Tired

Analects 19.12

Original Text:

子游曰子夏之门人小子当洒扫应对进退则可矣抑末也本之则无如之何子夏闻之曰噫言游过矣君子之道孰先传焉孰后倦焉譬诸草木区以别矣君子之道焉可诬也有始有卒者其惟圣人乎

Translation:

Other Translations:

Ziyou said, “Among the disciples of Zixia, the younger ones are fairly competent when it comes to tasks such as mopping and sweeping, answering summons, and entering and retiring from formal company, but these are all superficialities. They are completely at a loss when it comes to mastering the basics. Why is this?”

When Zixia heard of this, he remarked, “Alas! Ziyou seems to have missed the point. Whose disciples will be the first to be taught the Way of the gentleman, and then in the end grow tired of it? It is like the grass and the trees: you make distinctions between them according to their kind. The Way of the gentleman, how can it be slandered so? Starting at the beginning and working through to the end—surely this describes none other than the sage!”

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

Ziyou said, The young men who are followers of Zixia are competent at sprinkling and sweeping, receiving and responding to guests, advancing and retiring. But these are minor affairs. Question them on fundamentals, and they have no answer. How can that be?

When Zixia heard this, he said, Ah—Ziyou is mistaken. In the Way of the gentleman, what is to be taught first, what can be put aside until later? It’s like the case of plants or trees, which require different types of handling. But the Way of the gentleman—how can it be handled incorrectly? And who understands it from beginning to end?—only the sage can do that!

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

Analects 9.20

Original Text:

子曰语之而不惰者其回也与

Translation:

Other Translations:

The Master said, “One with whom I could discourse without his growing weary—was this not Yan Hui?”

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

The Master said, Someone I could talk to and he never got tired—that was Hui, wasn’t it?

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

Analects 7.34

Original Text:

子曰若圣与仁则吾岂敢抑为之不厌诲人不倦则可谓云尔已矣公西华曰正唯弟子不能学也

Translation:

Other Translations:

The Master said, “How could I dare to lay claim to either sageliness or Goodness? What can be said about me is no more than this: I work at it without growing tired and encourage others without growing weary.”

Gong Xihua observed, “This is precisely what we disciples are unable to learn.”

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

The Master said, The title of sage or humane man—how could I dare lay claim to such? But working without tiring, teaching others and never growing weary—yes, that much could be said of me.

Gongxi Hua said, It’s precisely this that we, his disciples, cannot equal him in!

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

Analects 7.2

Original Text:

子曰默而识之学而不厌诲人不倦何有于我哉

Translation:

Other Translations:

The Master said, “Remaining silent and yet comprehending, learning and yet never becoming tired, encouraging others and never growing weary—these are tasks that present me with no difficulty.”

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

The Master said, To be silent and understand, to learn without tiring, never to weary of teaching others—this much I can do.

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