Shun's Longing for His Parents
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English translation
Original Chinese text
万章问曰:“舜往于田,号泣于旻天。何为其号泣也?”孟子曰:“怨慕也。”万章曰:“父母爱之,喜而不忘;父母恶之,劳而不怨。然则舜怨乎?”
English translation
Wan Zhang asked, “When Shun went out to the fields, he wept aloud to Heaven. Why did he weep?” Mencius replied, “It was longing mingled with resentment.” Wan Zhang asked, “When parents love their child, the child rejoices and never forgets it; when they dislike the child, the child works hard without resentment. Was Shun resentful, then?”
Original Chinese text
曰:“长息问于公明高曰:‘舜往于田,则吾既得闻命矣;号泣于旻天、于父母,则吾不知也。’公明高曰:‘是非尔所知也。’夫公明高以孝子之心为不若是恝。‘我竭力耕田,共为子职而已矣;父母之不我爱,于我何哉?’”
English translation
Mencius replied, “Changxi once asked Gongming Gao, ‘I understand why Shun went to work in the fields, but I do not understand why he wept to Heaven and to his parents.’ Gongming Gao said, ‘This is not something you can understand.’ He believed that a filial child’s heart could not be so detached. Shun was thinking, ‘I will work the fields with all my strength and simply fulfill my duty as a son. If my parents do not love me, what is that to me?’”
Original Chinese text
帝使其子九男二女,百官牛羊仓廪备,以事舜于畎亩之中。天下之士多就之者,帝将胥天下而迁之焉。为不顺于父母,如穷人无所归。天下之士悦之,人之所欲也,而不足以解忧。好色,人之所欲;妻帝之二女,而不足以解忧。富,人之所欲;富有天下,而不足以解忧。
English translation
Emperor Yao sent his nine sons and two daughters, and provided officials, cattle, sheep, and full granaries to support Shun in the fields. Many worthy people throughout the realm came to him, and Yao intended to transfer the realm to him. Yet because he had not won his parents’ affection, Shun felt like a destitute person with nowhere to return. The esteem of the worthy was something people desired, but it could not relieve his sorrow. Beauty was desired by people, yet marrying Yao’s two daughters did not ease his sorrow. Wealth was desired by people, yet possessing all the wealth under Heaven did not ease it either.
Original Chinese text
贵,人之所欲;贵为天子,而不足以解忧。人悦之、好色、富贵无足以解忧者,惟顺于父母,可以解忧。人少则慕父母,知好色则慕少艾,有妻子则慕妻子,仕则慕君,不得于君则热中。大孝终身慕父母,五十而慕者,予于大舜见之矣。”
English translation
Noble status was also something people desired, yet even becoming the Son of Heaven could not relieve Shun’s sorrow. The affection of others, beauty, wealth, and rank were all powerless to ease it; only winning his parents’ affection could. In childhood, people long for their parents; when they come to appreciate beauty, they long for youthful beauty; when they have a family, they long for their spouse and children; when they serve as ministers, they long for their ruler, and when they fail to win the ruler’s confidence, they become consumed with anxiety. The most filial person longs for his parents throughout his life. I have seen such longing in the great Shun even at fifty.