Mencius 7A.39
Mencius (孟子), Book 7, Part I: Jin Xin I 盡心上
齊宣王欲短喪。公孫丑曰：「為朞之喪，猶愈於已乎？」孟子曰：「是猶或紾其兄之臂，子謂之姑徐徐云爾，亦教之孝弟而已矣。」王子有其母死者，其傅為之請數月之喪。公孫丑曰：「若此者，何如也？」曰：「是欲終之而不可得也。雖加一日愈於已，謂夫莫之禁而弗為者也。」
The king Xuan of Qi wanted to shorten the period of mourning. Gong Sun Chou said, 'To have one whole year's mourning is better than doing away with it altogether.'
Mencius said, 'That is just as if there were one twisting the arm of his elder brother, and you were merely to say to him "Gently, gently, if you please." Your only course should be to teach such an one filial piety and fraternal duty.'
At that time, the mother of one of the king's sons had died, and his tutor asked for him that he might be allowed to observe a few months' mourning. Gong Sun Chou asked, 'What do you say of this?'
Mencius replied, 'This is a case where the party wishes to complete the whole period, but finds it impossible to do so. The addition of even a single day is better than not mourning at all. I spoke of the case where there was no hindrance, and the party neglected the thing itself.'
Character glossary
- 齊qíeven, uniform, of equal length
- 宣xuānto proclaim, to declare, to announce; su
- 王wángking, ruler; royal; surname
- 欲yùdesire, want, longing, intent
- 短duǎnbrief, short; deficient, lacking
- 喪sàngmourning; mourn; funeral
- 公gōngfair, equitable; public; duke
- 孫sūngrandchild, descendent; surname
- 丑chǒuugly; shameful; comedian, clown
- 曰yuēto speak; to say
- 為wèito do, to act; to handle, to govern; to
- 朞jīfull year, anniversary
- 之zhīmarks preceding phrase as modifier of fo
- 猶yóusimilar to, just like, as
- 愈yùto recover, to heal; more and more
- 於yúat, in, on; to, from; alas!
- 已yǐalready; finished; to stop; then, afterw
- 乎hūinterrogative or exclamatory final parti
- 孟mèngfirst in a series; great, eminent
- 子zison, child; seed, egg; fruit; small thin
- 是shìto be; indeed, right, yes; okay
- 或huòor, either, else; maybe, perhaps, possib
- 紾zhěnturns or twist; a switch
- 其qíhis, her, its, their; that
- 兄xiōngelder brother
- 臂bìarm
- 謂wèito call, to say, to tell; name, title; m
- 姑gūfather's sister; husband's mother
- 徐xúslowly, quietly, calmly; dignified, comp
- 云yúncloud; to say, to speak
- 爾ěryou; that, those; final particle
- 亦yìalso, too; likewise
- 教jiàoschool, education
- 孝xiàofilial piety, obedience; mourning
- 弟dìyoung brother, junior
- 而érand, and then, and yet; but
- 矣yǐparticle of completed action
- 有yǒuto have, to own, to possess; to exist
- 母mǔmother; female elders; female
- 死sǐdead; death; impassable, inflexible
- 者zhěthat which; they who; those who
- 傅fùtutor, teacher; to assist; surname
- 請qǐngto ask, to request; to invite; please
- 數shùcount, number, several
- 月yuèmoon; month
- 若ruòif, supposing, assuming; similar
- 此cǐthis, these; in this case, then
- 何héwhat, why, where, which, how
- 如rúas, as if, like, such as, supposing
- 也yěalso, too
- 終zhōngend; finally, in the end
- 不bùno, not, un-; negative prefix
- 可kěmay, can, -able; possibly
- 得déto obtain, to get, to acquire; suitable,
- 雖suīalthough, even though
- 加jiāto add to, to increase, to augment
- 一yīone; a, an; alone
- 日rìsun; day; daytime
- 夫fūman, husband; worker; those
- 莫mòcannot; do not; is not; negative
Passages with shared wording
- Zhuangzi Robber Chê
- Zhuangzi The Identity of Contraries
- Zhuangzi Tien Tzŭ Fang
- Zhuangzi The Great Supreme
- Zhuangzi Man Among Men
- Mencius 2B.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.