Analects 16.13
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.
