The analects of Confucius
Lúnyǔ / 論語
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子曰
雍也可使南面。
仲弓問子桑伯子，
子曰
可也簡。
仲弓曰
居敬而行簡，
以臨其民，
不亦可乎？
居簡而行簡，
無乃大簡乎？
子曰
雍之言然。
Confucius said of one named Yong
that he could take the Emperor's place with ease.
Yong said:
And what about Sang Bo?
Confucius replied:
He doesn't fuss about the little things and keeps it simple.
He will do.
Yong then said:
I think it's good if someone solemnly makes decisions with the big picture in mind and doesn't lose time focusing on details.
But someone who brushes over things in matters both large and small, that would be excessive.
Said Confucius:
True indeed.
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哀公問
弟子孰為好學？
孔子對曰
有顏回者好學，
不遷怒，
不貳過。
不幸短命死矣！
今也則亡，
未聞好學者也。
A Duke once asked Confucius which of his pupils was the most eager to learn.
Said Confucius:
Yan Hui was a pearl of a student! They just wanted to learn; when they was angry, they took it out on no one; they also didn't pick up bad behavior from anyone.
Unfortunately, they died.
Since then I haven't seen anyone as eager to learn as them.
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子華使於齊，
冉子為其母請粟。
子曰
與之釜。
請益。
曰
與之庾。
冉子與之粟五秉。
子曰
赤之適齊也，
乘肥馬，
衣輕裘。
吾聞之也，
君子周急不繼富。
While the prince was leaving on a mission to another state, a student asked Confucius for grain for his mother during the scarcity.
Said Confucius:
Give her a basket full of grain.
The student asked for more.
Confucius:
All right, give her a whole batch of grain.
The disciple took twenty-five bundles of grain and gave it to his mother.
Confucius then said:
The prince had just set out on a mission with well-fed horses, but for himself he had only light clothes. To distribute to those in need, that I might call that noble, but to make the rich even richer, not so much.
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原思為之宰，
與之粟九百，
辭。
子曰
毋！
以與爾鄰里鄉黨乎！
Now one of his disciples was appointed governor.
Confucius therefore gave him 900 packets of grain.
The new governor refused such a large present, but Confucius said:
Please!
Then why not distribute it to all neighborhoods, towns, cities and districts?
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子谓仲弓曰
犂牛之子騂且角，
虽欲勿用，
山川其舍诸？
Said Confucius:
A calf with strange horns and fur,
A calf for which no man can devise a use;
Would mountains or rivers reject it?
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子曰
回也，
其心三月不違仁，
其餘則日月至焉而已矣。
Confucius once said of a very good student that for three months at a time they could empty their mind of anything but humanity.
Others could only last a few days or weeks.
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季康子問
仲由可使從政也與？
子曰
由也果，
於從政乎何有？
曰
賜也，
可使從政也與？
曰
賜也達，
於從政乎何有？
曰
求也，
可使從政也與？
曰
求也藝，
於從政乎何有？
Now the question came to Confucius whether a certain person was fit to serve on the board.
Said Confucius:
They come to a decision easily, why would it be difficult for them to be on the board?
They then asked about another person.
Said Confucius:
They are intelligent, why would it be difficult for them to be on the board?
And they asked him again about another person.
What Confucius said to that:
They have many different talents, why would it be difficult for them to be on the board?
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季氏使閔子騫為費宰。
閔子騫曰
善為我辭焉。
如有復我者，
則吾必在汶上矣。
Now the chairman of a high-level board came to the governor with an offer.
The governor listened intently and said kindly:
No, thank you.
He said to his assistant:
If I get another offer like that, I'll have to move state, specifically to avoid all these offers.
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伯牛有疾，
子問之，
自牖執其手，
曰
亡之，
命矣夫！
斯人也而有斯疾也！
斯人也而有斯疾也！
Confucius went to visit a friend, Bo Niu, but was told they were mortally ill.
Confucius was led to the window of the room where they lay.
Confucius took his hand and wailed:
He is dying, Heaven is already embracing him.
What did they do to deserve this disease? What did they do to deserve this disease?
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子曰
賢哉回也！
一簞食，
一瓢飲，
在陋巷。
人不堪其憂，
回也不改其樂。
賢哉回也！
Said Confucius about Honorable Hui:
Even in a humble neighborhood, with not much more than one bowl of rice a day and even less of water, they didn’t allow it to ruin their mood!
How fantastic is this person!
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冉求曰
非不說子之道，
力不足也。
子曰
力不足者，
中道而廢。
今女畫。
A disciple said to Confucius:
It's not that I don't like your lessons, but I'm not strong enough for that.
Said Confucius:
Those who are indeed not strong enough must give up and stop at some point along the Path.
You stop in advance.
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子謂子夏曰
女為君子儒，
無為小人儒。
Confucius patted a student on the fingers and said:
Be a student of everything you could become, instead of everything you could acquire.
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子游為武城宰。
子曰
女得人焉爾乎？
曰
有澹臺滅明者，
行不由徑。
非公事，
未嘗至於偃之室也。
Confucius asked a disciple who had become regent:
And, have you met any remarkable people yet?
