Mencius 4A.3
Mencius (孟子), Book 4, Part I: Li Lou I 離婁上
孟子曰：「三代之得天下也以仁，其失天下也以不仁。國之所以廢興存亡者亦然。天子不仁，不保四海；諸侯不仁，不保社稷；卿大夫不仁，不保宗廟；士庶人不仁，不保四體。今惡死亡而樂不仁，是猶惡醉而強酒。」
Mencius said, 'It was by benevolence that the three dynasties gained the throne, and by not being benevolent that they lost it. It is by the same means that the decaying and flourishing, the preservation and perishing, of States are determined. If the sovereign be not benevolent, he cannot preserve the throne from passing from him. If the Head of a State be not benevolent, he cannot preserve his rule. If a high noble or great officer be not benevolent, he cannot preserve his ancestral temple. If a scholar or common man be not benevolent, be cannot preserve his four limbs. Now they hate death and ruin, and yet delight in being not benevolent - this is like hating to be drunk, and yet being strong to drink wine!'
Character glossary
- 孟mèngfirst in a series; great, eminent
- 子zison, child; seed, egg; fruit; small thin
- 曰yuēto speak; to say
- 三sānthree
- 代dàiera, generation; to substitute for, to r
- 之zhīmarks preceding phrase as modifier of fo
- 得déto obtain, to get, to acquire; suitable,
- 天tiānsky, heaven; god, celestial
- 下xiàbelow, underneath; inferior; to bring do
- 也yěalso, too
- 以yǐaccording to; so as to; because of; then
- 仁rénbenevolent, humane, kind
- 其qíhis, her, its, their; that
- 失shīto lose; to make a mistake, to neglect
- 不bùno, not, un-; negative prefix
- 國guócountry, nation, state; national
- 所suǒplace, location; "that which", a particl
- 廢fèito terminate; to discard; to abgrogate
- 興xìngto thrive, to prosper, to flourish
- 存cúnto exist; to survive, to maintain; to ke
- 亡wángdeath, destruction; to lose; to perish
- 者zhěthat which; they who; those who
- 亦yìalso, too; likewise
- 然ráncertainly; naturally; suddenly
- 保bǎoto safeguard, to protect, to defend, to
- 四sìfour
- 海hǎisea, ocean; maritime
- 諸zhūall, many, various; surname
- 侯hóumarquis, lord; target in archery
- 社shègroup, organization, society; a god of t
- 稷jìgod of cereals; minister of agriculture
- 卿qīngnoble; minister; thou (poetic)
- 大dàbig, great, vast, high, deep
- 夫fūman, husband; worker; those
- 宗zōngancestry, clan, family, lineage; religio
- 廟miàotemple, shrine; imperial court
- 士shìscholar, gentleman; soldier
- 庶shùnumerous, various; multitude
- 人rénman, person; people
- 體tǐbody; group, class; form, style, system
- 今jīnmodern, current; today, now
- 惡èbad, evil, wicked; to hate, to loathe; f
- 死sǐdead; death; impassable, inflexible
- 而érand, and then, and yet; but
- 樂lècheerful, happy, laughing; music
- 是shìto be; indeed, right, yes; okay
- 猶yóusimilar to, just like, as
- 醉zuìintoxicated, drunk; addicted
- 強qiángstrong, powerful, energetic
- 酒jiǔwine, spirits, liquor, alcohol
Passages with shared wording
- Mencius 2A.4
- Zhuangzi The Universe
- The Doctrine of the Mean Passage 18
- Mencius 4A.9
- Mencius 1A.7
- Mencius 6A.16
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.