Analects 12.9: 顏淵 (Yan Yuan)
Confucius and his disciples · Classical Chinese original · new English translation and commentary by Text Atlas
Overview
Book 12 asks how humaneness takes shape in conduct: self-mastery and ritual, care toward others, and words answerable to action. Its political exchanges test government through trust, the people’s livelihood, and the example of those who lead. Questions about clear sight and genuine accomplishment make understanding people more demanding than knowing their reputation. The account of promoting the upright brings that judgment into public service, while Zixia’s examples place the distancing of the inhumane beside the claim of reform. The closing sayings return to friendship as a practice of advice, restraint, learning, and support for humaneness.
Analects 12.9
哀公問於有若曰年饑、用不足、如之何。有若對曰、盍徹乎。曰、二、吾猶不足、如之何其徹也。對曰、百姓足、君孰與不足、百姓不足、君孰與足。
Duke Ai asked Youruo, “The harvest has failed, and there is not enough to meet expenses. What should I do?” Youruo replied, “Why not take a tenth?” “Even two tenths are not enough for me. How could I take a tenth?” Youruo replied, “If the people have enough, how could their ruler be left without enough? If the people lack enough, how could their ruler have enough?”
Commentary
translation A tenth rather than two tenths Youruo’s proposal is named 徹, while the duke’s reply gives only 二, “two.” The English follows Legge in making the fiscal contrast explicit as a tenth against two tenths. This clarifies the exchange’s direction: reducing the ruler’s demand in a year of scarcity. The passage itself does not explain the system’s detailed assessment or collection.
Basis: translation-comparison
Confidence: medium
politics Whose sufficiency counts? Duke Ai starts with his own shortage of revenue; Youruo ends with the people’s sufficiency or want. The paired questions make the ruler’s resources depend on those of the people. The answer asks him to change whose shortage he attends to first, rather than merely find another way to collect.
Basis: textual-inference
Confidence: high