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Analects 13.15

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Original Text:

定公问一言而可以兴邦有诸孔子对曰言不可以若是其几也人之言曰为君难为臣不易如知为君之难也不几乎一言而兴邦乎

曰一言而丧邦有诸孔子对曰言不可以若是其几也人之言曰予无乐乎为君唯其言而莫予违也如其善而莫之违也不亦善乎如不善而莫之违也不几乎一言而丧邦乎

Translation:

Other Translations:

Duke Ding asked, “A single saying that can cause a state to flourish—is there such a thing as this?”
Confucius replied, “There is no saying that can have that sort of effect. There is, however, something close. People have a saying, ‘Being a ruler is difficult, and being a minister is not easy.’ If this saying helps you to understand that being a ruler is difficult, does it not come close to being a single saying that can cause a state to flourish?”
Duke Ding asked, “A single saying that can cause a state to perish—is there such a thing as this?”
Confucius replied, “There is no saying that can have that sort of effect. There is, however, something close. People have a saying, ‘I take no joy in being a ruler, except that no one dares to oppose what I say.’ If what the ruler says is good, and no one opposes him, is this not good? On the other hand, if what he says is not good, and no one opposes him, does this not come close to being a single saying that can cause a state to perish?”
Confucius, & Slingerland, E. (2003). Analects: With selections from traditional commentaries. Hackett Publishing.

Duke Ding asked, Is there one word that can bring prosperity to the domain?
Confucius replied, Words alone cannot do that. But there’s a saying that might come close. People say, To be a ruler is difficult; to be a minister is not easy. If the ruler understands that it is not easy to be a ruler, this would come close, would it not, to “one word that can bring prosperity to the domain”?
And is there one word that can bring ruin to the domain? asked the duke.
Confucius replied, Words alone cannot do that. But there’s a saying that might come close. People have a saying, I have no delight in being a ruler. My sole delight is making certain that no one contradicts my words.
If he is a good ruler and no one contradicts him, that would be good, would it not? But if he is not good and no one contradicts him, this would come close to being “one word that can bring ruin to the domain,” would it not?
Confucius, & Watson, B. (2007). The Analects of Confucius. Columbia University Press.

Analects 13.14

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Original Text:

冉子退朝子曰何晏也对曰有政子曰其事也如有政虽不吾以吾其与闻之

Translation:

Other Translations:

Ran Qiu returned from court.
The Master asked, “Why so late?
Ran Qiu replied, “There were governmental matters to be discussed.”
The Master said, “No, what you were discussing were ‘private affairs’. If there were governmental matters to be discussed, how would I have not received word of them, even though I am not employed?”
Confucius, & Slingerland, E. (2003). Analects: With selections from traditional commentaries. Hackett Publishing.

Master Ran came from a gathering of the court. The Master said, Why are you so late?
Ran You replied, There was government business.
The Master said, Routine matters, no doubt. If there had been real government business, though I do not hold office, I would surely have been consulted.
Confucius, & Watson, B. (2007). The Analects of Confucius. Columbia University Press.

Analects 13.13

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Original Text:

子曰苟正其身矣于从政乎何有不能正其身如正人何

Translation:

Other Translations:

The Master said, “If you simply correct yourself, what difficulties could you encounter in government service? If you cannot correct yourself, how can you expect to correct others?”
Confucius, & Slingerland, E. (2003). Analects: With selections from traditional commentaries. Hackett Publishing.

The Master said, If you can learn to correct yourself, what trouble could you have in administering government? But if you cannot correct yourself, how can you hope to correct others?
Confucius, & Watson, B. (2007). The Analects of Confucius. Columbia University Press.

Analects 13.12

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Original Text:

子曰如有王者必世而后仁

Translation:

Other Translations:

The Master said, “If a true king were to arise, though, we would certainly see a return to Goodness after a single generation.”
Confucius, & Slingerland, E. (2003). Analects: With selections from traditional commentaries. Hackett Publishing.

The Master said, Even if we had a true king, it would require a generation before humaneness would prevail.
Confucius, & Watson, B. (2007). The Analects of Confucius. Columbia University Press.

