Weizi

微子去之，箕子為之奴，比干諫而死。孔子曰：“殷有三仁焉。”

The Viscount of Wei left the tyrant Zhou, the Viscount of Ji became his slave, and Bi Gan was killed for remonstrating. Confucius said: "The Yin dynasty had three men of benevolence."

柳下惠為士師，三黜。人曰：“子未可以去乎？”曰：“直道而事人，焉往而不三黜？枉道而事人，何必去父母之邦？”

Liuxia Hui served as a prison officer and was dismissed three times. Someone said: "Could you not leave Lu?" He said: "If I serve people by the right way, where could I go and not be dismissed three times? If I serve people by crooked ways, why should I leave the land of my parents?"

齊景公待孔子曰：“若季氏，則吾不能。”以季、孟之間待之，曰：“吾老矣，不能用也。”孔子行。

Duke Jing of Qi, speaking of how to treat Confucius, said: "To treat him as the ruler of Lu treats the Ji family, I cannot do." So he treated him at a level between the Ji and Meng families, and then said: "I am old, and cannot use him." Confucius then left Qi.

齊人歸女樂，季桓子受之，三日不朝，孔子行。”

The state of Qi sent a troupe of female musicians, and Ji Huanzi accepted them, and for three days did not attend court or manage government; Confucius then left Lu.

楚狂接輿歌而過孔子曰：“鳳兮鳳兮，何德之衰？往者不可諫，來者猶可追。已而已而，今之從政者殆而！”孔子下，欲與之言，趨而闢之，不得與之言。

Jieyu, the madman of Chu, passed in front of Confucius' carriage singing: "Phoenix, O phoenix, how your virtue has declined! What is past cannot be amended, but what is to come can still be pursued. Enough, enough! Those who take part in government today are in peril!" Confucius got down and wished to speak with him, but he hurried away to avoid him, and Confucius was not able to speak with him.

長沮、桀溺耦而耕，孔子過之，使子路問津焉。長沮曰：“夫執輿者為誰？”子路曰：“為孔丘。”曰：“是魯孔丘與？”曰：“是也。”曰：“是知津矣。”問於桀溺，桀溺曰：“子為誰？”曰：“為仲由。”曰：“是魯孔丘之徒與？”對曰：“然。”曰：“滔滔者天下皆是也，而誰以易之？且而與其從辟人之士也，豈若從辟世之士？”耰而不輟。子路行以告，夫子憮然曰：“鳥獸不可與同群，吾非斯人之徒與而誰與？天下有道，丘不與易也。”

Changju and Jienni were plowing side by side, and Confucius passed by and sent Zilu to ask where the ford was. Changju asked: "Who is that man holding the reins?" Zilu said: "It is Kong Qiu." Changju said: "Is that Kong Qiu of Lu?" Zilu said: "Yes." Changju said: "Then he should know where the ford is." Zilu asked Jienni. Jienni said: "Who are you?" Zilu said: "I am Zhong You." Jienni said: "Are you a disciple of Kong Qiu of Lu?" Zilu answered: "Yes." Jienni said: "The whole world is flooding along in torrents; with whom will you change it? And rather than follow one who avoids bad people, why not follow us who avoid the whole age of disorder?" Having said this, he kept on raking soil to cover the seed. Zilu returned and told Confucius. Confucius said sadly: "One cannot herd together with birds and beasts. If I do not associate with the people of this world, with whom shall I associate? If the world were at peace, I, Kong Qiu, would not need to come out and change it."

