(When) the governance is lenient, the people is simple; (When) the gov

順化 · Shùn Huà

Classical Chinese Text

其政闷闷，其民淳淳；其政察察，其民缺缺。
祸兮，福之所倚；福兮，祸之所伏。孰知其极：其无正也。正复为奇，善复为妖⑥。人之迷，其日固久。
是以圣人方而不割，廉而不刿，直而不肆，光而不耀。

Translation & Meaning

(When) the governance is lenient, the people is simple; (When) the governance is draconian, the people is artful.

Linguistic & Character Analysis

  • 其 (qí): its / their / his / her
  • 政 (zhèng): governance / rule
  • 闷 (mēn): classical character (mēn)
  • 民 (mín): classical character (mín)
  • 淳 (chún): classical character (chún)
  • 察 (chá): classical character (chá)
  • 缺 (quē): classical character (quē)
  • 祸 (huò): classical character (huò)
  • 兮 (xī): classical character (xī)
  • 福 (fú): classical character (fú)
  • 之 (zhī): particle: of / possessive / it
  • 所 (suǒ): place / frontier / that which
  • 倚 (yǐ): classical character (yǐ)
  • 伏 (fú): classical character (fú)
  • 孰 (shú): classical character (shú)
  • 知 (zhī): know / distinguish / recognize
  • 极 (jí): classical character (jí)
  • 无 (wú): formless void / non-being / without
  • 正 (zhèng): classical character (zhèng)
  • 也 (yě): [modal particle of assertion]
  • 复 (fù): classical character (fù)
  • 为 (wèi): act / deem / become
  • 奇 (qí): classical character (qí)
  • 善 (shàn): goodness / skillful / kind
  • 妖 (yāo): classical character (yāo)
  • 人 (rén): person / human
  • 迷 (mí): classical character (mí)
  • 日 (rì): classical character (rì)
  • 固 (gù): classical character (gù)
  • 久 (jiǔ): classical character (jiǔ)
  • 是 (shì): this / therefore
  • 以 (yǐ): in order to / by means of
  • 圣 (shèng): sage / enlightened one
  • 方 (fāng): classical character (fāng)
  • 而 (ér): yet / and / but
  • 不 (bù): not / un- / without
  • 割 (gē): classical character (gē)
  • 廉 (lián): classical character (lián)
  • 刿 (guì): classical character (guì)
  • 直 (zhí): classical character (zhí)
  • 肆 (sì): classical character (sì)
  • 光 (guāng): light / radiance / shine
  • 耀 (yào): classical character (yào)