p8nda
p8nda BETA
Home Dictionary Translate Flashcards

居庙堂之高则忧其民

居廟堂之高則憂其民
jū miàotáng zhī gāo zé yōu qí mín
quotation

Meanings

  1. 1 when occupying the height of the imperial court, worry for the people
  2. 2 (fig.) the duty of a high official is to fret for those below, not to enjoy the view
  3. 3 (lit.) dwell temple-hall's height, then worry his people

Examples

HSK 7-9
范仲淹教导后人居庙堂之高则忧其民，当官要想着百姓。
Fàn Zhòngyān jiàodǎo hòurén jūmiàotángzhīgāo zé yōu qí mín, dāngguān yào xiǎng zhe bǎixìng.
Fan Zhongyan taught that 'in the height of the court, worry for the people' - officials must think of the common folk.
HSK 7-9
他身为市长，始终记得居庙堂之高则忧其民。
Tā shēnwéi shìzhǎng, shǐzhōng jìde jūmiàotángzhīgāo zé yōu qí mín.
As mayor, he never forgot 'in the height of the court, one must worry for the people.'

Tips

history
From 范仲淹 岳阳楼记 (Fan Zhongyan, Record of Yueyang Tower, 1046, Northern Song). Full passage: 居庙堂之高，则忧其民；处江湖之远，则忧其君 (When high in the imperial court, I worry for the people; when far on the rivers and lakes, I worry for the ruler). One of the defining statements of Confucian official ethics.
usage
庙堂 literally 'ancestral hall' - here a metonym for the imperial court. Always paired with 处江湖之远则忧其君 (out in the rivers-and-lakes, worry for the ruler). The whole passage culminates in 先忧后乐 (first to worry, last to rejoice).

Stroke Order

居 jū
庙 miào
堂 táng
之 zhī
高 gāo
则 zé
忧 yōu
其 qí
民 mín