King Hui of Liang II · Passage 04 / 16 · 孟子 1B.4

Mencius 1B.4: share the people's joy and grief

Mencius turns shared joy into a political principle: when rulers cannot share pleasure and sorrow with the people.

齊宣王見孟子於雪宮。王曰：「賢者亦有此樂乎？」孟子對曰：「有。人不得，則非其上矣。不得而非其上者，非也；為民上，而不與民同樂者，亦非也。樂民之樂者，民亦樂其樂；憂民之憂者，民亦憂其憂。樂以天下，憂以天下；然而不王者，未之有也。昔者齊景公問於晏子曰：『吾欲觀於轉附、朝舞，遵海而南，放於琅邪；吾何修而可以比於先王觀也？晏子對曰：『善哉問也！天子適諸侯曰巡狩。巡狩者，巡所守也。諸侯朝於天子曰述職。述職者，述所職也。無非事者。春省耕而補不足，秋省斂而助不給。夏諺曰：『吾王不游，吾何以休？吾王不豫，吾何以助？一遊一豫，為諸侯度。』今也不然：師行而糧食，饑者弗食，勞者弗息；睊睊胥讒，民乃作慝。方命虐民，飲食若流；流連荒亡，為諸侯憂。從流下而忘反，謂之流；從流上而忘反，謂之連；從獸無厭，謂之荒；樂酒無厭，謂之亡。先王無流連之樂，荒亡之行。惟君所行也。景公說，大戒於國，出捨於郊。於是始興發補不足。召大師曰：『為我作君臣相說之樂。』蓋徴招、角招是也。其詩曰：『畜君何尤？』畜君者，好君也。」

qí xuān wáng jiàn mèng zǐ wū xuě gōng。 wáng yuē：「xián zhě yì yǒu cǐ lè hū？」 mèng zǐ duì yuē：「yǒu。 rén bù dé， zé fēi qí shàng yǐ。 bù dé ér fēi qí shàng zhě， fēi yě； wéi mín shàng， ér bù yǔ mín tóng lè zhě， yì fēi yě。 lè mín zhī lè zhě， mín yì lè qí lè； yōu mín zhī yōu zhě， mín yì yōu qí yōu。 lè yǐ tiān xià， yōu yǐ tiān xià； rán ér bù wáng zhě， wèi zhī yǒu yě。 xī zhě qí jǐng gōng wèn wū yàn zǐ yuē：『wú yù guān wū zhuǎn fù、 cháo wǔ， zūn hǎi ér nán， fàng wū láng xié； wú hé xiū ér kě yǐ bǐ wū xiān wáng guān yě？ yàn zǐ duì yuē：『shàn zāi wèn yě！ tiān zǐ shì zhū hóu yuē xún shòu。 xún shòu zhě， xún suǒ shǒu yě。 zhū hóu cháo wū tiān zǐ yuē shù zhí。 shù zhí zhě， shù suǒ zhí yě。 wú fēi shì zhě。 chūn shěng gēng ér bǔ bù zú， qiū shěng liǎn ér zhù bù gěi。 xià yàn yuē：『wú wáng bù yóu， wú hé yǐ xiū？ wú wáng bú yù， wú hé yǐ zhù？ yì yóu yí yù， wéi zhū hóu dù。』 jīn yě bù rán： shī xíng ér liáng shí， jī zhě fú shí， láo zhě fú xī； juàn juàn xū chán， mín nǎi zuò tè。 fāng mìng nüè mín， yǐn shí ruò liú； liú lián huāng wáng， wéi zhū hóu yōu。 cóng liú xià ér wàng fǎn， wèi zhī liú； cóng liú shàng ér wàng fǎn， wèi zhī lián； cóng shòu wú yàn， wèi zhī huāng； lè jiǔ wú yàn， wèi zhī wáng。 xiān wáng wú liú lián zhī lè， huāng wáng zhī xíng。 wéi jūn suǒ xíng yě。 jǐng gōng shuō， dà jiè wū guó， chū shě wū jiāo。 wū shì shǐ xīng fā bǔ bù zú。 zhào dà shī yuē：『wéi wǒ zuò jūn chén xiāng shuō zhī lè。』 gài zhǐ zhāo、 jiǎo zhāo shì yě。 qí shī yuē：『chù jūn hé yóu？』 chù jūn zhě， hǎo jūn yě。」

The king Xuan of Qi had an interview with Mencius in the Snow palace, and said to him, 'Do men of talents and worth likewise find pleasure in these things?' Mencius replied, 'They do; and if people generally are not able to enjoy themselves, they condemn their superiors. For them, when they cannot enjoy themselves, to condemn their superiors is wrong, but when the superiors of the people do not make enjoyment a thing common to the people and themselves, they also do wrong. When a ruler rejoices in the joy of his people, they also rejoice in his joy; when he grieves at the sorrow of his people, they also grieve at his sorrow. A sympathy of joy will pervade the kingdom; a sympathy of sorrow will do the same - in such a state of things, it cannot be but that the ruler attain to the royal dignity. 'Formerly, the duke Jing of Qi asked the minister Yan, saying, "I wish to pay a visit of inspection to Zhuan Fu, and Chao Wu, and then to bend my course southward along the shore, till I come to Lang Xie. What shall I do that my tour may be fit to be compared with the visits of inspection made by the ancient sovereigns?" The minister Yan replied, "An excellent inquiry! When the Son of Heaven visited the princes, it was called a tour of inspection, that is, be surveyed the States under their care. When the princes attended at the court of the Son of Heaven, it was called a report of office, that is, they reported their administration of their offices. Thus, neither of the proceedings was without a purpose. And moreover, in the spring they examined the ploughing, and supplied any deficiency of seed; in the autumn they examined the reaping, and supplied any deficiency of yield. There is the saying of the Xia dynasty - If our king do not take his ramble, what will become of our happiness? If our king do not make his excursion, what will become of our help? That ramble, and that excursion, were a pattern to the princes. Now, the state of things is different. A host marches in attendance on the ruler, and stores of provisions are consumed. The hungry are deprived of their food, and there is no rest for those who are called to toil. Maledictions are uttered by one to another with eyes askance, and the people proceed to the commission of wickedness. Thus the royal ordinances are violated, and the people are oppressed, and the supplies of food and drink flow away like water. The rulers yield themselves to the current, or they urge their way against it; they are wild; they are utterly lost - these things proceed to the grief of the inferior princes. Descending along with the current, and forgetting to return, is what I call yielding to it. Pressing up against it, and forgetting to return, is what I call urging their way against it. Pursuing the chase without satiety is what I call being wild. Delighting in wine without satiety is what I call being lost. The ancient sovereigns had no pleasures to which they gave themselves as on the flowing stream; no doings which might be so characterized as wild and lost. It is for you, my prince, to pursue your course." The duke Ching was pleased. He issued a proclamation throughout his State, and went out and occupied a shed in the borders. From that time he began to open his granaries to supply the wants of the people, and calling the Grand music-master, he said to him "Make for me music to suit a prince and his minister pleased with each other." And it was then that the Zheng Zhao and Jiao Zhao were made, in the words to which it was said, "Is it a fault to restrain one's prince?" He who restrains his prince loves his prince.'