Zi Lu

子路問政，子曰：“先之，勞之。”請益，曰：“無倦。”

Zilu asked about governing. Confucius said: “Take the lead yourself and make the people work hard.” Zilu asked to hear more, and Confucius said: “Do not slacken.”

仲弓為季氏宰，問政，子曰：“先有司，赦小過，舉賢才。”曰：“焉知賢才而舉之？”曰：“舉爾所知。爾所不知，人其舍諸？”

Zhonggong became chief retainer of the Ji family and asked about governing. Confucius said: “First assign duties to the heads of the offices, pardon minor faults, and raise up the worthy and capable.” Zhonggong said: “How do I know who is worthy and capable in order to raise them up?” Confucius said: “Raise those you know. As for those you do not know, would others leave them neglected?”

子路曰：“衛君待子而為政，子將奚先？”子曰：“必也正名乎！”子路曰：“有是哉，子之迂也！奚其正？”子曰：“野哉由也！君子於其所不知，蓋闕如也。名不正，則言不順；言不順，則事不成；事不成，則禮樂不興；禮樂不興，則刑罰不中；刑罰不中，則民無所錯手足。故君子名之必可言也，言之必可行也。君子於其言，無所苟而已矣。”

Zilu said: “The ruler of Wei is waiting for you to govern; what will you do first?” Confucius said: “It must be to rectify names!” Zilu said: “Is that so? You are being impractical! What is there to rectify?” Confucius said: “How coarse Zhong You is! A gentleman, regarding what he does not understand, will probably hold back and not speak. If names are not rectified, speech does not accord with reason; if speech does not accord with reason, affairs cannot be accomplished; if affairs cannot be accomplished, ritual and music do not flourish; if ritual and music do not flourish, punishments are not appropriate; if punishments are not appropriate, the people do not know where to put hand or foot. So when the gentleman sets a name, it must be speakable; and when he speaks, it must be practicable. The gentleman is never careless in the least about his own words.”

樊遲請學稼，子曰：“吾不如老農。”請學為圃，曰：“吾不如老圃。”樊遲出，子曰：“小人哉樊須也！上好禮，則民莫敢不敬；上好義，則民莫敢不服；上好信，則民莫敢不用情。夫如是，則四方之民襁負其子而至矣，焉用稼？”

Fan Chi asked to learn farming. Confucius said: "I am not as good as an old farmer." He asked to learn vegetable gardening. Confucius said: "I am not as good as an old gardener." After Fan Chi left, Confucius said: "Fan Xu is truly a small man! If those in high position love ritual, none among the people will dare to be disrespectful; if they love righteousness, none will dare to disobey; if they love trustworthiness, none will dare to be untruthful. When this is achieved, the people of all quarters will come carrying their children on their backs; what need is there for him to farm himself?"

子曰：“誦《詩》三百，授之以政，不達；使於四方，不能專對；雖多，亦奚以為？”

Confucius said: "A man may know the three hundred poems of the Book of Songs by heart, yet when given governmental affairs he cannot carry them out; when sent on a mission to the four quarters, he cannot respond on his own. However much he has read, of what use is it?"

子曰：“其身正，不令而行；其身不正，雖令不從。”

Confucius said: "When a ruler is himself upright, things get done even without orders; when he is not upright, though he gives orders the people will not obey."

子曰：“魯衛之政，兄弟也。”

Confucius said: "The governments of Lu and Wei are like brothers, alike in their condition."

子謂衛公子荊，“善居室。始有，曰：‘苟合矣。’少有，曰：‘苟完矣。’富有，曰：‘苟美矣。’”

Confucius spoke of Prince Jing of Wei: "He was good at managing his household. When he first had a little, he said: 'This is about enough.' When he had a little more, he said: 'This is about complete.' When he had become wealthy, he said: 'This is about fine.'"

子適衛，冉有僕，子曰：“庶矣哉！”冉有曰：“既庶矣，又何加焉？”曰：“富之。”曰：“既富矣，又何加焉？”曰：“教之。”

Confucius went to Wei, and Ran You drove his carriage. Confucius said: "How numerous the people are!" Ran You said: "When the people are already numerous, what more should be done?" Confucius said: "Make them rich." Ran You said: "When they are already rich, what more should be done?" Confucius said: "Educate them."

子曰：“苟有用我者，期月而已可也，三年有成。”

Confucius said: "If someone were willing to employ me, in one year things would be in decent shape, and in three years there would be great results."

