Shun's Longing for His Parents

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English translation

Original Chinese text

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

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

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

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.

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