Mencius 4B.27
Mencius (孟子), Book 4, Part II: Li Lou II 離婁下
公行子有子之喪，右師往弔，入門，有進而與右師言者，有就右師之位而與右師言者。孟子不與右師言，右師不悅曰：「諸君子皆與驩言，孟子獨不與驩言，是簡驩也。」孟子聞之，曰：「禮，朝廷不歷位而相與言，不踰階而相揖也。我欲行禮，子敖以我為簡，不亦異乎？」
The officer Gong Hang having on hand the funeral of one of his sons, the Master of the Right went to condole with him. When this noble entered the door, some called him to them and spoke with him, and some went to his place and spoke with him. Mencius did not speak with him, so that he was displeased, and said, 'All the gentlemen have spoken with me. There is only Mencius who does not speak to me, thereby slighting me.'
Mencius having heard of this remark, said, 'According to the prescribed rules, in the court, individuals may not change their places to speak with one another, nor may they pass from their ranks to bow to one another. I was wishing to observe this rule, and Zi Ao understands it that I was slighting him - is not this strange?'
Character glossary
- 公gōngfair, equitable; public; duke
- 行xíngto go, to walk, to move; professional
- 子zison, child; seed, egg; fruit; small thin
- 有yǒuto have, to own, to possess; to exist
- 之zhīmarks preceding phrase as modifier of fo
- 喪sàngmourning; mourn; funeral
- 右yòuright; right-wing
- 師shīteacher, professional, master
- 往wǎngto go, to depart; past, former
- 弔diàoto suspend, to hang; to pity, to condole
- 入rùto enter, to come in; to join
- 門méngate, door, entrance, opening
- 進jìnto advance, to make progress; to come in
- 而érand, and then, and yet; but
- 與yǔand; with; to; for; to give, to grant
- 言yánwords, speech; to speak, to say
- 者zhěthat which; they who; those who
- 就jiùjust, simply; to go to; to approach, nea
- 位wèiseat, throne; rank, status; position, lo
- 孟mèngfirst in a series; great, eminent
- 不bùno, not, un-; negative prefix
- 悅yuècontented, gratified, pleased
- 曰yuēto speak; to say
- 諸zhūall, many, various; surname
- 君jūnsovereign, ruler, prince, monarch, chief
- 皆jiēall, every, everybody
- 驩huānhappy, pleased, glad; joy; to enjoy
- 獨dúalone, independent, only, single, solita
- 是shìto be; indeed, right, yes; okay
- 簡jiǎnsimple, succinct, terse; a letter
- 也yěalso, too
- 聞wénnews; to hear, to smell; to make known
- 禮lǐcourtesy, manners, social customs
- 朝cháoto face; direct, facing; dynasty; mornin
- 廷tíngcourtyard
- 歷lìhistory; calendar
- 相xiāngmutual, reciprocal; equal; each other
- 踰yúexceed, transgress; cross over
- 階jiēstairs, steps; degree, rank
- 揖yīto bow, to salute; to defer, to yield
- 我wǒI, me, my; our, us
- 欲yùdesire, want, longing, intent
- 敖áoto ramble, to play about; leisurely; sur
- 以yǐaccording to; so as to; because of; then
- 為wèito do, to act; to handle, to govern; to
- 亦yìalso, too; likewise
- 異yìdifferent, strange, unusual; foreign; su
- 乎hūinterrogative or exclamatory final parti
Passages with shared wording
- Zhuangzi On Declining Power
- Zhuangzi Contingencies
- Zhuangzi The Identity of Contraries
- Zhuangzi The Great Supreme
- Zhuangzi The Tao of God
- Mencius 3A.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.