子曰：“‘善人為邦百年，亦可以勝殘去殺矣。’誠哉是言也！”

Confucius said: "'If good men governed a state for a hundred years in succession, they could overcome cruelty and do away with killing.' How true these words are!"

子曰：“如有王者，必世而後仁。”

Confucius said: "Even if a sage king were to arise, it would surely take thirty years before benevolent government could be widely put into practice."

子曰：“苟正其身矣，於從政乎何有？不能正其身，如正人何？”

Confucius said: "If one can set oneself upright, what difficulty is there in governing? If one cannot set oneself upright, how can one set others upright?"

冉子退朝，子曰：“何晏也？”對曰：“有政。”子曰：“其事也。如有政，雖不吾以，吾其與聞之。”

Ran You came back from court. Confucius said: "Why so late?" Ran You replied: "There were government affairs." Confucius said: "That must have been only the Ji family's private affairs. If there had truly been affairs of state, although I am not employed, I would surely have heard of them."

定公問：“一言而可以興邦，有諸？”孔子對曰：“言不可以若是其幾也。人之言曰：‘為君難，為臣不易。’如知為君之難也，不幾乎一言而興邦乎？”曰：“一言而喪邦，有諸？”孔子對曰：“言不可以若是其幾也。人之言曰：‘予無樂乎為君，唯其言而莫予違也。’如其善而莫之違也，不亦善乎？如不善而莫之違也，不幾乎一言而喪邦乎？”

Duke Ding of Lu asked: "Is there such a thing as one saying that can make a state flourish?" Confucius replied: "One cannot put it so absolutely. Yet people have a saying: 'It is hard to be a ruler, and not easy to be a minister either.' If one truly understands the difficulty of being a ruler, is that not close to one saying making a state flourish?" Duke Ding asked again: "Is there such a thing as one saying that can ruin a state?" Confucius replied: "One cannot put it so absolutely. Yet people have a saying: 'I take no pleasure in being a ruler, except that nobody opposes whatever I say.' If what he says is good and nobody opposes it, is that not fine? But if what he says is not good and nobody opposes it, is that not close to one saying ruining a state?"

葉公問政，子曰：“近者說，遠者來。”

The Lord of She asked about government. Confucius said: "Make those near happy, and make those far away come and join you."

子夏為莒父宰，問政，子曰：“無慾速，無見小利。欲速則不達，見小利則大事不成。”

Zixia became the magistrate of Jufu and asked about government. Confucius said: "Do not want things done quickly, and do not covet small gains. Wanting things done quickly means you will not reach your goal, and coveting small gains means great things will not be accomplished."

葉公語孔子曰：“吾黨有直躬者，其父攘羊，而子證之。”孔子曰：“吾黨之直者異於是。父為子隱，子為父隱，直在其中矣。”

The Lord of She told Confucius: "In our place there is an upright man; when his father stole a sheep, he came forward to testify against him." Confucius said: "The upright in our place are different from this: fathers conceal for their sons and sons conceal for their fathers, and uprightness lies within that."

樊遲問仁，子曰：“居處恭，執事敬，與人忠。雖之夷狄，不可棄也。”

Fan Chi asked what benevolence is. Confucius said: "Be respectful in daily life, be serious and careful in handling affairs, and be loyal and honest in dealing with others. Even if you go among the barbarian tribes, you must not abandon these."

子貢問曰：“何如斯可謂之士矣？”子曰：“行己有恥，使於四方不辱君命，可謂士矣。”曰：“敢問其次。”曰：“宗族稱孝焉，鄉黨稱弟焉。”曰：“敢問其次。”曰：“言必信，行必果，踁踁然小人哉！抑亦可以為次矣。”曰：“今之從政者何如？”子曰：“噫！斗筲之人，何足算也！”

Zigong asked: "What must one be like to be called a gentleman-scholar?" Confucius said: "One who has a sense of shame in his own conduct, and when sent on a mission to the four quarters does not disgrace his ruler's commission, may be called a gentleman-scholar." Zigong said: "May I venture to ask about the next rank?" Confucius said: "One whom his clan praises for filial devotion and his village praises for respect toward elders." Zigong said: "May I venture to ask about the next below that?" Confucius said: "One who is sure to keep his word and sure to follow through in action; that is a stubborn, narrow little man! Yet he may be counted as the next rank." Zigong said: "What of those who hold office today?" Confucius said: "Alas! They are men of narrow capacity; are they worth counting?"

