Mencius 4B.22
Mencius (孟子), Book 4, Part II: Li Lou II 離婁下
孟子曰：「君子之澤五世而斬，小人之澤五世而斬。予未得為孔子徒也，予私淑諸人也。」
Mencius said, 'The influence of a sovereign sage terminates in the fifth generation. The influence of a mere sage does the same. Although I could not be a disciple of Confucius himself, I have endeavoured to cultivate my virtue by means of others who were.'
James Legge (1861), The Works of Mencius, The Chinese Classics vol. 2 (1861; 2nd ed. 1895); romanization modernized on Wikisource — public domain.
Character glossary
- 孟mèngfirst in a series; great, eminent
- 子zison, child; seed, egg; fruit; small thin
- 曰yuēto speak; to say
- 君jūnsovereign, ruler, prince, monarch, chief
- 之zhīmarks preceding phrase as modifier of fo
- 澤zémarsh, swamp; brilliance, grace
- 五wǔfive; surname
- 世shìgeneration, era, age; world
- 而érand, and then, and yet; but
- 斬zhǎnto chop, to cut, to sever; to behead
- 小xiǎosmall, tiny, insignificant
- 人rénman, person; people
- 予yǔto give; to award
- 未wèinot yet; 8th terrestrial branch
- 得déto obtain, to get, to acquire; suitable,
- 為wèito do, to act; to handle, to govern; to
- 孔kǒngopening, hole, orifice; great
- 徒túdisciple, follower; only, merely; in vai
- 也yěalso, too
- 私sīpersonal, private, secret; selfish
- 淑shūgood, pure, virtuous; charming
- 諸zhūall, many, various; surname
Passages with shared wording
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.