Mencius 4B.18
Mencius (孟子), Book 4, Part II: Li Lou II 離婁下
徐子曰：「仲尼亟稱於水，曰：『水哉，水哉！』何取於水也？」孟子曰：「原泉混混，不舍晝夜。盈科而後進，放乎四海，有本者如是，是之取爾。苟為無本，七八月之閒雨集，溝澮皆盈；其涸也，可立而待也。故聲聞過情，君子恥之。」
The disciple Xu said, 'Zhong Ni often praised water, saying, "0 water! 0 water!" What did he find in water to praise?'
Mencius replied, 'There is a spring of water; how it gushes out! It rests not day nor night. It fills up every hole, and then advances, flowing onto the four seas. Such is water having a spring! It was this which he found in it to praise. But suppose that the water has no spring. In the seventh and eighth when the rain falls abundantly, the channels in the fields are all filled, but their being dried up again may be expected in a short time. So a superior man is ashamed of a reputation beyond his merits.'
Character glossary
- 徐xúslowly, quietly, calmly; dignified, comp
- 子zison, child; seed, egg; fruit; small thin
- 曰yuēto speak; to say
- 仲zhòngmiddle brother; go between, mediator; su
- 尼níBuddhist nun; used in transliterations
- 亟jíurgently, immediately, extremely
- 稱chēngbalanced; name, brand; to say, to call
- 於yúat, in, on; to, from; alas!
- 水shuǐwater, liquid, lotion, juice
- 哉zāifinal exclamatory particle
- 何héwhat, why, where, which, how
- 取qǔto take, to receive, to obtain; to selec
- 也yěalso, too
- 孟mèngfirst in a series; great, eminent
- 原yuánsource, origin, beginning
- 泉quánspring, fountain; wealth, money
- 混hùnmuddy, confused; to mix, to blend; to mi
- 不bùno, not, un-; negative prefix
- 舍shěhouse, dwelling; to reside, to dwell; to
- 晝zhòudaytime, daylight
- 夜yènight, dark; under cover of night
- 盈yíngfull, overflowing; surplus; to fill
- 科kēsection, department; field, branch; scie
- 而érand, and then, and yet; but
- 後hòuafter; behind, rear; descendants
- 進jìnto advance, to make progress; to come in
- 放fàngto release, to liberate, to free
- 乎hūinterrogative or exclamatory final parti
- 四sìfour
- 海hǎisea, ocean; maritime
- 有yǒuto have, to own, to possess; to exist
- 本běnroot, origin, source; basis
- 者zhěthat which; they who; those who
- 如rúas, as if, like, such as, supposing
- 是shìto be; indeed, right, yes; okay
- 之zhīmarks preceding phrase as modifier of fo
- 爾ěryou; that, those; final particle
- 苟gǒucareless, frivolous, illicit; but, if on
- 為wèito do, to act; to handle, to govern; to
- 無wúno, not; lacking, -less
- 七qīseven
- 八bāeight; all around, all sides
- 月yuèmoon; month
- 閒xiánleisure, idle time; tranquil, peaceful,
- 雨yǔrain
- 集jíto gather, to collect; set, collection
- 溝gōuditch, drain, gutter, narrow waterway
- 澮huìirrigation ditch, trench; river
- 皆jiēall, every, everybody
- 其qíhis, her, its, their; that
- 涸hétired, exhausted; dried up
- 可kěmay, can, -able; possibly
- 立lìto stand; to establish, to set up
- 待dàito entertain, to receive, to treat; to d
- 故gùreason, cause; happening, instance
- 聲shēngsound, noise; voice, tone, music
- 聞wénnews; to hear, to smell; to make known
- 過guòpass; to go across, to pass through
- 情qíngemotion, feeling, sentiment
- 君jūnsovereign, ruler, prince, monarch, chief
Passages with shared wording
- Mencius 1A.6
- Mencius 3A.5
- Analects 9.16
- Zhuangzi Tien Tzŭ Fang
- Zhuangzi The Identity of Contraries
- Mencius 6A.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.