子曰：“不得中行而與之，必也狂狷乎！狂者進取，狷者有所不為也。”

Confucius said: "If I cannot find people whose words and actions accord with the Mean to associate with, then I must turn to the ardent and the cautious! The ardent are bold in pressing forward, and the cautious will not do certain things."

子曰：“南人有言曰：‘人而無恆，不可以作巫醫。’善夫！”“不恆其德，或承之羞。”子曰：“不占而已矣。”

Confucius said: "The southerners have a saying: 'A man without constancy cannot even be a shaman or a healer.' How well said!" The Book of Changes says: "If one does not keep one's virtue constant, one will suffer disgrace." Confucius said: "This means that a man without constancy has no need even to divine."

子曰：“君子和而不同，小人同而不和。”

Confucius said: "The gentleman is harmonious without blindly agreeing; the petty man blindly agrees without being harmonious."

子貢問曰：“鄉人皆好之，何如？”子曰：“未可也。”“鄉人皆惡之，何如？”子曰：“未可也。不如鄉人之善者好之，其不善者惡之。”

Zigong asked: "What of a man whom everyone in the village likes?" Confucius said: "Not yet enough." Zigong asked: "What of a man whom everyone in the village dislikes?" Confucius said: "Not yet enough either. Better that the good people of the village like him and the bad people of the village dislike him."

子曰：“君子易事而難說也，說之不以道不說也，及其使人也器之；小人難事而易說也，說之雖不以道說也，及其使人也求備焉。”

Confucius said: "The gentleman is easy to serve but hard to please: if you try to please him by improper means, he will not be pleased; but when he employs people, he assigns them according to their ability. The petty man is hard to serve but easy to please: even if you please him by improper means, he is pleased; but when he employs people, he demands that they be capable of everything."

子曰：“君子泰而不驕，小人驕而不泰。”

Confucius said: "The gentleman is at ease and composed without being arrogant; the petty man is arrogant without being at ease and composed."

子曰：“剛、毅、木、訥近仁。”

Confucius said: "Firmness, resoluteness, simplicity, and slowness in speech: these four are close to benevolence."

子路問曰：“何如斯可謂之士矣？”子曰：“切切偲偲，怡怡如也，可謂士矣。朋友切切偲偲，兄弟怡怡。”

Zilu asked: "What must one be like to be called a gentleman-scholar?" Confucius said: "One who criticizes and urges others earnestly, while living with them in a pleasant and harmonious way, may be called a gentleman-scholar. With friends, be earnest in urging; with brothers, be pleasant and harmonious."

子曰：“善人教民七年，亦可以即戎矣。”

Confucius said: "If a good man teaches the people for seven years, they can then be sent to war."

子曰：“以不教民戰，是謂棄之。”

Confucius said: "To send untrained people into battle is called throwing them away."

憲問恥，子曰：“邦有道，谷；邦無道，谷，恥也。”“克、伐、怨、欲不行焉，可以為仁矣？”子曰：“可以為難矣，仁則吾不知也。”

Yuan Xian asked what shame is. Confucius said: "When the state has the Way, to take office and draw salary; when the state lacks the Way, still to take office and draw salary: that is shame." Yuan Xian asked again: "If one does not show the four things of love of winning, boasting, resentment, and greed, may that be counted as benevolence?" Confucius said: "It may be counted as difficult to achieve, but whether it is benevolence I do not know."

子曰：“士而懷居，不足以為士矣。”

Confucius said: "A scholar who longs for a comfortable dwelling is not worthy to be called a scholar."

子曰：“邦有道，危言危行；邦無道，危行言孫。”

Confucius said: "When the state has the Way, speak upright words and act uprightly; when the state lacks the Way, act uprightly still, but speak modestly."

子曰：“有德者必有言，有言者不必有德。仁者必有勇，勇者不必有仁。”

Confucius said: "A man of virtue is sure to have good words, but a man of good words does not necessarily have virtue. A benevolent man is sure to have courage, but a man of courage is not necessarily benevolent."

南宮适問於孔子曰：“羿善射，奡盪舟，俱不得其死然；禹、稷躬稼而有天下。”夫子不答。南宮适出，子曰：“君子哉若人！尚德哉若人！”

Nangong Kuo asked Confucius: "Yi was good at archery, and Ao could push a boat over dry land, yet neither died a natural death; Yu and Ji themselves tilled the fields, yet they came to possess the world." Confucius did not answer. After Nangong Kuo left, Confucius said: "This man is truly a gentleman! This man truly honors virtue!"

