The Analects of Confucius Book 18 New English Translation

Read this new English translation of the Analects of Confucius Book 18 to learn more about the teachings of China’s most famous philosopher.

Chapter 1
微子去之，箕子為之奴，比干諫而死。孔子曰：「殷有三仁焉！」
Weizi fled from Zhouxin, Jizi became his slave, and Bi Gan was executed for remonstrating with him. Confucius said: “The Yin Dynasty had three men of consummate conduct.”

Chapter 2
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 was dismissed three times as a magistrate. People said. “Why don’t you go elsewhere?” He replied: “If I serve others by taking a straight path, where can I go without being dismissed three times? If I serve others by taking a crooked path, why would I need to leave the land of my parents?”

Chapter 3
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 was preparing to receive Confucius and said: “I cannot accord him the same level of treatment as the head of the Ji family receives. I will accord him the same level of treatment him as someone who ranks between the head of the Ji family and the head of the Meng family.” Later he said: “I am too old. I cannot employ him.” Confucius left.

Chapter 4
齊人歸女樂，季桓子受之，三日不朝，孔子行。
The people of the state of Qi sent a troupe of female entertainers as a gift to the state of Lu. Ji Huanzi accepted them and, for three days, he did not attend court. Confucius left.

Chapter 5
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。趨而辟之，不得與之言。
Jieyu, the Madman of Chu, walked past Confucius singing: “Oh phoenix, oh phoenix! Why has your virtue withered so badly? The past is beyond repair, but the future is still worth pursuing. Give it up! Give it up! Those who serve in government are in peril.” Confucius stepped down from his chariot and wanted to speak with him, but Jieyu hurried away and avoided him. Confucius did not get to speak with him.

Chapter 6
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，豈若從辟世之士哉？」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 Jieni were plowing the fields together. Confucius passed by and sent Zilu to ask where the ford was. Changju said: “Who is in the chariot?” Zilu said: “Confucius.” “Confucius from Lu?” “Yes.” “Then he already knows where the ford is.” Zilu then asked Jieni the same question. He replied: “Who are you?” “I am Zilu.” “The follower of Confucius from Lu?” “Yes.” “The whole world is inundated by the same flood. Who can reverse its flow? Instead of following a teacher who just avoids the bad people in the world, would you not be better off following one who avoids the world altogether?” All the while he kept on harrowing the field without stopping. Zilu went back and reported the incident to Confucius. With a furrowed brow, Confucius sighed: “I cannot associate with the birds and beasts. If I cannot associate with people, who can I associate with? If the world were following the way, I would not have to try to reform it.”

Chapter 7
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：「不士無義，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 fell behind while traveling with Confucius. He met an old man who was carrying a basket hanging from his staff over his shoulder. Zilu asked him: “Have you seen my master?” The old man said: “You do not toil with your four limbs, and you cannot even distinguish between the five types of grain. Who is your master?” He planted his staff in the ground and started weeding. Zilu stood respectfully, his hands clasped in front of him. The old man invited him to stay with him overnight, killed a chicken and cooked some millet for him to eat, and introduced his two sons to him. The next day, Zilu resumed his journey and reported to Confucius. Confucius said: “The man you met is a recluse.” He sent Zilu back to see the old man, but when he reached his place Zilu found that the old man had gone. Zilu said: “It is wrong to withdraw from public life. The codes that govern the appropriate relationship between the old and young cannot be discarded. How can the appropriate relationship between ruler and subject be discarded? You cannot disrupt the most basic human relationships just to preserve your purity. An exemplary person takes office and performs the appropriate duties even if they already know that the way will not prevail.”

Chapter 8
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。」
Men who withdrew from the world: Boyi, Shuqi, Yuzhong, Yiyi, Zhuzhang, Liuxia Hui, Shaolian. Confucius said: “They never compromised their ideals or brought disgrace upon themselves. Does this not sum up the characters of Boyi and Shuqi?” On Liuxia Hui and Shaolian, he commented: “Although they compromised their ideals and brought disgrace upon themselves, they spoke with reason and acted with prudence.” On Yuzhong and Yiyi, he said. “They lived as recluses and spoke their minds. They remained pure in their person and retired discretely from public life. I, however, am different from them because I have no preconceptions about what I can and cannot do.”

Chapter 9
大師摯適齊，亞飯干適楚，三飯繚適蔡，四飯缺適秦；鼓方叔，入於河；播 武，入於漢；少師陽，擊磬襄，入於海。
Zhi, the music master, left for Qi. Gan, conductor for the second course, left for Chu. Liao, conductor for the third course, left for Cai. Que, conductor for the fourth course, left for Qin. Fangshu, the drummer, crossed the river. Wu, the hand drummer, crossed the Han River. Yang, the music master’s deputy, and Xiang, the stone chime player, went to live by the sea.

Chapter 10
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 his son, the Duke of Lu: “An exemplary person does not neglect their relatives, nor do they give their ministers the opportunity to complain that their advice is not heeded. They do not dismiss old retainers without serious cause, nor do they demand all-round perfection in a single individual.”

Chapter 11
周有八士：伯達、伯适、仲突、仲忽、叔夜、叔夏、季隨、季騧。
The Zhou Dynasty had eight scholar-officials: Boda, Boshi, Zhongtu, Zhonghu, Shuye, Shuxia, Jisui, and Jigua.