子曰君子矜而不争群而不党
The Master said, “The gentleman is proud, but not competitive. He is sociable, but not partisan.”
Confucius, & Slingerland, E. (2003). Analects: With selections from traditional commentaries. Hackett Publishing.
The Master said, The gentleman is proud but not contentious; he joins with others but is not cliquish.
Confucius, & Watson, B. (2007). The Analects of Confucius. Columbia University Press.
子曰君子求诸己小人求诸人
The Master said, “The gentleman seeks it in himself; the petty person seeks it in others.”
Confucius, & Slingerland, E. (2003). Analects: With selections from traditional commentaries. Hackett Publishing.
The Master said, The gentleman makes demands on himself. The petty man makes demands on others.
Confucius, & Watson, B. (2007). The Analects of Confucius. Columbia University Press.
子曰君子疾没世而名不称焉
The Master said, “The gentleman is troubled by the possibility that his name will go uncelebrated after his death.”
Confucius, & Slingerland, E. (2003). Analects: With selections from traditional commentaries. Hackett Publishing.
The Master said, The gentleman is pained to think that after he has left the world his name will not be remembered.
Confucius, & Watson, B. (2007). The Analects of Confucius. Columbia University Press.
子曰君子病无能焉不病人之不己知也
The Master said, “The gentleman is distressed by his own inability, rather than the failure of others to recognize him.
Confucius, & Slingerland, E. (2003). Analects: With selections from traditional commentaries. Hackett Publishing.
The Master said, The gentleman is troubled by his own lack of ability. He is not troubled by the fact that others do not understand him.
Confucius, & Watson, B. (2007). The Analects of Confucius. Columbia University Press.
子曰君子义以为质礼以行之孙以出之信以成之君子哉
The Master said, “The gentleman takes rightness as his substance, puts it into practice by means of ritual, gives it expression through modesty, and perfects it by being trustworthy. Now that is a gentleman!”
Confucius, & Slingerland, E. (2003). Analects: With selections from traditional commentaries. Hackett Publishing.
The Master said, The gentleman makes rightness the substance, practices it through ritual, displays it with humility, brings it to completion with trustworthiness. That’s the gentleman.
Confucius, & Watson, B. (2007). The Analects of Confucius. Columbia University Press.
子曰群居终日言不及义好行小慧难矣哉
The Master said, “People who can spend an entire day together indulging their predilection for petty cleverness, without their conversation ever once touching upon rightness—these are hard cases indeed!”
Confucius, & Slingerland, E. (2003). Analects: With selections from traditional commentaries. Hackett Publishing.
The Master said, Groups gathered together all day, not a word touching what is right, happy in carrying out their petty schemes—don’t look for much from them!
Confucius, & Watson, B. (2007). The Analects of Confucius. Columbia University Press.
子曰不曰如之何如之何者吾末如之何也已矣
The Master said, “I have never been able to do anything for a person who is not himself constantly asking, ‘What should I do? What should I do?’ ”
Confucius, & Slingerland, E. (2003). Analects: With selections from traditional commentaries. Hackett Publishing.
The Master said, People who don’t ask themselves, How should I proceed? How should I proceed?—I don’t know how to proceed with their kind!
Confucius, & Watson, B. (2007). The Analects of Confucius. Columbia University Press.
子曰躬自厚而薄责于人则远怨矣
The Master said, “Demand much of yourself, but ask little of others, and you will keep resentment at a distance.” The Master said, “Demand much of yourself, but ask little of others, and you will keep resentment at a distance.”
Confucius, & Slingerland, E. (2003). Analects: With selections from traditional commentaries. Hackett Publishing.
The Master said, Be hard on yourself; go lightly when you blame others—that way you stay clear of resentment.
Confucius, & Watson, B. (2007). The Analects of Confucius. Columbia University Press.
子曰臧文仲其窃位者与知柳下惠之贤而不与立也
The Master said, “As for Zang Wenzhong, was he not a thief of official positions? He was aware of Liuxia Hui’s worthiness, and yet would not have him as a colleague.”
Confucius, & Slingerland, E. (2003). Analects: With selections from traditional commentaries. Hackett Publishing.
The Master said, Zang Wenzhong held high office unjustly, did he not? He knew that Liuxia Hui was a man of worth, but failed to elevate him to a position comparable to his own.
Confucius, & Watson, B. (2007). The Analects of Confucius. Columbia University Press.
子曰已矣乎吾未见好德如好色者也
The Master said, “I should just give up! I have yet to meet a man who loves Virtue as much as female beauty.”
Confucius, & Slingerland, E. (2003). Analects: With selections from traditional commentaries. Hackett Publishing.
The Master said, It’s hopeless! I have never seen the person who loved virtue the way he loved physical beauty.
Confucius, & Watson, B. (2007). The Analects of Confucius. Columbia University Press.