子曰：“君子而不仁者有矣夫，未有小人而仁者也。”

Confucius said: "Among gentlemen there may be some who are not benevolent; but among petty men there has never been one who could be called benevolent."

子曰：“愛之，能勿勞乎？忠焉，能勿誨乎？”

Confucius said: "If you love someone, can you fail to make him work hard? If you are loyal to someone, can you fail to admonish him?"

子曰：“為命，裨諶草創之，世叔討論之，行人子羽修飾之，東里子產潤色之。”

Confucius said: "In drafting diplomatic documents in Zheng, Pi Chen first made the draft, Shi Shu examined it and discussed it, the diplomat Zi Yu refined it, and Zi Chan of Dongli polished the wording."

或問子產，子曰：“惠人也。”問子西，曰：“彼哉，彼哉！”問管仲，曰：“人也。奪伯氏駢邑三百，飯疏食，沒齒無怨言。”

Someone asked what kind of man Zi Chan was. Confucius said: "He was a generous and kind man." Asked about Zi Xi, Confucius said: "That man, that man!" Asked about Guan Zhong, Confucius said: "He was a man of talent. He took from the head of the Bo clan the three hundred households of the fief of Pian, so that the head of the Bo clan had to live on coarse rice, yet to the day he died he never uttered a word of complaint."

子曰：“貧而無怨難，富而無驕易。”

Confucius said: "To be poor and not resent it is hard; to be rich and not be arrogant is easy."

子曰：“孟公綽為趙、魏老則優，不可以為滕、薛大夫。”

Confucius said: "Meng Gongchuo would be more than competent as a household steward for the Zhao or Wei families of Jin, but he could not serve as a high official in Teng or Xue."

子路問成人，子曰：“若臧武仲之知、公綽之不欲、卞莊子之勇、冉求之藝，文之以禮樂，亦可以為成人矣。”曰：“今之成人者何必然？見利思義，見危授命，久要不忘平生之言，亦可以為成人矣。”

Zilu asked what a complete man is. Confucius said: "One with the wisdom of Zang Wuzhong, the freedom from desire of Meng Gongchuo, the courage of Bian Zhuangzi, and the many talents of Ran Qiu, further refined by ritual and music, may be counted as a complete man." Confucius added: "Why must the complete man of today be so? One who thinks of righteousness on seeing gain, is willing to give his life in the face of danger, and does not forget his old promises though long in poverty may also be counted as a complete man."

子問公叔文子於公明賈曰：“信乎，夫子不言，不笑，不取乎？”公明賈對曰：“以告者過也。夫子時然後言，人不厭其言；樂然後笑，人不厭其笑；義然後取，人不厭其取。”子曰：“其然？豈其然乎？”

Confucius asked Gongming Jia about Gongshu Wenzi, saying: "Is it true that your master does not speak, does not laugh, and does not take anything?" Gongming Jia replied: "Whoever told you that exaggerated. My master speaks only when it is time to speak, so people do not tire of his words; he laughs only when truly happy, so people do not tire of his laughter; he takes only what accords with righteousness, so people do not tire of his taking." Confucius said: "Is that so? Can it really be so?"

子曰：“臧武仲以防求為後於魯，雖曰不要君，吾不信也。”

Confucius said: "Zang Wuzhong used the town of Fang to ask Lu to set up an heir for him; although people say he was not coercing his ruler, I do not believe it."

子曰：“晉文公譎而不正，齊桓公正而不譎。”

Confucius said: "Duke Wen of Jin was crafty and not upright; Duke Huan of Qi was upright and not crafty."

子路曰：“桓公殺公子糾，召忽死之，管仲不死，曰未仁乎？”子曰：“桓公九合諸侯不以兵車，管仲之力也。如其仁，如其仁！”

Zilu said: "When Duke Huan of Qi killed Prince Jiu, Shao Hu died for Prince Jiu, but Guan Zhong did not die. Would one not say that Guan Zhong lacked benevolence?" Confucius said: "Duke Huan assembled the feudal lords many times without resorting to military force, and this was all Guan Zhong's doing. This is his benevolence, this is his benevolence!"

