Joy - Confucian Pages

Analects 16.5

Leave a Comment / Analects, Analects - Book Sixteen

Original Text:

孔子曰益者三乐损者三乐乐节礼乐乐道人之善乐多贤友益矣乐骄乐乐佚游乐宴乐损矣

Translation:

Other Translations:

Confucius said, “Beneficial types of joy number three, as do harmful types of joy. Taking joy in regulating yourself through the rites and music, in commending the excellence of others, or in possessing many worthy friends—these are the beneficial types of joy. Taking joy in arrogant behavior, idle amusements, or decadent licentiousness—these are the harmful types of joys.”
Confucius, & Slingerland, E. (2003). Analects: With selections from traditional commentaries. Hackett Publishing.

Confucius said, Three kinds of delight are beneficial; three kinds are harmful. The delight of regulating oneself with rites and music, the delight of speaking of others’ good points, the delight of having many worthy friends—these are beneficial. Delight in extravagant pleasures, delight in idle wanderings, delight in the joys of the feast—these are harmful.
Confucius, & Watson, B. (2007). The Analects of Confucius. Columbia University Press.

Analects 14.13

Leave a Comment / Analects, Analects - Book Fourteen

Original Text:

子问公叔文子于公明贾曰信乎夫子不言不笑不取乎公明贾对曰以告者过也夫子时然后言人不厌其言乐然后笑人不厌其笑义然后取人不厌其取子曰其然岂其然乎

Translation:

Other Translations:

The Master asked Gongming Jia about Gongshu Wenzi, saying, “Is it really true that your master did not speak, did not laugh, and did not take?”
Gongming Jia answered, “Whoever told you that was exaggerating. My master only spoke when the time was right, and so people never grew impatient listening to him. He only laughed when he was genuinely full of joy, and so people never tired of hearing him laugh. He only took what was rightfully his, and so people never resented his taking of things.”
The Master said, “Was he really that good? Could he really have been that good?”
Confucius, & Slingerland, E. (2003). Analects: With selections from traditional commentaries. Hackett Publishing.

The Master questioned Gongming Jia about Gongshu Wenzi, saying, Is it true that your master never spoke, never laughed, and never accepted things?
Gongming Jia replied, Whoever told you that was exaggerating. My master spoke only when it was time to do so—thus others did not object to his speaking. He laughed only when he was happy—so others did not object to his laughter. He accepted things only when it was right to do so—thus others did not object to his accepting.
The Master said, Is that so? Could that really be so?
Confucius, & Watson, B. (2007). The Analects of Confucius. Columbia University Press.

Analects 7.19

Leave a Comment / Analects, Analects - Book Seven

Original Text:

叶公问孔子于子路子路不对子曰女奚不曰其为人也发愤忘食乐以忘忧不知老之将至云尔

Translation:

Other Translations:

The Duke of She asked Zilu about Confucius. Zilu had no reply.
[Upon Zilu’s return], the Master said, “Why did you not just say: ‘He is the type of person who is so passionate that he forgets to eat, whose joy renders him free of worries, and who grows old without noticing the passage of the years.’ ”
Confucius, & Slingerland, E. (2003). Analects: With selections from traditional commentaries. Hackett Publishing.

The lord of She asked Zilu about Confucius, but Zilu did not reply.
The Master said, Why didn’t you tell him that he’s the kind of person who in bursts of enthusiasm forgets to eat, in his delight forgets to worry, and doesn’t even realize that old age is coming on?
Confucius, & Watson, B. (2007). The Analects of Confucius. Columbia University Press.

Analects 7.16

Leave a Comment / Analects, Analects - Book Seven

Original Text:

子曰饭疏食饮水曲肱而枕之乐亦在其中矣不义而富且贵于我如浮云

Translation:

Other Translations:

The Master said, “Eating plain food and drinking water, having only your bent arm as a pillow—certainly there is joy to be found in this! Wealth and eminence attained improperly concern me no more than the floating clouds.”
Confucius, & Slingerland, E. (2003). Analects: With selections from traditional commentaries. Hackett Publishing.

The Master said, Eating simple food, drinking water, a bended arm for a pillow—there’s happiness in these things too. Wealth and eminence gained by unrightful means are to me mere drifting clouds.
Confucius, & Watson, B. (2007). The Analects of Confucius. Columbia University Press.

Analects 6.20

Leave a Comment / Analects, Analects - Book Six

Original Text:

子曰知之者不如好之者好之者不如乐之者

Translation:

Other Translations:

The Master said, “One who knows it is not the equal of one who loves it, and one who loves it is not the equal of one who takes joy in it.”
Confucius, & Slingerland, E. (2003). Analects: With selections from traditional commentaries. Hackett Publishing.

The Master said, To know it is not as good as to approve it. To approve it is not as good as to find joy in it.
Confucius, & Watson, B. (2007). The Analects of Confucius. Columbia University Press.

Analects 6.11

Leave a Comment / Analects, Analects - Book Six

Original Text:

子曰贤哉回也一箪食一瓢饮在陋巷人不堪其忧回也不改其乐贤哉回也

Translation:

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The Master said, “What a worthy man was Yan Hui! Living in a narrow alley, subsisting on a basket of grain and gourd full of water—other people could not have born such hardship, yet it never spoiled Hui’s joy. What a worthy man was Hui!”
Confucius, & Slingerland, E. (2003). Analects: With selections from traditional commentaries. Hackett Publishing.

The Master said, What a fine man Hui was! One container of rice, one dipperful of drink, living in a back alley—others couldn’t have endured the gloom of it, but he never let it affect his happiness. What a fine man Hui was!
Confucius, & Watson, B. (2007). The Analects of Confucius. Columbia University Press.

Analects 4.21

Leave a Comment / Analects, Analects - Book Four

Original Text:

子曰父母之年不可不知也一则以喜一则以惧

Translation:

Other Translations:

The Master said, “You must always be aware of the age of your parents. On the one hand, it is a cause for rejoicing, on the other a source of anxiety.”
Confucius, & Slingerland, E. (2003). Analects: With selections from traditional commentaries. Hackett Publishing.

The Master said, You must not be ignorant of the age of your father and mother! For one thing, it is a cause for rejoicing; for another, a cause for fear.
Confucius, & Watson, B. (2007). The Analects of Confucius. Columbia University Press.

Analects 3.20

Leave a Comment / Analects, Analects - Book Three

Original Text:

子曰关雎乐而不淫哀而不伤

Translation:

Other Translations:

That Master said, “The ‘Cry of the Osprey’ expresses joy without becoming licentious, and expresses sorrow without falling into excessive pathos.”
Confucius, & Slingerland, E. (2003). Analects: With selections from traditional commentaries. Hackett Publishing.

The Master said, The Guanju ode – joy, with not excessive; sadness, but not to the point of injury.
Confucius, & Watson, B. (2007). The Analects of Confucius. Columbia University Press.

Analects 3.3

Leave a Comment / Analects, Analects - Book Three

Original Text:

子曰人而不仁如礼何人而不仁如乐何

Translation:

Other Translations:

The Master said, “A man who is not Good – what has he to do with ritual? A man who is not Good – what has he to do with music?”
Confucius, & Slingerland, E. (2003). Analects: With selections from traditional commentaries. Hackett Publishing.

The Master said, A human being who lacks humaneness – what is ritual to someone like that? A human being who lacks humaneness – what is music to someone like that?
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.