Analects 13.11

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Original Text:

子曰善人为邦百年亦可以胜残去杀矣诚哉是言也

Translation:

Other Translations:

The Master said, “‘If excellent people managed the state for a hundred years, then certainly they could overcome cruelty and do away with executions’—how true this saying is!”
Confucius, & Slingerland, E. (2003). Analects: With selections from traditional commentaries. Hackett Publishing.

The Master said, They say that if good men were to govern the domain for a hundred years, they could wipe out violence and put an end to killing. How true those words!
Confucius, & Watson, B. (2007). The Analects of Confucius. Columbia University Press.

Analects 13.10

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Original Text:

子曰苟有用我者期月而已可也三年有成

Translation:

Other Translations:

The Master said, “ ‘If someone would simply employ me, within a single year I could put things into some kind of order, and within three years the transformation would be complete.”
Confucius, & Slingerland, E. (2003). Analects: With selections from traditional commentaries. Hackett Publishing.

The Master said, If someone were to employ me in government, in one year I could show what I can do. And in three years, I could bring things to completion.
Confucius, & Watson, B. (2007). The Analects of Confucius. Columbia University Press.

Analects 13.9

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Original Text:

子适卫冉有仆子曰庶矣哉冉有曰既庶矣又何加焉曰富之曰既富矣又何加焉曰教之

Translation:

Other Translations:

The Master traveled to Wei, with Ran Qiu as his carriage driver. [Upon arriving,] the Master remarked, “How numerous the people of this state are!”
Ran Qiu asked, “Being already numerous, what can be done to further improve them?”
The Master replied, “Make them wealthy.”
“Once they are wealthy, what else can be done to improve them?”
“Instruct them.”
Confucius, & Slingerland, E. (2003). Analects: With selections from traditional commentaries. Hackett Publishing.

When the Master went to Wei, Ran You acted as his carriage driver. The Master said, A sizable population!
Ran You said, Once you have a sizable population, what should you do next?
The Master said, Make them rich!
And once they are rich?
The Master said, Instruct them!
Confucius, & Watson, B. (2007). The Analects of Confucius. Columbia University Press.

Analects 13.8

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Original Text:

子谓卫公子荆善居室始有曰苟合矣少有曰苟完矣富有曰苟美矣

Translation:

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The Master said of Prince Jing of Wei, “He is good at running a household. When he first built his house, he said, ‘Oh, it seems acceptable.’ After he had worked on it for a while, he said, ‘Oh, it seems finished.’ When he became wealthy and had improved it, he said, ‘It seems beautiful to me.’ ”
Confucius, & Slingerland, E. (2003). Analects: With selections from traditional commentaries. Hackett Publishing.

The Master said of the ducal son Jing of Wei, He was good at managing his household wealth. At first he said, This just about covers things. When he had accumulated a little more, he said, Just about enough! When he became truly rich, he said, Just about perfect!
Confucius, & Watson, B. (2007). The Analects of Confucius. Columbia University Press.

Analects 13.7

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Original Text:

子曰鲁卫之政兄弟也

Translation:

Other Translations:

The Master said, “In their forms of government, the states of Lu and Wei are like elder and younger brother.”
Confucius, & Slingerland, E. (2003). Analects: With selections from traditional commentaries. Hackett Publishing.

The Master said, The governments of Lu and Wei are elder and younger brothers.
Confucius, & Watson, B. (2007). The Analects of Confucius. Columbia University Press.

Analects 13.6

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Original Text:

子曰其身正不令而行其身不正虽令不从

Translation:

Other Translations:

The Master said, “When the ruler is correct, his will is put into effect without the need for official orders. When the ruler’s person is not correct, he will not be obeyed no matter how many orders he issues.”
Confucius, & Slingerland, E. (2003). Analects: With selections from traditional commentaries. Hackett Publishing.

The Master said, If the person himself is correct, then although you do not order him to do so, he will act. But if the person himself is not correct, then although you order him, he will not obey.
Confucius, & Watson, B. (2007). The Analects of Confucius. Columbia University Press.