子貢曰：“管仲非仁者與？桓公殺公子糾，不能死，又相之。”子曰：“管仲相桓公霸諸侯，一匡天下，民到於今受其賜。微管仲，吾其被髮左衽矣。豈若匹夫匹婦之為諒也，自經於溝瀆而莫之知也。”

Zigong said: "Guan Zhong was not a benevolent man, was he? When Duke Huan of Qi killed Prince Jiu, he could not die for his lord, but instead went to assist Duke Huan." Confucius said: "Guan Zhong assisted Duke Huan in becoming hegemon over the feudal lords and set the whole world right in one stroke; to this day the people still receive his benefits. Had it not been for Guan Zhong, we would probably have long been wearing our hair loose and fastening our robes on the left, as barbarians do. Would you have him keep a small good faith like ordinary men and women, hanging himself in a ditch with nobody knowing of it?"

公叔文子之臣大夫僎與文子同升諸公，子聞之，曰：“可以為‘文’矣。”

Gongshu Wenzi's household minister Zhuan was recommended by Wenzi and rose together with him to serve in the court of Wei. Hearing of this, Confucius said: "For this alone, he may be given the posthumous title 'Wen' (Cultured)."

子言衛靈公之無道也，康子曰：“夫如是，奚而不喪？”孔子曰：“仲叔圉治賓客，祝鮀治宗廟，王孫賈治軍旅，夫如是，奚其喪？”

When Confucius spoke of Duke Ling of Wei being without the Way, Ji Kangzi said: "If so, why has he not been ruined?" Confucius said: "He has Zhongshu Yu to receive his guests, Zhu Tuo to manage his ancestral temple sacrifices, and Wangsun Jia to lead his military. With such men, how could he be ruined?"

子曰：“其言之不怍，則為之也難。”

Confucius said: "If a man speaks big words without feeling ashamed, then he will find it hard to carry them out."

陳成子弒簡公，孔子沐浴而朝，告於哀公曰：“陳恆弒其君，請討之。”公曰：“告夫三子。”孔子曰：“以吾從大夫之後，不敢不告也，君曰‘告夫三子’者！”之三子告，不可。孔子曰：“以吾從大夫之後，不敢不告也。”

Chen Chengzi killed Duke Jian of Qi. Confucius bathed and went to court, and reported to Duke Ai of Lu: "Chen Heng has killed his ruler; please send troops to punish him." Duke Ai said: "Go and report to those three ministers." Confucius said: "Because I once served as a high official, I dared not fail to report; yet my ruler says 'go and report to those three'!" He went to report to the three ministers, but was not granted agreement. Confucius said: "Because I once served as a high official, I dared not fail to report."

子路問事君，子曰：“勿欺也，而犯之。”

Zilu asked how to serve a ruler. Confucius said: "Do not deceive him, but you may oppose him to his face."

子曰：“君子上達，小人下達。”

Confucius said: "The gentleman moves upward toward benevolence and righteousness; the petty man moves downward toward wealth and profit."

子曰：“古之學者為己，今之學者為人。”

Confucius said: "In ancient times people studied for the sake of improving themselves; today people study for the sake of showing others."

蘧伯玉使人於孔子，孔子與之坐而問焉，曰：“夫子何為？”對曰：“夫子欲寡其過而未能也。”使者出，子曰：“使乎！使乎！”

Qu Boyu sent a messenger to visit Confucius. Confucius had him sit and asked: "What has your master been doing lately?" The messenger replied: "My master wishes to reduce his faults but has not yet been able to." After the messenger left, Confucius said: "What a messenger! What a messenger!"

子曰：“不在其位，不謀其政。”曾子曰：“君子思不出其位。”

Confucius said: "If you are not in that position, do not plan the affairs of that position." Zengzi said: "The gentleman's thoughts do not go beyond the scope of his position."

子曰：“君子恥其言而過其行。”

Confucius said: "The gentleman is ashamed when his words go beyond his actions."

子曰：“君子道者三，我無能焉：仁者不憂，知者不惑，勇者不懼。”子貢曰：“夫子自道也。”

Confucius said: "The way of the gentleman has three parts, and I have achieved none of them: the benevolent are free from worry, the wise are free from confusion, and the brave are free from fear." Zigong said: "This is exactly the Master describing himself."

子貢方人，子曰：“賜也賢乎哉？夫我則不暇。”

Zigong was commenting on the strengths and weaknesses of others. Confucius said: "Ci, are you that worthy? I do not have the leisure for it."

子曰：“不患人之不己知，患其不能也。”

Confucius said: "Do not worry that others do not understand you; worry that you yourself lack ability."