子路從而後，遇丈人，以杖荷蓧。子路問曰：“子見夫子乎？”丈人曰：“四體不勤，五穀不分，孰為夫子？”植其杖而芸，子路拱而立。止子路宿，殺雞為黍而食之，見其二子焉。明日，子路行以告，子曰：“隱者也。”使子路反見之，至則行矣。子路曰：“不仕無義。長幼之節不可廢也，君臣之義如之何其廢之？欲潔其身而亂大倫。君子之仕也，行其義也，道之不行已知之矣。”

Zilu was following Confucius and fell behind, and met an old man carrying a weeding tool on his staff. Zilu asked: "Have you seen my master?" The old man said: "You do not exert your four limbs and cannot tell the five grains apart; who is your master?" Having said this, he stuck his staff in the ground and began weeding. Zilu stood to one side with his hands folded. The old man kept Zilu for the night, killed a chicken and cooked millet for him, and had his two sons come out to meet him. The next day, Zilu caught up with Confucius and told him about it. Confucius said: "This is a recluse." He sent Zilu back to see him again, but when he arrived the man had gone. Zilu said: "Not to take office is not in accord with righteousness. Even the etiquette between old and young cannot be set aside; how can the great duty between ruler and minister be set aside? Wishing to keep oneself pure, one throws into disorder the great human bond of ruler and minister. A gentleman takes office in order to carry out this duty; that the Way will not prevail, he has long known."

逸民：伯夷、叔齊、虞仲、夷逸、朱張、柳下惠、少連。子曰：“不降其志，不辱其身，伯夷、叔齊與！”謂：“柳下惠、少連降志辱身矣，言中倫，行中慮，其斯而已矣。”謂：“虞仲、夷逸隱居放言，身中清，廢中權。我則異於是，無可無不可。”

Worthies who withdrew from the world were: Boyi, Shuqi, Yuzhong, Yiyi, Zhuzhang, Liuxia Hui and Shaolian. Confucius said: "Not lowering one's aim and not disgracing one's person, that would be Boyi and Shuqi!" Of Liuxia Hui and Shaolian he said: "They lowered their aims and disgraced their persons; but their words accorded with ethics and their conduct was considered, and that was all." Of Yuzhong and Yiyi he said: "They lived in seclusion and spoke without restraint; their conduct suited purity, and their leaving office suited expediency. I am different from them: there is nothing that is definitely permissible and nothing that is definitely not permissible."

太師摯適齊，亞飯幹適楚，三飯繚適蔡，四飯缺適秦，鼓方叔入於河，播鼗武入於漢，少師陽、擊磬襄入於海。

The Grand Music Master Zhi went to Qi, Gan, the music master of the second meal, went to Chu, Liao, the music master of the third meal, went to Cai, and Que, the music master of the fourth meal, went to Qin; Fangshu the drummer went to the banks of the Yellow River, Wu who shook the hand drum went to the banks of the Han, and the junior music master Yang and Xiang who struck the stone chime went to the seashore.

周公謂魯公曰：“君子不施其親，不使大臣怨乎不以，故舊無大故則不棄也，無求備於一人。”

The Duke of Zhou said to the Duke of Lu: "The gentleman does not neglect his own kin and does not let his great ministers resent not being used; do not discard old ministers and old friends unless they have committed a great fault; and do not demand perfection from any one person."

周有八士：伯達、伯適、仲突、仲忽、叔夜、叔夏、季隨、季騧。

The Zhou dynasty produced eight renowned worthy men: Boda, Bokuo, Zhongtu, Zhonghu, Shuye, Shuxia, Jisui and Jigua.

子張曰：“士見危致命，見得思義，祭思敬，喪思哀，其可已矣。”

Zizhang said: "A scholar who, on seeing danger, is willing to give his life, on seeing a gain thinks of righteousness, in sacrifice thinks of reverence and in mourning thinks of grief, is acceptable."

子張曰：“執德不弘，信道不篤，焉能為有？焉能為亡？”

Zizhang said: "One who holds to virtue but cannot enlarge it and believes in the Way but cannot be sincere about it, whether he is present is not counted as much, and whether he is absent is not counted as little."

