Ba Yi (Eight Rows of Dancers)

孔子謂季氏：“八佾舞於庭，是可忍也，孰不可忍也？”

Confucius, speaking of the Ji family, said: "They have the eight rows of dancers, the grade used for the Son of Heaven, dance in their own courtyard; if this can be borne, what cannot be borne?"

三家者以《雍》徹，子曰：“‘相維闢公，天子穆穆’，奚取於三家之堂？”

The three families of Meng Sun, Shu Sun and Ji Sun, after their sacrifice, sang the ode "Yong" while clearing away the offerings. Confucius said: "'The ones assisting at the sacrifice are the feudal lords, and the Son of Heaven is solemn and reverent,' what is there in this that applies to the halls of the three families?"

子曰：“人而不仁，如禮何？人而不仁，如樂何？”

Confucius said: "If a person is not benevolent, what use is ritual to him? If a person is not benevolent, what use is music to him?"

林放問禮之本，子曰：“大哉問！禮，與其奢也，寧儉；喪，與其易也，甯戚。”

Lin Fang asked about the root of ritual. Confucius said: "A great question indeed! In ritual, rather than being extravagant, it is better to be frugal; in mourning, rather than having every ceremony complete, it is better to feel real grief."

子曰：“夷狄之有君，不如諸夏之亡也。”

Confucius said: "The barbarian tribes still have rulers, which is not like the states of the Central Plains, which seem to have none."

季氏旅於泰山。子謂冉有曰：“女弗能救與？”對曰：“不能。”子曰：“嗚呼！曾謂泰山不如林放乎？”

The Ji family was about to perform the sacrifice on Mount Tai. Confucius said to Ran You: "Can you not dissuade him?" Ran You answered: "I cannot." Confucius said: "Alas! Could it be said that the spirit of Mount Tai understands ritual less than Lin Fang?"

子曰：“君子無所爭，必也射乎！揖讓而升，下而飲。其爭也君子。”

Confucius said: "The gentleman has nothing to contend over, but if there is something, it must be archery! They bow and yield to one another before ascending the hall, and after shooting they come down and drink together. This kind of contention is the contention of gentlemen."

子夏問曰：“‘巧笑倩兮，美目盼兮，素以為絢兮’何謂也？”子曰：“繪事後素。”曰：“禮後乎？”子曰：“起予者商也，始可與言《詩》已矣。”

Zixia asked: "'What a lovely smile, how bright the eyes, plain white used to make a pattern,' what do these lines mean?" Confucius said: "In painting, first there is the white ground, and then the colors are applied." Zixia said: "Then is ritual something that comes afterward?" Confucius said: "Shang is the one who inspires me! Now I can discuss the Songs with you."

子曰：“夏禮吾能言之，杞不足徵也；殷禮吾能言之，宋不足徵也。文獻不足故也，足則吾能徵之矣。”

Confucius said: "I can speak of the rites of the Xia, but the state of Qi cannot serve as evidence; I can speak of the rites of the Yin, but the state of Song cannot serve as evidence. This is because the records and the worthy men are not enough. If they were enough, I could use them to confirm it."

子曰：“禘自既灌而往者，吾不欲觀之矣。”

Confucius said: "As for the great Di sacrifice, after the first offering of wine, I do not wish to watch any further."

或問禘之說。子曰：“不知也。知其說者之於天下也，其如示諸斯乎！”指其掌。

Someone asked about the principle of the Di sacrifice. Confucius said: "I do not know. One who truly understands this principle and governs the world would find it as easy, I think, as looking at something placed here!" And he pointed to his own palm.

祭如在，祭神如神在。子曰：“吾不與祭，如不祭。”

When sacrificing to ancestors, it was as if the ancestors were truly present; when sacrificing to the spirits, it was as if the spirits were truly present. Confucius said: "If I do not take part in the sacrifice myself, it is as though I had not sacrificed."

王孫賈問曰：“‘與其媚於奧，寧媚於灶’，何謂也？”子曰：“不然，獲罪於天，無所禱也。”

Wangsun Jia asked: "The saying goes, 'Better to flatter the stove god, who looks after the food, than the honored spirit of the southwest corner of the house,' what does this mean?" Confucius said: "Not so. If you offend Heaven, there is nowhere to pray that will do any good."

子曰：“周監於二代，鬱郁乎文哉！吾從周。”

Confucius said: "The ritual institutions of the Zhou drew on the two dynasties of the Xia and the Shang, how rich and refined they are! I follow the Zhou."

子入太廟，每事問。或曰：“孰謂鄹人之子知禮乎？入太廟，每事問。”子聞之，曰：“是禮也。”

When Confucius entered the Grand Temple, he asked about everything. Someone said: "Who says this son of the man of Zou understands ritual? He enters the Grand Temple and asks about everything." Confucius, hearing this, said: "To ask in this way is itself ritual."

