Analects

Analects 2.6

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Original Text:

孟武伯问孝子曰父母唯其疾之忧

Translation:

Other Translations:

Meng Wubo asked about filial piety. The Master replied, “Give your parents no cause for anxiety other than the possibility that they might fall ill.”

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

Meng Wu Bo asked about filial devotion. The Master said, Your father and mother should have to worry only about your falling ill.

[Or, according to another interpretation of the last clause:]

In the case of one’s father and mother, one just worries about their falling ill.

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

Analects 2.5

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Original Text:

孟懿子问孝子曰无违樊迟御子告之曰孟孙问孝于我我对曰无违樊迟曰何谓也子曰生事之以礼死葬之以礼祭之以礼

Translation:

Other Translations:

Meng Yizi asked about filial piety. The Master replied, “Do not disobey.”

Later, Fan Chi was driving the Master’s chariot. The Master said to him, “Just now Meng Yizi asked me about filial piety, and I answered, ‘Do not disobey.'”

Fan Chi said, “What did you mean by that?”

The Master replied, “When your parents are alive, serve them in accordance with the rites; when they pass away, bury them in accordance with the rites and sacrifice to them in accordance with the rites.”

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

Meng Yi Zi asked about filial devotion. The Master replied, Never break the rules.

When Fan Chi was driving the carriage, the Master reported this to him, saying, Meng Sun (Meng Yi Zi) asked me about filial devotion. I told him, Never break the rules.

Fan Chi said, What did you mean by that?

The Master said, While they are alive, serve them according to ritual. When they die, bury them according to ritual, and sacrifice to them in accord with ritual.

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

Analects 2.4

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Original Text:

子曰吾十有五而志于学三十而立四十而不惑五十而知天命六十而耳顺七十而从心所欲不逾矩

Translation:

Other Translations:

The Master said, “At fifteen, I set my mind upon learning;

at thirty, I took my place in society;

at forty, I became free of doubts;

at fifty, I understood Heaven’s Mandate;

at sixty, my ear was attuned;

and at seventy, I could follow my heart’s desires without overstepping the bounds of propriety.”

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

The Master said, At fifteen I set my mind on learning; by thirty I had found my footing; at forty I was free of perplexities; by fifty I understood the will of Heaven; by sixty I learned to give ear to others; by seventy I could follow my heart’s desires without overstepping the line.

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

Analects 2.3

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Original Text:

子曰道之以政齐之以刑民免而无耻道之以德齐之以礼有耻且格

Translation:

Other Translations:

The Master said, “If you try to guide the common people with coercive regulations and keep them in line with punishments, the common people will become evasive and will have no sense of shame. If, however, you guide them with Virtue, and keep them in line by means of ritual, the people will have a sense of shame and will rectify themselves.”

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

The Master said, Guide them with government orders, regulate them with penalties, and the people will seek to evade the law and be without shame. Guide them with virtue, regulate them with ritual, and they will have a sense of shame and become upright.

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

Analects 2.2

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Original Text:

子曰诗三百一言以蔽之曰思无邪

Translation:

Other Translations:

The Master said, “The Odes number several hundred, and yet can be judged with a single phrase: ‘Oh, they will not lead you astray'”

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

The Master said, The three hundred poems of the Book of Odes may be summed up in a single phrase: Think nothing base.

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

Analects 2.1

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Original Text:

子曰为政以德譬如北辰居其所而众星共之

Translation:

Other Translations:

The Master said, “One who rules through the power of Virtue is analogous to the Pole Star: it simply remains in its place and receives the homage of the myriad lesser stars.”

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

The Master said, Conduct government in accordance with virtue, and it will be like the North Star standing in its place, with all the other stars paying court to it.

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

Analects 1.16

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Original Text:

子曰不患人之不己知患不知人也

Translation:

Other Translations:

The Master said, “Do not be concerned about whether or not others know you; be concerned about whether or not you know others.”

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

The Master said, Don’t worry about whether other people understand you. Worry about whether you understand other people.

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

Analects 1.15

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Original Text:

子贡曰贫而无谄富而无骄何如子曰可也未若贫而乐富而好礼者也子贡曰诗云如切如磋如琢如磨其斯之谓与子曰赐也始可与言诗已矣告诸往而知来者

Translation:

Other Translations:

Zigong said, “Poor without being obsequious, rich without being arrogant – what would you say about someone like that?”

The Master answered, “That is acceptable, but it is still not as good as being poor yet joyful, rich and yet loving ritual.”

Zigong said, “An ode says,

‘As if cut, as if polished;

As if carved, as if ground.’

Is this not what you have in mind?”

The Master said, “Zigong, you are precisely the kind of person with whom one can begin to discuss the Odes. Informed as to what has gone before, you know what is to come.”

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

Zigong said, Poor but free of obsequiousness, rich but free of arrogance – how would that do?

The Master said, All right. But not as good as poor but happy in the Way, rich but a lover of rites.

Zigong said, When the Odessays:

As something cut, something filed,

something ground, something polished

Is that what it’s talking about?

The Master said, Si (Zigong), now I can begin to talk to you about the Odes. Someone tells you the first step, and you understand the step that comes after!

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

Analects 1.14

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Original Text:

子曰君子食无求饱居无求安敏于事而慎于言就有道而正焉可谓好学也已

Translation:

Other Translations:

The Master said, “The gentleman is not motivated by the desire for a full belly or a comfortable abode. He is simply scrupulous in behavior and careful in speech, drawing near to those who possess the Way in order to be set straight by them. Surely this and nothing else is what it means to love learning.

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

The Master said, A gentleman when he eats doesn’t try to stuff himself, when he chooses a dwelling is not overly concerned about comfort. He is attentive to affairs, careful of his words, and looks to those who have the Way to correct himself. He’s the kind who can be called a lover of learning.

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

Analects 1.13

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Original Text:

有子曰信近于义言可复也恭近于礼远耻辱也因不失其亲亦可宗也

Translation:

Other Translations:

Master You said, “Trustworthiness comes close to rightness, in that your word can be counted upon. Reverence comes close to ritual propriety, in that it allows you to keep shame and public disgrace at a distance. Simply following these virtues, never letting them out of your sight – one cannot deny that this is worthy of respect.”

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

Master You said, Trustworthiness is close to rightness – it ensure that people will live up to their word. Courtesy is close to ritual decorum – it ensures that people will give wide berth to shame and disgrace. When one makes no mistakes in what he favors, he can serve as a leader.

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