Zi Chan Lun Zheng Kuan Meng (子产论政宽猛) — Zuo Qiuming
A free printable Chinese handwriting worksheet for Zuo Qiuming's classical Chinese essay "Zi Chan Lun Zheng Kuan Meng (子产论政宽猛)", with pinyin, stroke-order guides, and Chinese writing practice grids.
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Original Text
郑子产有疾。谓子大叔曰：“我死，子必为政。唯有德者能以宽服民，其次莫如猛。夫火烈，民望而畏之，故鲜死焉。水懦弱，民狎而玩之，则多死焉，故宽难。”疾数月而卒。大叔为政，不忍猛而宽。郑国多盗，取人于萑苻之泽。大叔悔之，曰：“吾早从夫子，不及此。”兴徒兵以攻萑苻之盗，尽杀之，盗少止。仲尼曰：“善哉！政宽则民慢，慢则纠之以猛。猛则民残，残则施之以宽。宽以济猛；猛以济宽，政是以和。”《诗》曰：‘民亦劳止，汔可小康；惠此中国，以绥四方。’施之以宽也。‘毋从诡随，以谨无良；式遏寇虐，惨不畏明。’纠之以猛也。‘柔远能迩，以定我王。’平之以和也。又曰：‘不竞不絿，不刚不柔，布政优优，百禄是遒。’和之至也。”及子产卒，仲尼闻之，出涕曰：“古之遗爱也。”
Pinyin
zhèng zǐ chǎn yǒu jí。 wèi zǐ dà shū yuē：“ wǒ sǐ， zǐ bì wéi zhèng。 wéi yǒu dé zhě néng yǐ kuān fú mín， qí cì mò rú měng。 fū huǒ liè， mín wàng ér wèi zhī， gù xiān sǐ yān。 shuǐ nuò ruò， mín xiá ér wán zhī， zé duō sǐ yān， gù kuān nán。” jí shù yuè ér zú。 dà shū wéi zhèng， bù rěn měng ér kuān。 zhèng guó duō dào， qǔ rén yú huán fú zhī zé。 dà shū huǐ zhī， yuē：“ wú zǎo cóng fū zǐ， bù jí cǐ。” xīng tú bīng yǐ gōng huán fú zhī dào， jìn shā zhī， dào shǎo zhǐ。 zhòng ní yuē：“ shàn zāi！ zhèng kuān zé mín màn， màn zé jiū zhī yǐ měng。 měng zé mín cán， cán zé shī zhī yǐ kuān。 kuān yǐ jì měng； měng yǐ jì kuān， zhèng shì yǐ hé。”《 shī》 yuē：‘ mín yì láo zhǐ， qì kě xiǎo kāng； huì cǐ zhōng guó， yǐ suí sì fāng。’ shī zhī yǐ kuān yě。‘ wú cóng guǐ suí， yǐ jǐn wú liáng； shì è kòu nvè， cǎn bù wèi míng。’ jiū zhī yǐ měng yě。‘ róu yuǎn néng ěr， yǐ dìng wǒ wáng。’ píng zhī yǐ hé yě。 yòu yuē：‘ bù jìng bù qiú， bù gāng bù róu， bù zhèng yōu yōu， bǎi lù shì qiú。’ hé zhī zhì yě。” jí zǐ chǎn zú， zhòng ní wén zhī， chū tì yuē：“ gǔ zhī yí ài yě。”
English Meaning
Dying, Zheng's statesman Zichan advises his successor: only the virtuous can rule by leniency; next best is strictness. Fire blazes and men fear it, so few burn; water seems gentle and men toy with it, so many drown. The successor chose leniency; bandits multiplied, and he had to crush them in the marshes, regretting the delay. Confucius judges: leniency breeds laxity, corrected by strictness; strictness wounds, relieved by leniency — leniency to temper strictness, strictness to temper leniency: so governance is harmonious.
Key Vocabulary
Each term links to its word page with more readings and examples.
Practice the Characters
Every character page has a stroke-order animation, step-by-step breakdown, and common words.
About the Text
From the Zuo Tradition: Zichan's deathbed doctrine of mixing mercy and severity. Confucius's closing gloss — lenity and rigor tempering each other — became the classic Chinese formula of balanced government.
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