子曰：“射不主皮，為力不同科，古之道也。”

Confucius said: "In archery contests the aim is not to pierce the hide of the target, because people's strength is not of the same grade. This is the way of the ancients."

子貢欲去告朔之餼羊，子曰：“賜也！爾愛其羊，我愛其禮。”

Zigong wished to do away with the live sheep offered at the monthly ceremony of announcing the new moon. Confucius said: "Ci! You begrudge the sheep, but I begrudge the ritual."

子曰：“事君盡禮，人以為諂也。”

Confucius said: "If I serve my ruler wholeheartedly according to the rules of ritual, others take it as flattery."

定公問：“君使臣，臣事君，如之何？”孔子對曰：“君使臣以禮，臣事君以忠。”

Duke Ding of Lu asked: "A ruler employs his ministers and a minister serves his ruler, how should this be done?" Confucius answered: "The ruler employs his ministers according to ritual, and the ministers serve the ruler with loyalty."

子曰：“《關睢》，樂而不淫，哀而不傷。”

Confucius said: "The poem 'Guan Ju' is joyful without being licentious, and sorrowful without injuring the body." The base text has "Guan Sui" (睢) for "Guan Ju" (雎); the character "sui" is an error for "ju", and it should read "Guan Ju."

哀公問社於宰我，宰我對曰：“夏后氏以松，殷人以柏，周人以栗，曰使民戰慄。”子聞之，曰：“成事不說，遂事不諫，既往不咎。”

Duke Ai of Lu asked Zai Wo what wood should be used for the altar of the earth god. Zai Wo answered: "The Xia used pine, the Yin used cypress, and the Zhou used chestnut, meaning to make the people tremble in fear." Confucius, hearing this, said: "What is already done need not be spoken of, what is already accomplished need not be admonished, and what is already past need not be blamed."

子曰：“管仲之器小哉！”或曰：“管仲儉乎？”曰：“管氏有三歸，官事不攝，焉得儉？”“然則管仲知禮乎？”曰：“邦君樹塞門，管氏亦樹塞門；邦君為兩君之好，有反坫。管氏亦有反坫，管氏而知禮，孰不知禮？”

Confucius said: "How small was the capacity of Guan Zhong!" Someone asked: "Was Guan Zhong frugal?" Confucius said: "The Guan family had three residences, and the household officials each held one post and never doubled up; how can that be called frugal?" The man asked again: "Then did Guan Zhong understand ritual?" Confucius said: "The ruler has a screen wall at his gate, and the Guan family also had a screen wall; when the ruler held a banquet for friendly relations between two states, there was an earthen stand in the hall for the wine cups, and the Guan family had one too. If Guan counts as understanding ritual, who does not understand ritual?"

子語魯大師樂，曰：“樂其可知也。始作，翕如也；從之，純如也，皦如也，繹如也，以成。”

Confucius, speaking about music with the chief music master of Lu, said: "The principles of music can be known: when it begins, all the sounds rise together; when it opens out, the tones are pure and harmonious, the rhythm is distinct, and it flows on without a break until the end."

儀封人請見，曰：“君子之至於斯也，吾未嘗不得見也。”從者見之。出曰：“二三子何患於喪乎？天下之無道也久矣，天將以夫子為木鐸。”

The border warden of Yi asked to see Confucius, saying: "Whenever a gentleman of virtue has come here, I have never been unable to see him." Confucius's disciples accompanying him led him in to see Confucius. When he came out, he said: "Gentlemen, why should you worry about losing office? The world has been without the Way for a long time, and Heaven is about to make your Master a wooden bell to awaken the world."

子謂《韶》：“盡美矣，又盡善也。”謂《武》：“盡美矣，未盡善也。”

Confucius, commenting on the Shao music, said: "It is perfectly beautiful, and also perfectly good." Commenting on the Wu music, he said: "It is perfectly beautiful, but not yet perfectly good."

子曰：“居上不寬，為禮不敬，臨喪不哀，吾何以觀之哉？”

Confucius said: "One who holds high position without generosity, who performs ritual without reverence, who attends a funeral without grief, how can I bear to look at such a person?"

子曰：“里仁為美。擇不處仁，焉得知？”

Confucius said: "It is good to live where benevolence prevails. If one chooses a dwelling and does not choose a place of benevolence, how can one be called wise?"

子曰：“不仁者不可以久處約，不可以長處樂。仁者安仁，知者利仁。”

Confucius said: "One who is not benevolent cannot long endure hardship, nor long endure ease. The benevolent are at rest in benevolence, and the wise know that benevolence is to their advantage and practice it."

子曰：“唯仁者能好人，能惡人。”

Confucius said: "Only the benevolent can truly love people, and truly hate people."

子曰：“苟志於仁矣，無惡也。”

Confucius said: "If one truly sets one's heart on benevolence, one will do nothing evil."

