The People of Yan and Humane Rule
Text
English translation
Original Chinese text
齐人伐燕,取之。诸侯将谋救燕。宣王曰:‘诸侯多谋伐寡人者,何以待之?’
English translation
Qi attacked Yan and took it. Other lords began planning to aid Yan. King Xuan asked, ‘Many are now considering an attack on me. How should I respond?’
Original Chinese text
孟子对曰:‘臣闻七十里为政于天下者,汤是也。未闻以千里畏人者也。《书》曰:汤一征,自葛始。’
English translation
Mencius replied, ‘Tang began with only seventy li of territory and came to rule the realm. I have not heard of a ruler with a thousand li fearing others. The Documents say that Tang's first campaign began with Ge.’
Original Chinese text
‘天下信之,东面而征,西夷怨;南面而征,北狄怨曰:奚为后我?民望之,若大旱之望云霓也。’
English translation
‘People came to trust him. When he campaigned eastward, those in the west complained; when he went south, those in the north complained: “Why are we last?” They awaited him as people in a drought await rain clouds.’
Original Chinese text
‘归市者不止,耕者不变。诛其君而吊其民,若时雨降。民大悦。《书》曰:徯我后,后来其苏。’
English translation
‘Marketgoers carried on, and farmers kept working. He punished the ruler and comforted the people, like timely rain. They rejoiced. The Documents say, “We await our lord; when he comes, we shall revive.”’
Original Chinese text
‘今燕虐其民,王往而征之,民以为将拯己于水火之中也,箪食壶浆以迎王师。’
English translation
‘Now Yan mistreats its people. When Your Majesty went to attack it, they believed you would rescue them from suffering, so they welcomed your army with baskets of food and jars of drink.’
Original Chinese text
‘若杀其父兄,系累其子弟,毁其宗庙,迁其重器,如之何其可也?’
English translation
‘But if you kill their fathers and elder brothers, take their children and younger kin captive, destroy their ancestral temples, and carry off their precious ritual vessels, how can that be justified?’
Original Chinese text
‘天下固畏齐之强也,今又倍地而不行仁政,是动天下之兵也。’
English translation
‘The other states already fear Qi's strength. If you now double your territory without governing benevolently, you will set their armies in motion against you.’
Original Chinese text
‘王速出令,反其旄倪,止其重器,谋于燕众,置君而后去之,则犹可及止也。’
English translation
‘Issue orders at once: return Yan's captive elders and children, stop removing its treasures, consult the people of Yan, establish a ruler for them, and then withdraw. There may still be time to avert the attack.’