📜 Original Text: ‘The Book of Rites - Under the Bow’
Confucius passed by Mount Tai.
He saw a woman crying bitterly at a grave. The gentleman approached and listened, asking, “Why do you cry so sorrowfully?”
The woman replied, “In the past, my grandfather was killed by a tiger, my father was also killed by a tiger, and now my son has been killed by a tiger.”
The gentleman asked, “Why don’t you leave this place?”
She replied, “Because there is no harsh politics here.”
Confucius sighed and said to his disciples, “Remember this: Harsh politics is more fearsome than tigers!”
🗣 Vernacular Translation and Analysis
Once, Confucius passed by Mount Tai and saw a woman crying bitterly at a grave.
Confucius heard her sorrowful cries and sent Zilu to inquire.
Zilu asked:
“Madam, you cry so sorrowfully. Is there something heartbreaking?”
The woman replied:
“Yes. In the past, my grandfather was eaten by a tiger, my husband was eaten by a tiger, and now my son has been eaten by a tiger.”
Zilu then asked:
“Why don’t you leave this place?”
The woman said:
“Because there is no harsh governance here.”
Confucius lamented deeply to his students:
“Remember this! Harsh governance is more fearsome than tigers!”