子曰：“富與貴，是人之所欲也；不以其道得之，不處也。貧與賤，是人之所惡也；不以其道得之，不去也。君子去仁，惡乎成名？君子無終食之間違仁，造次必於是，顛沛必於是。”

Confucius said: "Wealth and high station are what everyone wants; but if they are not obtained in the proper way, the gentleman does not accept them. Poverty and low station are what everyone dislikes; but if they are not escaped in the proper way, the gentleman does not escape them. If the gentleman abandons benevolence, how can he make a name? The gentleman does not depart from benevolence even for the span of a meal; in haste and hurry he holds fast to it, and in turmoil and distress he also holds fast to it."

子曰：“我未見好仁者，惡不仁者。好仁者，無以尚之；惡不仁者，其為仁矣，不使不仁者加乎其身。有能一日用其力於仁矣乎？我未見力不足者。蓋有之矣，我未見也。”

Confucius said: "I have never seen one who truly loved benevolence, nor one who truly hated what is not benevolent. One who loves benevolence cannot be surpassed; one who hates what is not benevolent practices benevolence by not letting anything not benevolent touch him. Is there anyone who for a single day has devoted his strength to benevolence? I have never seen one whose strength was not enough. Perhaps there really is such a person, but I have just never seen him."

子曰：“人之過也，各於其黨。觀過，斯知仁矣。”

Confucius said: "The mistakes people make differ according to the kind to which they belong. By observing what kind of mistake a person makes, one knows whether he is benevolent or not."

子曰：“朝聞道，夕死可矣。”

Confucius said: "If one hears the Way in the morning, one may die in the evening without regret."

子曰：“士志於道，而恥惡衣惡食者，未足與議也。”

Confucius said: "A scholar who sets his heart on the Way yet is ashamed of coarse clothes and coarse food is not worth discussing anything with."

子曰：“君子之於天下也，無適也，無莫也，義之與比。”

Confucius said: "In dealing with the affairs of the world, the gentleman has no fixed 'must' and no fixed 'must not'; he takes only righteousness as his measure."

子曰：“君子懷德，小人懷土；君子懷刑，小人懷惠。”

Confucius said: "The gentleman thinks of virtue, the petty person thinks of his native land and house and fields; the gentleman thinks of laws and standards, the petty person thinks of favors and benefits."

子曰：“放於利而行，多怨。”

Confucius said: "If one acts always according to private gain, one will draw much resentment."

子曰：“能以禮讓為國乎？何有？不能以禮讓為國，如禮何？”

Confucius said: "Can a state be governed by ritual and deference? Then what difficulty is there? If a state cannot be governed by ritual and deference, what use is ritual?"

子曰：“不患無位，患所以立。不患莫己知，求為可知也。”

Confucius said: "Do not worry about having no position; worry about what you have to stand on. Do not worry that no one knows you; seek to have the ability that deserves to be known."

子曰：“參乎！吾道一以貫之。”曾子曰：“唯。”子出，門人問曰：“何謂也？”曾子曰：“夫子之道，忠恕而已矣。”

Confucius said: "Shen! My Way is held together by one thread running through it." Master Zeng said: "Yes." After Confucius had gone out, the other disciples asked: "What does this mean?" Master Zeng said: "The Master's Way is nothing but loyalty and reciprocity."

子曰：“君子喻於義，小人喻於利。”

Confucius said: "The gentleman understands righteousness; the petty person understands profit."

子曰：“見賢思齊焉，見不賢而內自省也。”

Confucius said: "When you see a worthy person, think of matching him; when you see one who is not worthy, reflect inwardly on whether you have the same fault."

子曰：“事父母，幾諫，諫志不從，又敬不違，勞而不怨。”

Confucius said: "In serving your parents, remonstrate with them gently. If you see that your intention is not followed, remain respectful and do not go against them; though you are troubled and weary, do not feel resentment."

子曰：“父母在，不遠遊，遊必有方。”

Confucius said: "While your parents are alive, do not travel far; if you must go out, you must have a fixed destination."

子曰：“三年無改於父之道，可謂孝矣。”

Confucius said: "If for three years he does not change his father's ways, he may be called filial."

子曰：“父母之年，不可不知也，一則以喜，一則以懼。”

Confucius said: "One must not fail to keep in mind the age of one's parents: on one hand, be glad for their long life; on the other, be anxious for their old age."

子曰：“古者言之不出，恥躬之不逮也。”

Confucius said: "The ancients did not lightly speak, for they feared the shame of not being able to live up to their words."

子曰：“以約失之者鮮矣。”

Confucius said: "Those who go wrong through restraining themselves are few."

子曰：“君子欲訥於言而敏於行。”

Confucius said: "The gentleman should be slow and careful in speech, and quick and diligent in action."

子曰：“德不孤，必有鄰。”

Confucius said: "A person of virtue is not alone; he is sure to have companions of the same Way."

子游曰：“事君數，斯辱矣；朋友數，斯疏矣。”

Ziyou said: "In serving a ruler, being too fussy brings humiliation; in dealing with friends, being too fussy leads to being kept at a distance."