Family Love and Grief
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English translation
Original Chinese text
公孙丑问曰：“高子曰：‘《小弁》，小人之诗也。’”孟子曰：“何以言之？”曰：“怨。”曰：“固哉，高叟之为《诗》也！有人于此，越人关弓而射之，则己谈笑而道之；无他，疏之也。其兄关弓而射之，则己垂涕泣而道之，无他，戚之也。《小弁》之怨，亲亲也。亲亲，仁也。固矣夫，高叟之为《诗》也！”“《凯风》何以不怨？”曰：“《凯风》，亲之过小者也；《小弁》，亲之过大者也。亲之过大而不怨，是愈疏也。亲之过小而怨，是不可矶也。愈疏，不孝也；不可矶，亦不孝也。孔子曰：‘舜其至孝矣，五十而慕。’”
English translation
Gongsun Chou asked, “Gaozi says that ‘The Minor Pan’ is a poem by a petty person.” Mencius asked, “Why does he say that?” “Because it expresses resentment.” Mencius replied, “How rigid old Gao is in reading the Odes! Suppose a Yue man drew his bow and shot someone here: that person would talk and laugh about it, because the attacker was a stranger. If his elder brother drew the bow, he would weep as he spoke of it, because the brother was close to him. The resentment in ‘The Minor Pan’ arises from loving one’s parents. Loving one’s parents is benevolence. How rigid old Gao is in reading the Odes!” Gongsun Chou asked, “Why does ‘The South Wind’ not express resentment?” Mencius said, “‘The South Wind’ concerns a parent’s minor fault; ‘The Minor Pan’ concerns a grave one. Not resenting a grave fault means becoming more distant. Resenting a minor fault means being unable to endure a small affront. Becoming distant is unfilial, and being unable to endure a small affront is also unfilial. Confucius said, ‘Shun was truly supremely filial; even at fifty he still yearned for his parents.’”