子夏之門人問交於子張，子張曰：“子夏云何？”對曰：“子夏曰：‘可者與之，其不可者拒之。’”子張曰：“異乎吾所聞。君子尊賢而容眾，嘉善而矜不能。我之大賢與，於人何所不容？我之不賢與，人將拒我，如之何其拒人也？”

A student of Zixia asked Zizhang about the way of making friends. Zizhang asked: "What does Zixia say?" The student answered: "Zixia says: 'Those who may be befriended, befriend them; those who may not, reject them.'" Zizhang said: "That is different from what I have heard. The gentleman honors the worthy and also tolerates the multitude, praises the good and also pities the incapable. If I am greatly worthy, what could I not tolerate in others? If I am not worthy, others will reject me, so how could I speak of rejecting others?"

子夏曰：“雖小道必有可觀者焉，致遠恐泥，是以君子不為也。”

Zixia said: "Even in minor arts there is surely something worth taking; but if one uses them to pursue distant goals, one may well get bogged down, and so the gentleman does not engage in them."

子夏曰：“日知其所亡，月無忘其所能，可謂好學也已矣。”

Zixia said: "To know each day something one did not have, and each month not to forget what one has mastered, may be called loving learning."

子夏曰：“博學而篤志，切問而近思，仁在其中矣。”

Zixia said: "To study broadly and hold firmly to one's aim, to ask earnestly and think about what is close at hand: benevolence lies within this."

子夏曰：“百工居肆以成其事，君子學以致其道。”

Zixia said: "The various craftsmen complete their work in their workshops; the gentleman, by learning, attains his Way."

子夏曰：“小人之過也必文。”

Zixia said: "When a petty person makes a mistake, he is bound to cover it up."

子夏曰：“君子有三變：望之儼然，即之也溫，聽其言也厲。”

Zixia said: "The gentleman gives three different impressions: from afar he looks stern, when you draw near he is gentle, and when you hear him speak he is upright and strict."

子夏曰：“君子信而後勞其民，未信，則以為厲己也；信而後諫，未信，則以為謗己也。”

Zixia said: "The gentleman first obtains the people's trust and only then puts them to work; without trust he puts them to work, and the people will think he is mistreating them. He first obtains trust and only then remonstrates; without trust he remonstrates, and the ruler will think he is slandering him."

子夏曰：“大德不逾閒，小德出入可也。”

Zixia said: "In great virtues one must not overstep the limit; in small virtues some deviation is acceptable."

子游曰：“子夏之門人小子，當灑掃應對進退則可矣。抑末也，本之則無，如之何？”子夏聞之，曰：“噫，言遊過矣！君子之道，孰先傳焉？孰後倦焉？譬諸草木，區以別矣。君子之道焉可誣也？有始有卒者，其惟聖人乎！”

Ziyou said: "Zixia's students are fine at sprinkling and sweeping, answering guests and the etiquette of advancing and withdrawing, but these are only the branches; the root is missing, so how can that do?" When Zixia heard it, he said: "Alas, Yan You is wrong! In the way of the gentleman, which part is taught first? Which part is put aside for later out of weariness? It is like plants and trees, which are distinguished by their kinds. How can the way of the gentleman be distorted? One who can do it from beginning to end, with root and branch both, is probably only the sage!"

子夏曰：“仕而優則學，學而優則仕。”

Zixia said: "When one has strength to spare after holding office, one should study; when one has strength to spare after study, one should hold office."

子游曰：“喪致乎哀而止。”

Ziyou said: "In mourning, to express grief fully is enough."

子游曰：“吾友張也為難能也，然而未仁。”

Ziyou said: "My friend Zizhang is hard to match and precious, yet he has still not reached benevolence."

曾子曰：“堂堂乎張也，難與併為仁矣。”

Zengzi said: "Zizhang has a splendid bearing, but it is a pity that it is hard to practice benevolence together with him."

曾子曰：“吾聞諸夫子，人未有自致者也，必也親喪乎！”

Zengzi said: "I have heard from the Master that people never have occasion to pour out their true feelings fully of themselves; if there is one, it must surely be on the death of a parent!"

曾子曰：“吾聞諸夫子，孟莊子之孝也，其他可能也；其不改父之臣與父之政，是難能也。”

Zengzi said: "I have heard from the Master that as for Meng Zhuangzi's filial piety, in other respects others could match it; but that he did not replace his father's old ministers or alter his father's policies is what others find hard to match."

