Gao Zi II · 孟子 6B.3

Passage 03

公gōng孫sūn丑chǒu問wèn曰yuē：「高gāo子zǐ曰yuē：『《小xiǎo弁biàn》，小xiǎo人rén之zhī詩shī也yě。』」孟mèng子zǐ曰yuē：「何hé以yǐ言yán之zhī？」曰yuē：「怨yuàn。」曰yuē：「固gù哉zāi，高gāo叟sǒu之zhī為wéi《詩shī》也yě！有yǒu人rén於wū此cǐ，越yuè人rén關guān弓gōng而ér射shè之zhī，則zé己jǐ談tán笑xiào而ér道dào之zhī；無wú他tā，疏shū之zhī也yě。其qí兄xiōng關guān弓gōng而ér射shè之zhī，則zé己jǐ垂chuí涕tì泣qì而ér道dào之zhī，無wú他tā，戚qī之zhī也yě。《小xiǎo弁biàn》之zhī怨yuàn，親qīn親qīn也yě。親qīn親qīn，仁rén也yě。固gù矣yǐ夫fū，高gāo叟sǒu之zhī為wéi《詩shī》也yě！」曰yuē：「《凱kǎi風fēng》何hé以yǐ不bú怨yuàn？」曰yuē：「《凱kǎi風fēng》，親qīn之zhī過guò小xiǎo者zhě也yě；《小xiǎo弁biàn》，親qīn之zhī過guò大dà者zhě也yě。親qīn之zhī過guò大dà而ér不bú怨yuàn，是shì愈yù疏shū也yě。親qīn之zhī過guò小xiǎo而ér怨yuàn，是shì不bù可kě磯jī也yě。愈yù疏shū，不bú孝xiào也yě；不bù可kě磯jī，亦yì不bú孝xiào也yě。孔kǒng子zǐ曰yuē：『舜shùn其qí至zhì孝xiào矣yǐ，五wǔ十shí而ér慕mù。』」

Gong Sun Chou asked about an opinion of the scholar Gao, saying, 'Gao observed, "The Xiao Pan is the ode of a little man."' Mencius asked, 'Why did he say so?' 'Because of the murmuring which it expresses,' was the reply. Mencius answered, 'How stupid was that old Gao in dealing with the ode! There is a man here, and a native of Yue bends his bow to shoot him. I will advise him not to do so, but speaking calmly and smilingly; for no other reason but that he is not related to me. But if my own brother be bending his bow to shoot the man, then I will advise him not to do so, weeping and crying the while; for no other reason than that he is related to me. The dissatisfaction expressed in the Xiao Pan is the working of relative affection, and that affection shows benevolence. Stupid indeed was old Gao's criticism on the ode.' Chou then said, 'How is it that there is no dissatisfaction expressed in the Kai Feng?' Mencius replied, 'The parent's fault referred to in the Kai Feng is small; that referred to in the Xiao Pan is great. Where the parent's fault was great, not to have murmured on account of it would have increased the want of natural affection. Where the parent's fault was small, to have murmured on account of it would have been to act like water which frets and foams about a stone that interrupts its course. To increase the want of natural affection would have been unfilial, and to fret and foam in such a manner would also have been unfilial. Confucius said, "Shun was indeed perfectly filial! And yet, when he was fifty, he was full of longing desire about his parents."'