！我明語子。昔者魯繆公無人乎子思之側，則不能安子思；泄柳、申詳，無人乎繆公之側，則不能安其身。子為長者慮，而不及子思，子絕長者乎？長者絕子乎？」
Mencius, having taken his leave of Qi, was passing the night in Zhou.
A person who wished to detain him on behalf of the king, came and sat down, and began to speak to him. Mencius gave him no answer, but leant upon his stool and slept. The visitor was displeased, and said, 'I passed the night in careful vigil, before I would venture to speak to you, and you, Master, sleep and do not listen to me. Allow me to request that I may not again presume to see you.'
Mencius replied, 'Sit down, and I will explain the case clearly to you. Formerly, if the duke Mou had not kept a person by the side of Zi Si, he could not have induced Zi Si to remain with him. If Xie Liu and Shen Xiang had not had a remembrancer by the side of the duke Mou, he would not have been able to make them feel at home and remain with him. You anxiously form plans with reference to me, but you do not treat me as Zi Si was treated. Is it you, Sir, who cut me? Or is it I who cut you?
Character glossary
- 孟mèngfirst in a series; great, eminent
- 子zison, child; seed, egg; fruit; small thin
- 去qùto go away, to leave, to depart
- 齊qíeven, uniform, of equal length
- 宿sùto stop, to rest, to lodge; constellatio
- 於yúat, in, on; to, from; alas!
- 晝zhòudaytime, daylight
- 有yǒuto have, to own, to possess; to exist
- 欲yùdesire, want, longing, intent
- 為wèito do, to act; to handle, to govern; to
- 王wángking, ruler; royal; surname
- 留liúto stay, to remain; to preserve, to keep
- 行xíngto go, to walk, to move; professional
- 者zhěthat which; they who; those who
- 坐zuòseat; to sit; to ride, to travel by
- 而érand, and then, and yet; but
- 言yánwords, speech; to speak, to say
- 不bùno, not, un-; negative prefix
- 應yīngshould, must; to respond, to handle; to
- 隱yǐnto hide, to conceal; secret, hidden
- 几jǐsmall table; how many; a few, some
- 臥wòto crouch, to lie down
- 客kèguest, traveller; customer
- 悅yuècontented, gratified, pleased
- 曰yuēto speak; to say
- 弟dìyoung brother, junior
- 後hòuafter; behind, rear; descendants
- 敢gǎnbold, brave; to dare, to venture
- 夫fūman, husband; worker; those
- 聽tīngto hear, to listen; to understand; to ob
- 請qǐngto ask, to request; to invite; please
- 勿wùmust not, do not; without, never
- 復fùagain, repeatedly; copy, duplicate; to r
- 見jiànto see, to observe, to meet, to appear
- 矣yǐparticle of completed action
- 我wǒI, me, my; our, us
- 明míngbright, clear; to explain, to understand
- 語yǔwords, language; saying, expression
- 昔xīpast, former; ancient
- 魯lǔfoolish, stupid, rash; vulgar
- 繆móuto prepare; error, mistake; attached
- 公gōngfair, equitable; public; duke
- 無wúno, not; lacking, -less
- 人rénman, person; people
- 乎hūinterrogative or exclamatory final parti
- 思sīto think, to ponder, to consider; final
- 之zhīmarks preceding phrase as modifier of fo
- 側cèside; to slant, to lean, to incline
- 則zérule, law, regulation; grades
- 能néngcan, may; capable, full of energy
- 安ānpeaceful, tranquil, quiet
- 泄xièdrip, leak, vent; to disperse; to reduce
- 柳liǔwillow tree; pleasure; surname
- 申shēnto report; to extend; to explain; to dec
- 詳xiángcomplete, detailed, thorough
- 其qíhis, her, its, their; that
- 身shēnbody, torso; person; pregnancy
- 長zhǎnglong, lasting; to excel in
- 慮lǜanxious, concerned, worried
- 及jíto extend; to reach; and; in time
Passages with shared wording
- Zhuangzi Hsü Wu Kuei
- Mencius 5B.7
- Mencius 6B.6
- Zhuangzi The Circling Sky
- Zhuangzi The Identity of Contraries
- 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.