孟氏使陽膚為士師，問於曾子。曾子曰：“上失其道，民散久矣。如得其情，則哀矜而勿喜！”

The Meng family appointed Yang Fu as prison officer, and Yang Fu asked Zengzi for advice. Zengzi said: "Those in high position have lost the right way, and the people have long been estranged. If you uncover the facts of a case, you should pity them and not be pleased with yourself!"

子貢曰：“紂之不善，不如是之甚也。是以君子惡居下流，天下之惡皆歸焉。”

Zigong said: "Zhou's wickedness was probably not as terrible as is said. Therefore the gentleman hates to dwell in a low and downstream place, for all the evils of the world flow into it."

子貢曰：“君子之過也，如日月之食焉。過也人皆見之，更也人皆仰之。”

Zigong said: "The gentleman's faults are like eclipses of the sun and moon: when he makes a fault, everyone sees it; when he corrects it, everyone looks up to him."

衛公孫朝問於子貢曰：“仲尼焉學？”子貢曰：“文武之道未墜於地，在人。賢者識其大者，不賢者識其小者，莫不有文武之道焉，夫子焉不學？而亦何常師之有？”

Gongsun Chao of Wei asked Zigong: "From whom did Zhongni learn?" Zigong said: "The Way of King Wen and King Wu has not fallen to the ground; it remains among people. The worthy remember its great parts and the unworthy remember its small parts, and there is nowhere without the Way of King Wen and King Wu. Where could the Master not learn? And why must he have a fixed teacher?"

叔孫武叔語大夫於朝曰：“子貢賢於仲尼。”子服景伯以告子貢，子貢曰：“譬之宮牆，賜之牆也及肩，窺見室家之好；夫子之牆數仞，不得其門而入，不見宗廟之美、百官之富。得其門者或寡矣，夫子之雲不亦宜乎！”

Shusun Wushu said to the officials at court: "Zigong is more worthy than Zhongni." Zifu Jingbo told this to Zigong. Zigong said: "Take a palace wall as an analogy: my wall is only shoulder-high, and one can see the beauty inside the house; the Master's wall is many fathoms high, and unless one finds the gate and enters, one cannot see the splendor of the ancestral temple and the abundance of its buildings. Those who can find that gate are probably few; was it not natural for Wushu to speak so!"

叔孫武叔毀仲尼，子貢曰：“無以為也，仲尼不可毀也。他人之賢者，丘陵也，猶可逾也；仲尼，日月也，無得而逾焉。人雖欲自絕，其何傷於日月乎？多見其不知量也。”

Shusun Wushu slandered Zhongni. Zigong said: "Do not do this, for Zhongni cannot be slandered. Other people's worth is like hills, which can still be passed over; Zhongni is like the sun and moon, which cannot be passed over. Though a person may wish to cut himself off from the sun and moon, what harm does that do to the sun and moon? It only shows that he does not know his own measure."

陳子禽謂子貢曰：“子為恭也，仲尼豈賢於子乎？”子貢曰：“君子一言以為知，一言以為不知，言不可不慎也。夫子之不可及也，猶天之不可階而升也。夫子之得邦家者，所謂立之斯立，道之斯行，綏之斯來，動之斯和。其生也榮，其死也哀，如之何其可及也？”

Chen Ziqin said to Zigong: "You are being deliberately modest, surely; is Zhongni truly more worthy than you?" Zigong said: "A gentleman can be shown wise by one word, and shown unwise by one word, so one must be careful in speech. The Master cannot be matched, just as heaven cannot be climbed by a ladder. If the Master had obtained a state to govern, it would be what is called: set the people up and they stand up, guide them and they follow, soothe them and they come to him, rouse them and they work in harmony. While he lived everyone honored him, and when he died everyone mourned him; how could he be matched?"

