CHAPTER I
1. Chwang Pâo, seeing Mencius, said to him, ＇I had an interview with the king. His Majesty told me that he loved music, and I was not prepared with anything to reply to him. What do you pronounce about that love of music?＇ Mencius replied, ＇If the king＇s love of music were very great, the kingdom of Ch＇î would be near to a state of good government!＇
2. Another day, Mencius, having an interview with the king, said, ＇Your Majesty, I have heard, told the officer Chwang, that you love music;—was it so?＇ The king changed colour, and said, ＇I am unable to love the music of the ancient sovereigns; I only love the music that suits the manners of the present age.＇
CHAPTER 1. HOW THE LOVE OF MUSIC MAY BE MADE SUBSERVIENT TO GOOD GOVERNMENT, AND TO A PRINCE＇S OWN ADVANCEMENT.
The chapter is a good specimen of Mencius＇s manner,—how he slips from the point in hand to introduce his own notions, and would win princes over to benevolent government by their very vices. He was no stern moralist, and the Chinese have done well in refusing to rank him with Confucius.
1. Chwang Pâo appears to have been a minister at the court of Ch＇i. The 曰preceding 好乐如何 is unnecessary. If we translate it, we must render—＇He then said＇. But the paraphrasts all neglect it. 庶几 (the 1st tone) is a phrase signifying ＇near to＇; sometimes we find庶alone, as in Anelects XI. xviii. I. The subject,nearness to which is indicated, is often left to be gathered from the context, as here. The 王之好乐甚is a platitude. It should be the text of the chapter, but Mencius proceeds to substitute 乐 le for 乐 ye, in his own manner.
2. 直, as in last Pt. ch. iii. 2; observe how the final耳adds to the force of ＇only＇. ＇Ancient sovereigns＇(i.e. Yâo, Shun, Yü, T＇ang, Wăn, and Wû) is a better translation of 先王 than ＇former king＇.
3. Mencius said, ＇If your Majesty＇s love of music were very great, Ch＇î would be near to a state of goodgovernment! The music of the present day is just like the music of antiquity, as regards effecting that.＇
4. The king said, ＇May I hear from you the proof of that?＇Mencius asked, ＇Which is the more pleasant,—to enjoy music by yourself alone, or to enjoy it with others?＇ ＇To enjoy it with others,＇ was the reply. ＇And which is the more pleasant,—to enjoy music with a few, or to enjoy it with many?＇ ＇To enjoy it with many.＇5. Mencius proceeded, ＇Your servant begs to explain what I have said about music to your Majesty.
6. ＇Now, your Majesty is having music here.—The people hear the noise of your bells and drums, and the notes of your fifes and pipes, and they all, with aching heads, knit their brows, and say to one another, "That＇s how our king likes his music! But why does he reduce us to this extremity of distress?—Fathers and sons cannot see one another.
3. 由=犹.
4. 可得闻与, as in the preceding chapter. 独乐乐,—the second 乐 is le, ＇joy＇, ＇delight＇. So, in the next clause, and after 孰.
5. 为 (the 4th tone) 王, ＇for the sake of your Majesty＇.
6. 鼓乐,—鼓 is a verb=作. The ancient dictionary, the 说文, makes a difference between this, and the same word for ＇drum＇, saying this is formed from 攴, named p＇û, while the other is formed from 支. The difference of form is not regarded now.
Elder brothers and younger brothers, wives and children, are separated and scattered abroad." Now,your Majesty is hunting here.—The people hear the noise of your carriages and horses, and see the beauty of your plumes and streamers, and they all, with aching heads, knit their brows, and say to one another,"That＇s how our king likes his hunting! But why does he reduce us to this extremity of distress?—Fathers and sons cannot see one another. Elder brothers and younger brothers, wives and children, are separated and scattered abroad." Their feeling thus is from no other reason but that you do not allow the people to have pleasure as well as yourself.
7. ＇Now, your Majesty is having music here. The people hear the noise of your bells and drums, and the notes of your fifes and pipes, and they all, delighted,and with joyful looks, say to one another, "That sounds as if our king were free from all sickness! If he were not, how could he enjoy this music?" Now, your Majesty is hunting here.
于此, ＇here＇, used as we use here in English, putting a case with little local reference. 举=俱 or 皆, ＇all＇.蹙頞 expresses anguish, not anger. 夫 is here the introductory particle, and is better rendered by but than new. It will be seen that the preceding 吾王之好鼓乐 is incomplete. The paraphrasts add, to complete it,固然已.
7. 田 is used synonymously with 畋, ＇to hunt＇. 声 and音 are to each other much as our sound or noise and tone or note.
—The people hear the noise of your carriages and horses, and see the beauty of your plumes and streamers, and they all, delighted, and with joyful looks, say to one another, "That looks as if our king were free from all sickness! If he were not, how could he enjoy this hunting?" Their feeling thus is from no other reason but that you cause them to have their pleasure as you have yours.
8. ＇If your Majesty now will make pleasure a thing common to the people and yourself, the royal sway awaits you.＇