Halfway

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.