Shang Yang is a seven-character quatrain written by Wang Anshi, a writer in the Northern Song Dynasty.
The original text is as follows:
Since ancient times, people have been driven by honesty, and a word is more important than gold.
Today's people must be Shang Yang, who can make politics imperative.
Vernacular translation:
Since ancient times, the rule of man is based on honesty and the legislation is strict. Today's Confucian scholars can't slander Shang Yang at will, but he can make laws and policies be resolutely implemented.
Extended data:
Literary appreciation:
Shang Yang is Wang Anshi's seven-character quatrain praising Shang Yang, a pre-Qin legalist. Shang Yang carried out a relatively complete legalist line in Qin State, and the political reform movement he led was a profound social change. At the beginning of the political reform, in order to gain the trust and support of the people, Shang Yang took measures to win the trust of the people and strictly enforce the law.
"Since ancient times, honesty has been driven by the people, and a word is more important than gold", which highly praised Shang Yang's legal practice. When Shang Yang began to reform, he was opposed by declining slave owners and nobles. According to the provisions of "law is not expensive" and "punishment is not graded", Shang Yang resolutely suppressed the restoration forces of slave owners and nobles and continued to reform. Shang Yang Can Makes Politics Implement is a further praise for Shang Yang's winning the trust of the people, resolutely suppressing the restoration forces and successfully carrying out political reform.
Wang Anshi wrote this poem, spoke highly of Shang Yang, affirmed his historical achievements and shattered the sabotage plot of the die-hards. In particular, the phrase "Today's people must be businessmen, and businessmen should make politics" bluntly shows Wang Anshi's position of respecting the law and opposing Confucianism, and gives a tit-for-tat answer to the die-hards' curses on the cause of innovation, indicating Wang Anshi's determination to inherit and carry forward the spirit of Shang Yang's legalism and resolutely implement the new law.
Baidu Encyclopedia-Shang Yang