Analects – Book Six

Analects 6.20

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Original Text:

子曰知之者不如好之者好之者不如乐之者

Translation:

Other Translations:

The Master said, “One who knows it is not the equal of one who loves it, and one who loves it is not the equal of one who takes joy in it.”

Confucius, & Slingerland, E. (2003). Analects: With selections from traditional commentaries. Hackett Publishing.

The Master said, To know it is not as good as to approve it. To approve it is not as good as to find joy in it.

Confucius, & Watson, B. (2007). The Analects of Confucius. Columbia University Press.

Analects 6.19

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Original Text:

子曰人之生也直罔之生也幸而免

Translation:

Other Translations:

The Master said, “A person survives by being upright. If you try leading a crooked life, only blind luck will allow you to get by.”

Confucius, & Slingerland, E. (2003). Analects: With selections from traditional commentaries. Hackett Publishing.

The Master said, Human life is a matter of honesty. Live without it, and you’ll be lucky to escape with your life.

Confucius, & Watson, B. (2007). The Analects of Confucius. Columbia University Press.

Analects 6.18

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Original Text:

子曰质胜文则野文胜质则史文质彬彬然后君子

Translation:

Other Translations:

The Master said, “When native substance overwhelms cultural refinement, the result is a crude rustic. When cultural refinement overwhelms native substance, the result is a foppish pedant. Only when culture and native substance are perfectly mixed and balanced do you have a gentleman.”

Confucius, & Slingerland, E. (2003). Analects: With selections from traditional commentaries. Hackett Publishing.

The Master said, Where solid qualities outweigh refinement, you have rusticity. Where refinement outweighs solid qualities, you have the clerkly style. Refinement and solid qualities beautifully balanced—then you have the gentleman.

Confucius, & Watson, B. (2007). The Analects of Confucius. Columbia University Press.

Analects 6.17

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Original Text:

子曰谁能出不由户何莫由斯道也

Translation:

Other Translations:

The Master said, “Who is able to leave a room without going out through the door? How is it, then, that no one follows this Way?”

Confucius, & Slingerland, E. (2003). Analects: With selections from traditional commentaries. Hackett Publishing.

The Master said, Who can go out of a house without using the door? Why does no one use this Way of mine?

Confucius, & Watson, B. (2007). The Analects of Confucius. Columbia University Press.

Analects 6.16

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Original Text:

子曰不有祝鮀之佞而有宋朝之美难乎免于今之世矣

Translation:

Other Translations:

The Master said, “These days it is hard to get by without possessing either the glibness of Priest Tuo or the physical beauty of Song Chao.”

Confucius, & Slingerland, E. (2003). Analects: With selections from traditional commentaries. Hackett Publishing.

The Master said, If you have the good looks of Song Zhao but lack the eloquence of Invocator Tuo, you’ll have a hard time escaping blame in the world today.

Confucius, & Watson, B. (2007). The Analects of Confucius. Columbia University Press.

Analects 6.15

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Original Text:

子曰孟之反不伐奔而殿将入门策其马曰非敢后也马不进也

Translation:

Other Translations:

The Master said, “Meng Zhifan is not given to boasting. When his forces were retreating he stayed behind to defend the rear, but as they were about to enter the city gates he spurred his horses ahead, saying, ‘It was not my courage that kept me back, but merely that my horses would not advance.’ ”

Confucius, & Slingerland, E. (2003). Analects: With selections from traditional commentaries. Hackett Publishing.

The Master said, Meng Zhifan never boasted. When our forces fled in defeat, he guarded the rear. But when he was about to enter the city gates, he whipped up his horses, saying, I wasn’t deliberately lagging behind—my horses wouldn’t go any faster.

Confucius, & Watson, B. (2007). The Analects of Confucius. Columbia University Press.

Analects 6.14

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Original Text:

子游为武城宰子曰女得人焉尔乎曰有澹台灭明者行不由径非公事未尝至于偃之室也

Translation:

Other Translations:

Ziyou was serving as steward of Wucheng.

The Master asked him, “Have you managed to find any worthy people there?”

Ziyou answered, “There is one named Tantai Mieming. He does not take shortcuts when conducting business, and I have never seen him in my chamber except upon official business.”

Confucius, & Slingerland, E. (2003). Analects: With selections from traditional commentaries. Hackett Publishing.

Ziyou was made steward of Wucheng. The Master said, Have you come upon any good men?

Ziyou said, There’s Tantai Mieming. He doesn’t take any shortcuts, and he never comes to my room unless it is on official business.

Confucius, & Watson, B. (2007). The Analects of Confucius. Columbia University Press.

Analects 6.13

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Original Text:

子谓子夏曰女为君子儒毋为小人儒

Translation:

Other Translations:

The Master said to Zixia, “Be a gentlemanly ru. Do not be a petty ru.”

Confucius, & Slingerland, E. (2003). Analects: With selections from traditional commentaries. Hackett Publishing.

The Master said to Zixia, You should be a gentleman scholar. Don’t be a petty man scholar.

Confucius, & Watson, B. (2007). The Analects of Confucius. Columbia University Press.

Analects 6.12

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Original Text:

冉求曰非不说子之道力不足也子曰力不足者中道而废今女画

Translation:

Other Translations:

Ran Qiu said, “It is not that I do not delight in your Way, Master, it is simply that my strength is insufficient.”

The Master said, “Someone whose strength is genuinely insufficient collapses somewhere along the Way. As for you, you deliberately draw the line.”

Confucius, & Slingerland, E. (2003). Analects: With selections from traditional commentaries. Hackett Publishing.

Ran Qiu said, It’s not that I don’t delight in the Master’s Way, but I don’t have sufficient strength for it.

The Master said, Those whose strength is insufficient go at least halfway before giving up. But now you are setting limits for yourself.

Confucius, & Watson, B. (2007). The Analects of Confucius. Columbia University Press.

Analects 6.11

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Original Text:

子曰贤哉回也一箪食一瓢饮在陋巷人不堪其忧回也不改其乐贤哉回也

Translation:

Other Translations:

The Master said, “What a worthy man was Yan Hui! Living in a narrow alley, subsisting on a basket of grain and gourd full of water—other people could not have born such hardship, yet it never spoiled Hui’s joy. What a worthy man was Hui!”

Confucius, & Slingerland, E. (2003). Analects: With selections from traditional commentaries. Hackett Publishing.

The Master said, What a fine man Hui was! One container of rice, one dipperful of drink, living in a back alley—others couldn’t have endured the gloom of it, but he never let it affect his happiness. What a fine man Hui was!

Confucius, & Watson, B. (2007). The Analects of Confucius. Columbia University Press.