Gatekeeper

Original Text:

子路宿于石门晨门曰奚自子路曰自孔氏曰是知其不可而为之者与

Translation:

Other Translations:

Zilu spent the night at Stone Gate. The next morning, the gatekeeper asked him, “Where have you come from?”

Zilu answered, “From the house of Confucius.”

“Isn’t he the one who knows that what he does is impossible and yet persists anyway?”

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

Zilu stopped for the night at Stone Gate. The gatekeeper said, Where are you from? Zilu said, From the household of Confucius.

The gatekeeper said, The one who knows there’s nothing that can be done but keeps on trying?

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