The Original Quote:
尧曰：“咨！尔舜！天之历数在尔躬，允执其中。四海困穷，天禄永终。”舜亦以命禹。曰：“予小子履，敢用玄牡，敢昭告于皇皇后帝：有罪不敢赦，帝臣不蔽，简在帝心。朕躬有罪，无以万方；万方有罪，罪在朕躬。”周有大赉，善人是富。“虽有周亲，不如仁人。百姓有过，在予一人。”谨权量，审法度，修废官，四方之政行焉。兴灭国，继绝世，举逸民，天下之民归心焉。所重：民、食、丧、祭。宽则得众，信则民任焉，敏则有功，公则说。
Yáo yuē: “Zī! ěr Shùn! Tiān zhī lì shù zài ěr gōng, yǔn zhí qí zhōng. Sìhǎi kùn qióng, tiān lù yǒng zhōng.” Shùn yì yǐ mìng Yǔ. Yuē: “Yú xiǎo zǐ Lǚ, gǎn yòng xuán mǔ, gǎn zhāo gào yú huáng huáng hòu dì: yǒu zuì bù gǎn shè, dì chén bù bì, jiǎn zài dì xīn. Zhèn gōng yǒu zuì, wú yǐ wàn fāng; wàn fāng yǒu zuì, zuì zài zhèn gōng.” Zhōu yǒu dà lài, shàn rén shì fù. “Suī yǒu zhōu qīn, bù rú rén rén. Bǎixìng yǒu guò, zài yǔ yī rén.” Jǐn quán liàng, shěn fǎ dù, xiū fèi guān, sì fāng zhī zhèng xíng yān. Xīng miè guó, jì jué shì, jǔ yì mín, tiān xià zhī mín guī xīn yān. Suǒ zhòng: mín, shí, sāng, jì. Kuān zé dé zhòng, xìn zé mín rèn yān, mǐn zé yǒu gōng, gōng zé yuè.
English Translation:
Yao said, “Ah! You, Shun! The heavenly succession rests in your person. Hold fast to the Mean. If the four seas are impoverished, the heavenly emoluments will end forever.” Shun likewise commanded Yu thus. Tang said, “I, the little child Lü, dare to offer a black bull and solemnly announce to the August Sovereign Lord: The guilty I dare not pardon; your ministers I dare not conceal—these are discerned by your heart. If I have guilt, let it not fall upon the myriad regions; if the myriad regions have guilt, let it rest on me alone.” Zhou granted great bounties, enriching the good. “Though there be near kin, they are not equal to the humane. If the people have faults, let them lie with me alone.” He was careful with weights and measures, examined laws and statutes, restored abandoned offices—thus the governance of the four quarters prevailed. He revived fallen states, continued broken lines, and raised up the hidden worthy—thus the hearts of the people turned to him. What he valued were: the people, food, mourning, and sacrifice. With magnanimity, he won the many; with trustworthiness, the people entrusted him; with diligence, he achieved merit; with justice, all rejoiced.
Key Concepts Explained:
- 天命 (Tiānmìng): The Mandate of Heaven—the divine authority to rule, contingent upon the ruler’s moral conduct and care for the people.
- 中 (Zhōng): The Mean—the central, balanced Way of governance, avoiding excess or deficiency.
- 仁 (Rén): Humaneness or benevolence—the core virtue of the ideal ruler, who prioritizes the welfare of all over kinship ties.
- 礼 (Lǐ): Ritual propriety—the norms and rites (e.g., mourning and sacrifice) that sustain social order and reverence.
- 信 (Xìn): Trustworthiness—the quality that earns the people’s confidence and loyalty.
Cultural Context:
This passage from the Analects (Book 20) encapsulates the Confucian political tradition passed from the sage-kings Yao, Shun, and Yu through the founders of the Xia, Shang, and Zhou dynasties. It reveals a vision where rulership is not privilege but sacred duty: the ruler must hold the Mean (zhōng), accept personal responsibility for the people’s suffering, and prioritize the common good over family ties. The emphasis on restoring fallen states and continuing broken lineages reflects the Confucian value of historical continuity—a tradition that endured from ancient times through imperial China. This text has served as a moral benchmark for Chinese governance, asserting that the legitimacy of any ruler rests on benevolence, justice, and the well-being of the people—a principle that resonates across millennia.