Praise

Analects 16.12

Leave a Comment / Analects, Analects - Book Sixteen

Original Text:

齐景公有马千驷死之日民无德而称焉伯夷叔齐饿于首阳之下民到于今称之其斯之谓与

Translation:

Other Translations:

“ ‘Duke Jing of Qi had a thousand teams of horses, and yet on the day he died, the people could find no reason to praise him. Bo Yi and Shu Qi starved to death at the foot of Mt. Shouyang, and yet to this day the common people still praise them.’ ”

“Is this not an example of this?”

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

Duke Jing of Qi had a thousand teams of four horses, but the day he died, the common people of Qi could think of no bounty to praise him for. Bo Yi and Shu Qi died of hunger on Mount Shou-yang, yet to this day the common people praise them. This is what the saying means.

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

Analects 15.25

Leave a Comment / Analects, Analects - Book Fifteen

Original Text:

子曰吾之于人也谁毁谁誉如有所誉者其有所试矣斯民也三代之所以直道而行也

Translation:

Other Translations:

The Master said, “When it comes to other people, whom have I condemned? Whom have I praised? If I have praised someone, you can be sure it is because they have been put to the test. The common people today are the same people who allowed the Three Dynasties to put the upright Way into practice.”

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

The Master said, In my dealings with others, who have I censured, who have I praised? If I praise someone, it is because he has been put to the test. The common people of today are the ones who carried out the straight Way of the Three Dynasties.

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

Analects 14.33

Leave a Comment / Analects, Analects - Book Fourteen

Original Text:

曰骥不称其力称其德也

Translation:

Other Translations:

The Master said, “One does not praise a thoroughbred horse for its physical strength, but rather for its character.”

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

he Master said, The famous horse Qi was praised not for his strength but for his virtue.

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