Mencius 7B.4
Mencius (孟子), Book 7, Part II: Jin Xin II 盡心下
孟子曰：「有人曰：『我善為陳，我善為戰。』大罪也。國君好仁，天下無敵焉。南面而征北狄怨，東面而征西夷怨。曰：『奚為後我？』武王之伐殷也，革車三百兩，虎賁三千人。王曰：『無畏！寧爾也，非敵百姓也。』若崩厥角稽首。征之為言正也，各欲正己也，焉用戰？」
Mencius said, 'There are men who say "I am skilful at marshalling troops, I am skilful at conducting a battle!" They are great criminals. If the ruler of a State love benevolence, he will have no enemy in the kingdom. When Tang was executing his work of correction in the south, the rude tribes on the north murmured. When he was executing it in the east, the rude tribes on the west murmured. Their cry was "Why does he make us last?" When king Wu punished Yin, he had only three hundred chariots of war, and three thousand life-guards. The king said, "Do not fear. Let me give you repose. I am no enemy to the people!" On this, they bowed their heads to the earth, like the horns of animals falling off. "Royal correction" is but another word for rectifying. Each State wishing itself to be corrected, what need is there for fighting?'
Character glossary
- 孟mèngfirst in a series; great, eminent
- 子zison, child; seed, egg; fruit; small thin
- 曰yuēto speak; to say
- 有yǒuto have, to own, to possess; to exist
- 人rénman, person; people
- 我wǒI, me, my; our, us
- 善shàngood, virtuous, charitable, kind
- 為wèito do, to act; to handle, to govern; to
- 陳chénto display, to exhibit; to plead; surnam
- 戰zhànwar, fighting, battle
- 大dàbig, great, vast, high, deep
- 罪zuìsin, vice; fault, guilt; crime
- 也yěalso, too
- 國guócountry, nation, state; national
- 君jūnsovereign, ruler, prince, monarch, chief
- 好hǎogood, excellent, fine; proper, suitable;
- 仁rénbenevolent, humane, kind
- 天tiānsky, heaven; god, celestial
- 下xiàbelow, underneath; inferior; to bring do
- 無wúno, not; lacking, -less
- 敵díenemy, foe, rival; to match; to resist
- 焉yānwhy? where? how?; strange; thereupon, th
- 南nánsouth; southern; southward
- 面miànface; surface, side; plane, dimension
- 而érand, and then, and yet; but
- 征zhēngto summon, to recruit; levy, tax; journe
- 北běinorth; northern; northward
- 狄díbarbarians; a tribe from northern China;
- 怨yuànto blame, to complain, to hate; enmity,
- 東dōngeast, eastern, eastward
- 西xīwest, western, westward
- 夷yíancient barbarian tribes
- 奚xīwhere, what, why, how
- 後hòuafter; behind, rear; descendants
- 武wǔmilitary; martial, warlike
- 王wángking, ruler; royal; surname
- 之zhīmarks preceding phrase as modifier of fo
- 伐fácut down, subjugate, attack
- 殷yīnmany, great; abundant, flourishing
- 革géleather, animal hide; to reform; to remo
- 車chēcart, vehicle; to move in a cart
- 三sānthree
- 百bǎione hundred; numerous, many
- 兩liǎngtwo, both, pair, couple; ounce
- 虎hǔtiger; brave, fierce; surname
- 賁bìto forge ahead; energetic; surname
- 千qiānthousand; many, numerous; very
- 畏wèifear, dread, awe, reverence
- 寧níngcalm, peaceful; healthy; rather; to pref
- 爾ěryou; that, those; final particle
- 非fēinot, negative, non-; to oppose
- 姓xìngname, family name, surname; clan, people
- 若ruòif, supposing, assuming; similar
- 崩bēngto rupture, to split apart; to collapse;
- 厥juépersonal pronoun; he, she, it
- 角jiǎoangle, corner; horn, horn-shaped
- 稽jīto examine, to investigate
- 首shǒuchief, head, leader
- 言yánwords, speech; to speak, to say
- 正zhèngstraight, right, proper, correct, just,
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.