The student replied:
Yes, one person. I've noticed they never take detours. And they never come to visit me except on official business.
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子曰
孟之反不伐，
奔而殿。
將入門，
策其馬，
曰
非敢後也，
馬不進也。
Said Confucius:
Showing off your strengths isn’t modest.
Even showing off modesty isn’t modest.
Now there was a warrior whom I admire very much. During a battle, they were ordered to retreat. When the cavalry returned to the fort, they rode in last.
Everyone looked at them with great admiration, to which they said:
I didn’t want to come back yet. It is my horse who wanted to retreat.
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子曰
不有祝鮀之佞而有宋朝之美，
難乎免於今之世矣！
Said Confucius:
Nowadays it is no longer possible not to be criticized by people unless you grow a shrewd tongue like the priests;
In other words, admiration from all sides is harvested for exaggerated display.
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子曰
誰能出不由戶？
何莫由斯道也？
Said Confucius:
Who can leave their house without passing through the door first?
Then why does no one use the Path in the same way?
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子曰
質勝文則野，
文勝質則史。
文質彬彬，
然後君子。
Said Confucius:
When someone has more qualities than achievements, this person is blocked.
When someone has more achievements than qualities, then somewhere this person has lost admiration and curiosity.
When someone has a balance of qualities and achievements, we can speak of a virtuous person.
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子曰
人之生也直，
罔之生也幸而免。
Said Confucius:
Being honest is the essence of life.
Should someone choose to relinquish sincerity during their lifetime,
The rest of their life depends on chance.
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子曰
知之者不如好之者，
好之者不如樂之者。
Said Confucius:
Those who know the truth cannot match those who love it.
And those who love it cannot match those who live in it.
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子曰
中人以上，
可以語上也；
中人以下，
不可以語上也。
Said Confucius also:
You can use jargon to people who are familiar to the jargon,
Using jargon to people who don't know the jargon is simply inappropriate.
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樊遲問知。
子曰
務民之義，
敬鬼神而遠之，
可謂知矣。
問仁。
曰
仁者先難而後獲，
可謂仁矣。
Now there was a student who asked what wisdom actually consists of.
What Confucius said to this:
On the one hand to see what your duties are to others;
On the other to show respect for the spiritual, but not lose yourself in it.
That is what we may call wisdom.
The student then asked about humanity.
Said Confucius:
A person of perfection sees the toughest challenges as their priority, and victories only as an afterthought.
This is what I call perfect virtue.
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子曰
知者樂水，
仁者樂山；
知者動，
仁者靜；
知者樂，
仁者壽。
Said Confucius:
The wise find happiness in the water.
Virtuous people find happiness in the mountains.
The wise are lively.
The virtuous are peaceful.
The wise are joyful.
The virtuous live long lives.
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子曰
齊一變，
至於魯；
魯一變，
至於道。
Said Confucius:
In many cases,
It takes only a minor adjustment to take yourself to the next level.
And in that higher level,
It often takes a little change to arrive at the principles of the Path.
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子曰：
觚不觚，
觚哉！
觚哉！
And Confucius said:
They changed the size of the ritual drinking cup because people now prefer the drinking to the rituals.
What a cup!
What a cup!
🧧
宰我問曰
仁者，
雖告之曰
井有仁焉。
其從之也？
子曰
何為其然也？
君子可逝也，
不可陷也；
可欺也，
不可罔也。
A student once said:
The moment a good person hears that someone is trapped in a pit,
He must jump in to help.
Confucius asked:
Why should anyone do that?
You can surely take a virtuous person to the pit,
But you cannot force them to jump into it.
You can persuade a virtuous person to a certain point,
But only as far as his own common sense allows.
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子曰
君子博學於文，
約之以禮，
亦可以弗畔矣夫！
Said Confucius:
The student of humanity who continues to investigate and constantly learn while remaining aware of decency all the time will be less likely to fall into the trap of pride!
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子見南子，
子路不說。
夫子矢之曰
予所否者，
天厭之！
天厭之！
Confucius went to visit a duchess one day.
Now one student was not happy with that at all.
Confucius then said:
If I've done something wrong, Heaven will surely punish me for it!
And it is Heaven itself that will punish me!
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子曰
中庸之為德也，
其至矣乎！
民鮮久矣。
Said Confucius:
The virtue that remains within the path of the Middle is simply perfection!
It is therefore extremely rare.
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子貢曰
如有博施於民而能濟眾，
何如？
可謂仁乎？
子曰
何事於仁，
必也聖乎！
堯舜其猶病諸！
夫仁者，
己欲立而立人，
己欲達而達人。
能近取譬，
可謂仁之方也已。
One student said:
Now suppose that someone on the board gives and distributes all kinds of benefits to everyone.
What do you say to such a person?
Can you also speak of perfect virtue in this case?
Confucius replied:
What does that have to do with virtue?
If you want to brand it, call it "sensible."
If we want to speak of virtue, something that even the great Emperors struggled to achieve,
Speak of the ambition to fulfill the ambition of others,
Speak of the purpose of helping others to achieve their goals.
Look at what you find important and treat the other person according to the same standard.
This is the art of Humanity.
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