堯曰：“諮！爾舜，天之歷數在爾躬，允執其中。四海困窮，天祿永終。”舜亦以命禹。曰：“予小子履，敢用玄牡，敢昭告於皇皇后帝：有罪不敢赦，帝臣不蔽，簡在帝心。朕躬有罪，無以萬方；萬方有罪，罪在朕躬。”周有大賚，善人是富。“雖有周親，不如仁人。百姓有過，在予一人。”謹權量，審法度，修廢官，四方之政行焉。興滅國，繼絕世，舉逸民，天下之民歸心焉。所重：民、食、喪、祭。寬則得眾，信則民任焉，敏則有功，公則說。

Yao said: "Ah! You, Shun, the heavenly order of succession has fallen upon you; hold sincerely to that Mean. If the people of the four seas are in want and distress, the rank Heaven has given you will end forever." Shun also used these words to charge Yu. Tang said: "I, the humble Lu, dare to use a black bull as sacrifice and make a clear announcement to the great and shining Lord on High: I dare not pardon the guilty on my own, and I dare not conceal the servants of the Lord, for all is inspected by the Lord's heart. If I myself am guilty, do not implicate the myriad regions of the world; if the myriad regions are guilty, the guilt rests on me alone." The Zhou made great grants, and the good were enriched by them. King Wu said: "Though Zhou had close kin, they are not as good as my men of benevolence. If the people have faults, the responsibility rests on me alone." He carefully corrected weights and measures, examined the laws, restored abandoned offices, and the government's orders were carried out in all quarters. He revived destroyed states, continued broken lines of succession and raised up the neglected worthy, and the people of the world turned to him in their hearts. What he valued was: the people, food, mourning rites and sacrifices. Generosity wins the multitude, trustworthiness wins the trust of the people, diligence and quickness bring achievement, and fairness makes people glad.

子張問於孔子曰：“何如斯可以從政矣？”子曰：“尊五美，屏四惡，斯可以從政矣。”子張曰：“何謂五美？”子曰：“君子惠而不費，勞而不怨，欲而不貪，泰而不驕，威而不猛。”子張曰：“何謂惠而不費？”子曰：“因民之所利而利之，斯不亦惠而不費乎？擇可勞而勞之，又誰怨？欲仁而得仁，又焉貪？君子無眾寡，無小大，無敢慢，斯不亦泰而不驕乎？君子正其衣冠，尊其瞻視，儼然人望而畏之，斯不亦威而不猛乎？”子張曰：“何謂四惡？”子曰：“不教而殺謂之虐；不戒視成謂之暴；慢令致期謂之賊；猶之與人也，出納之吝謂之有司。”

Zizhang asked Confucius: "How can one govern?" Confucius said: "Honor the five excellences and reject the four evils, and then one can govern." Zizhang said: "What are the five excellences?" Confucius said: "The gentleman is generous without waste, puts the people to work without their resenting it, has desires without greed, is at ease without arrogance, and is dignified without being fierce." Zizhang said: "What does it mean to be generous without waste?" Confucius said: "To benefit the people through what is beneficial to them, is that not being generous without waste? To choose work that the people can do and then have them do it, who would resent that? If he desires benevolence and obtains it, what is there to be greedy about? Whether dealing with many or few, with great or small matters, the gentleman does not dare be negligent; is that not being at ease without arrogance? The gentleman straightens his clothes and cap and his gaze is grave, so stately that people look at him with awe; is that not being dignified without being fierce?" Zizhang said: "What are the four evils?" Confucius said: "To kill without having instructed beforehand is called cruelty; to demand quick results without having warned beforehand is called tyranny; to be lax in giving orders yet set a deadline is called harming; and to be stingy in handing out something that one gives to people anyway is the way of a petty clerk."

孔子曰：“不知命，無以為君子也；不知禮，無以立也；不知言，無以知人也。”

Confucius said: "One who does not understand Heaven's mandate has no way to be a gentleman; one who does not understand ritual has no way to establish himself; one who does not understand how to discern people's words has no way to know people."