Classic of Poetry - Confucian Pages

Analects 16.13

Leave a Comment / Analects, Analects - Book Sixteen

Original Text:

陈亢问于伯鱼曰子亦有异闻乎对曰未也尝独立鲤趋而过庭曰学诗乎对曰未也不学诗无以言

鲤退而学诗他日又独立鲤趋而过庭曰学礼乎对曰未也不学礼无以立’鲤退而学礼

闻斯二者陈亢退而喜曰问一得三闻诗闻礼又闻君子之远其子也

Translation:

Other Translations:

Ziqin asked Boyu, “Have you acquired any esoteric learning?”
Boyu replied, “I have not. My father was once standing by himself in the courtyard and, as I hurried by with quickened steps, he asked, ‘Have you learned the Odes?’ I replied, ‘Not yet.’ He said, ‘If you do not learn the Odes, you will lack the means to speak.’ I then retired and learned the Odes.
“On another day, my father was once again standing by himself in the courtyard and, as I hurried by with quickened steps, he asked, ‘Have you learned ritual?’ I replied, ‘Not yet.’ He said, ‘If you do not learn ritual, you will lack the means to take your place.’ I then retired and learned ritual.
“These two things are what I have been taught.”
Ziqin retired and, smiling to himself, remarked “I asked one question and got three answers: I learned about the Odes, I learned about ritual, and I learned how the gentleman keeps his son at a distance.”
Confucius, & Slingerland, E. (2003). Analects: With selections from traditional commentaries. Hackett Publishing.

Chen Gang (Ziqin) questioned [Confucius’s son] Boyu, saying, As a son, have you received any special instruction?
No, replied Boyu. But once, when my father was standing by himself and I hurried across the courtyard, he said, Have you studied the Odes? Not yet, I replied. He said, If you don’t study the Odes, you won’t know how to speak properly! So after that I studied the Odes. Another day, when he was standing by himself and I hurried across the courtyard, he said, Have you studied the rites? Not yet, I replied. He said, If you don’t study the rites, you won’t have any basis to stand on. So after that I studied the rites. He gave me these two pieces of instruction.
Afterward Chen Gang, delighted, said, I asked one question and learned three things. I learned about the Odes, I learned about rites, and I learned that the gentleman maintains a certain distance in relations with his son.
Confucius, & Watson, B. (2007). The Analects of Confucius. Columbia University Press.

Analects 13.5

Leave a Comment / Analects, Analects - Book Thirteen

Original Text:

子曰诵诗三百授之以政不达使于四方不能专对虽多亦奚以为

Translation:

Other Translations:

The Master said, “Imagine a person who can recite the several hundred odes by heart but, when delegated a governmental task, is unable to carry it out, or when sent abroad as an envoy, is unable to engage in repartee. No matter how many odes he might have memorized, what good are they to him?”
Confucius, & Slingerland, E. (2003). Analects: With selections from traditional commentaries. Hackett Publishing.

The Master said, A man may be able to recite all three hundred odes, but if you assign him as an envoy to some neighboring state and he can’t give his answers unassisted, then no matter how many odes he might know, what good is he?
Confucius, & Watson, B. (2007). The Analects of Confucius. Columbia University Press.

Analects 7.18

Leave a Comment / Analects, Analects - Book Seven

Original Text:

子所雅言诗书执礼皆雅言也

Translation:

Other Translations:

The Master used the classical pronunciation when reciting the Odes and the History, and when conducting ritual. In all of these cases, he used the classical pronunciation.
Confucius, & Slingerland, E. (2003). Analects: With selections from traditional commentaries. Hackett Publishing.

The Master used the correct pronunciations when speaking of the Odes and Documents or the conduct of rituals. On all such occasions, he used the correct pronunciations.
Confucius, & Watson, B. (2007). The Analects of Confucius. Columbia University Press.

Analects 2.2

Leave a Comment / Analects, Analects - Book Two

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 1.15

Leave a Comment / Analects, Analects - Book One

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.