Analects of Confucius Book 8: new English translation
Read this new English translation of the Analects of Confucius Book 8 to learn more about the teachings of China’s most famous philosopher, including his thoughts on the qualities of the ancient sage kings who laid the foundations of Chinese civilization.
Chapter 1
子曰：「泰伯其可謂至德也已矣。三以天下讓，民無得而稱焉。」
Confucius said: “It can truly be said of Tai Bo that he was a man of supreme virtue. Three times he gave up the throne of his state without giving the people the opportunity to praise him.”
Chapter 2
子曰：「恭而無禮則勞，慎而無禮則葸，勇而無禮則亂，直而無禮則絞。君子篤於親，則民興於仁。故舊不遺，則民不偷。」
Confucius said: “Reverence unregulated by ritual descends into indifference; cautiousness unregulated by ritual descends into timidity; boldness unregulated by ritual descends into disorder; frankness unregulated by ritual descends into hurtfulness. If a leader is devoted to their family, the people are inclined towards goodness; if a leader doesn’t forget about their old friends, the people will not shirk their obligations to others.”
Chapter 3
曾子有疾，召門弟子曰：「啟予足！啟予手！詩云：『戰戰兢兢，如臨深淵，如履薄冰。』而今而後，吾知免夫！小子！」
When Zengzi was seriously ill, he called his followers together and said: “Look at my feet! Look at my hands! It’s said in the Book of Songs:
‘We should be vigilant and cautious,
As if we are standing on the edge of an abyss,
As if we are treading on thin ice.’
But now, my little ones, I know that I’m escaping whole now and forever after.”
Chapter 4
曾子有疾，孟敬子問之。曾子言曰：「鳥之將死，其鳴也哀；人之將死，其言也善。君子所貴乎道者三：動容貌，斯遠暴慢矣；正顏色，斯近信矣；出辭氣，斯遠鄙倍矣。籩豆之事，則有司存。」
When Zengzi was seriously ill, Meng Jingzi came to visit him. Zengzi said: “When a bird is about to die, its song is mournful; when a man is about to die, his words are kind. In following the way, leaders cherish three things: by maintaining a dignified demeanor, they stay far from violence and arrogance; by maintaining a sincere countenance, they show they can be trusted; by choosing their words carefully, they avoid vulgarity and mistakes. As for the details of ritual, these will be taken care of by the functionaries.”
Chapter 5
曾子曰：「以能問於不能，以多問於寡，有若無，實若虛，犯而不校，昔者吾友，嘗從事於斯矣。」
Zengzi said: “Capable but willing to listen to those who are not capable; talented but willing to listen to those without talent; viewing having as the same as not having; viewing fullness as the same as emptiness; accepting insults without bearing a grudge: long ago, I had a friend who practiced these things.”
Chapter 6
曾子曰：「可以託六尺之孤，可以寄百里之命，臨大節而不可奪也，君子人與，君子人也。」
Zengzi said: “You can entrust him with the care of a teenage orphan; you can entrust him with the management of a small estate; when faced with a crisis, he will remain steadfast in resolving it. Is he a leader? Of course, he’s a leader.”
Chapter 7
曾子曰：「士不可以不弘毅，任重而道遠。仁以為己任，不亦重乎，死而後已，不亦遠乎。」
Zengzi said: “A scholar-official must be strong and resolute because his burden is heavy and his road is long. He takes goodness as his burden: is it not heavy? His journey ends only with death: is it not long?”
Chapter 8
子曰：「興於詩，立於禮，成於樂。」
Confucius said: “Find inspiration with the Book of Songs; establish character with ritual; achieve perfection with music.”
Chapter 9
子曰：「民可使由之，不可使知之。」
Confucius said: “The common people can be made to follow the way, but they cannot be made to understand it.”
Chapter 10
子曰：「好勇疾貧，亂也。人而不仁，疾之已甚，亂也。」
Confucius said: “If people with a courageous streak find themselves trapped in poverty, chaos will ensue. If people without a trace of goodness decide their sufferings are too great, chaos will ensue.”
Chapter 11
子曰：「如有周公之才之美，使驕且吝，其餘不足觀也已。」
Confucius said: “Even if someone has all the outstanding talents of the Duke of Zhou, if they’re arrogant and mean all their other qualities aren’t worth looking at.”
Chapter 12
子曰：「三年學，不至於穀，不易得也。」
Confucius said: “Someone willing to study for three years without taking up an official position is hard to find.”
Chapter 13
子曰：「篤信好學，守死善道。危邦不人，亂邦不居，天下有道則見，無道則隱。邦有道，貧且賤焉，恥也，邦無道，富且貴焉，恥也。」
Confucius said: “Commit yourself sincerely to the love of learning. Defend the great way with your life. Do not enter an unstable state or live in a country that is in chaos. Take office when the way prevails in the world; withdraw from office when it disappears. In a state that has adopted the way, be ashamed if you remain poor and obscure; in a state that has lost the way, be ashamed if you become rich and achieve high rank.”
Chapter 14
子曰：「不在其位，不謀其政。」
Confucius said: “Don’t concern yourself with the affairs of an office that you don’t hold.”
Chapter 15
子曰：「師摯之始，關睢之亂，洋洋乎盈耳哉。」
Confucius said: “What rich and beautiful music fills my ears when Zhi, the music master, is conducting — right from the opening passage through to the finale of the Cry of the Ospreys!”
Chapter 16
子曰：「狂而不直，侗而不愿，悾悾而不信，吾不知之矣。」
Confucius said: “I don’t understand people who are reckless and insincere, ignorant and irresponsible, and naïve and untrustworthy.”
Chapter 17
子曰：「學如不及，猶恐失之。」
Confucius said: “Learn as if you’ll never be able to catch up with everything you need to know and as if you’re afraid you’ll lose everything that you’ve already gained.”
Chapter 18
子曰：「巍巍乎，舜禹之有天下也，而不與焉。」
Confucius said: “Shun and Yu were so majestic! They reigned over the world but never profited from it.”
Chapter 19
子曰：「大哉堯之為君也，巍巍乎，唯天為大，唯堯則之，蕩蕩乎，民無能名焉。巍巍乎，其有成功也，煥乎，其有文章。」
Confucius said: “What a great ruler Yao was! Absolutely majestic! Only heaven is great, and only Yao was able to emulate it. His virtue was so great that the people could find no words to describe it. How stunning were his achievements, and how brilliant the culture was that he created!”
Chapter 20
舜有臣五人，而天下治。武王曰：「予有亂臣十人。」孔子曰：「才難，不其然乎，唐虞之際，於斯為盛，有婦人焉，九人而已。三分天下有其二，以服事殷，周之德，其可謂至德也已矣。」
Shun ruled his empire with only five ministers. King Wu of Zhou said: “I have ten able ministers to keep everything in order.” Confucius said: “Talented people are hard to find: are they not? The times of Yao and Shun were said to be rich in talent, but King Wu was only able to find nine such men because one of his ministers was a woman. Although the Zhou controlled over two-thirds of the empire, it still served the Shang. You can truly say that the virtue of the Zhou was supreme.”
Chapter 21
子曰：「禹吾無間然矣，菲飲食，而致孝乎鬼神，惡衣服，而致美乎黻冕，卑宮室，而盡力乎溝洫，禹吾無間然矣。」
Confucius said: “I can find no flaw in Yu. He drank and ate simple fare, but he showed complete devotion in his offerings to the ghosts and spirits; he wore humble clothes, but his ritual vestments were magnificent; he lived in a modest palace, but he devoted all his strength to draining the floodwaters. I can find no flaw in Yu.”
