Mencius 4A.27
Mencius (孟子), Book 4, Part I: Li Lou I 離婁上
孟子曰:「仁之實,事親是也;義之實,從兄是也。智之實,知斯二者弗去是也;禮之實,節文斯二者是也;樂之實,樂斯二者,樂則生矣;生則惡可已也,惡可已,則不知足之蹈之、手之舞之。」
Mencius said, 'The richest fruit of benevolence is this: the service of one's parents. The richest fruit of righteousness is this: the obeying one's elder brothers. The richest fruit of wisdom is this: the knowing those two things, and not departing from them. The richest fruit of propriety is this: the ordering and adorning those two things. The richest fruit of music is this: the rejoicing in those two things. When they are rejoiced in, they grow. Growing, how can they be repressed? When they come to this state that they cannot be repressed, then unconsciously the feet begin to dance and the hands to move.'
Character glossary
- 孟mèngfirst in a series; great, eminent
- 子zison, child; seed, egg; fruit; small thin
- 曰yuēto speak; to say
- 仁rénbenevolent, humane, kind
- 之zhīmarks preceding phrase as modifier of fo
- 實shíreal, true; honest, sincere
- 事shìaffair, matter, business; to serve; acci
- 親qīnrelatives, parents; intimate; the hazeln
- 是shìto be; indeed, right, yes; okay
- 也yěalso, too
- 義yìright conduct, propriety; justice
- 從cóngfrom, by, since, whence, through
- 兄xiōngelder brother
- 智zhìwisdom, knowledge, intelligence
- 知zhīto know, to perceive, to comprehend
- 斯sīthis, thus, such; emphatic particle; use
- 二èrtwo; twice
- 者zhěthat which; they who; those who
- 弗fúnot, negative
- 去qùto go away, to leave, to depart
- 禮lǐcourtesy, manners, social customs
- 節jiéfestival; knot, joint; segment; to econo
- 文wénculture, literature, writing
- 樂lècheerful, happy, laughing; music
- 則zérule, law, regulation; grades
- 生shēnglife, lifetime; birth; growth
- 矣yǐparticle of completed action
- 惡èbad, evil, wicked; to hate, to loathe; f
- 可kěmay, can, -able; possibly
- 已yǐalready; finished; to stop; then, afterw
- 不bùno, not, un-; negative prefix
- 足zúfoot; to attain, to satisfy; enough
- 蹈dǎoto dance, to stamp the feet
- 手shǒuhand
- 舞wǔto dance; to brandish
Passages with shared wording
- Zhuangzi The Secret of Life
- Zhuangzi Nourishment of the Soul
- Mencius 7B.24
- Zhuangzi Knowledge travels North
- Zhuangzi On Declining Power
- Zhuangzi Robber Chê
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.