Chapter 1 of the Analects of Confucius

子zǐ曰yuē：“学xué而ér时shí习xí之zhī，不bù亦yì悦yuè乎hū？有yǒu朋péng自zì远yuǎn方fāng来lái，不bù亦yì乐lè乎hū？人rén不bù知zhī而ér不bù愠yùn，不bù亦yì君jūn子zǐ乎hū？”

I.1. The Master said: — Is it not a pleasure to cultivate wisdom and to practice it constantly? If friends of wisdom come from afar to receive his teachings, does he not feel great joy? If he remains unknown to men and feels no grief, is he not a true sage?

有yǒu子zǐ曰yuē：“其qí为wéi人rén也yě孝xiào悌tì而ér好hào犯fàn上shàng者zhě，鲜xiǎn矣yǐ。不bù好hào犯fàn上shàng而ér好hào作zuò乱luàn者zhě，未wèi之zhī有yǒu也yě。君jūn子zǐ务wù本běn，本běn立lì而ér道dào生shēng。孝xiào悌tì也yě者zhě，其qí为wéi仁rén之zhī本běn与yú？”

I.2. Youzi said: — Among men who naturally respect their parents and honor those above them, few like to resist their superiors. A man who does not like to resist authority and yet likes to cause trouble has never been met. The sage gives his main concern to the root. Once the root is established, the trunk and branches arise. Affection for our parents and respect for those above us are like the root of virtue.

子zǐ曰yuē：“巧qiǎo言yán令lìng色sè，鲜xiǎn矣yǐ仁rén。”

I.3. The Master said: — He who by studied speeches and an artificial air seeks to please men impairs his virtues.

曾zēng子zǐ曰yuē：吾wú日rì三sān省xǐng乎hū吾wú身shēn。为wèi人rén谋móu而ér不bù忠zhōng乎hū？与yǔ朋péng友yǒu交jiāo而ér不bù信xìn乎hū？传chuán不bù习xí乎hū？

I.4. Zengzi said: — I examine myself every day on three points: Have I been faithful to others in my dealings? Have I been true to my friends? Have I not neglected the lessons I received?

子zǐ曰yuē：“道dào千qiān乘shèng之zhī国guó，敬jìng事shì而ér信xìn，节jié用yòng而ér爱ài人rén，使shǐ民mín以yǐ时shí。”

I.5. The Master said: — He who governs a state which has a thousand chariots must be reverent, be cautious, be generous, and be just. He must also be ready to employ his people at the proper times.

子zǐ曰yuē：“弟tì子zǐ入rù则zé孝xiào，出chū则zé悌tì，谨jǐn而ér信xìn，泛fàn爱ài众zhòng而ér亲qīn仁rén，行xíng有yǒu余yú力lì，则zé以yǐ学xué文wén。”

I.6. The Master said: — A young man, in the home, must love and respect his parents. Outside the home, he must respect those who are older or of higher rank. He must be attentive and sincere in his words; love everyone, but be closely connected with virtuous men. When these duties are fulfilled, if he has time and strength left, let him use them to study literature and the arts.

子zǐ夏xià曰yuē：贤xián贤xián易yì色sè，事shì父fù母mǔ，能néng竭jié其qí力lì。事shì君jūn，能néng致zhì其qí身shēn。与yǔ朋péng友yǒu交jiāo，言yán而ér有yǒu信xìn。虽suī曰yuē未wèi学xué，吾wú必bì谓wèi之zhī学xué矣yǐ。”

I.7. Zixia said: — He who, instead of loving pleasure, loves and seeks out wise men, who helps his parents with all his strength, who devotes himself entirely to serving his prince, who speaks sincerely with friends, even if someone said that this man has not cultivated wisdom, I would say that he has.

子zǐ曰yuē：“君jūn子zǐ不bù重zhòng则zé不bù威wēi，学xué则zé不bù固gù。主zhǔ忠zhōng信xìn，无wú友yǒu不bù如rú己jǐ者zhě，过guò则zé勿wù惮dàn改gǎi。”

I.8. The Master said: — If the one who cultivates wisdom lacks gravity, he will not be respected and will only gain a superficial knowledge of virtue. Let him place fidelity and sincerity first; let him not befriend men who are not like him; if he falls into a fault, let him not hesitate to correct it.

曾zēng子zǐ曰yuē：慎shèn终zhōng追zhuī远yuǎn，民mín德dé归guī厚hòu矣yǐ。”

I.9. Zengzi said: — If the prince, with true zeal, fulfills his duties to his parents and honors his ancestors, even distant ones, filial piety will flourish among the people.

子zǐ禽qín问wèn于yú子zǐ贡gòng曰yuē：“夫fú子zǐ至zhì于yú是shì邦bāng也yě，必bì闻wén其qí政zhèng。求qiú之zhī与yú？抑yì与yú之zhī与yú？”子zǐ贡gòng曰yuē：“夫fú子zǐ温wēn良liáng恭gōng俭jiǎn让ràng以yǐ得dé之zhī。夫fú子zǐ求qiú之zhī也yě，其qí诸zhū异yì乎hū人rén之zhī求qiú之zhī与yú？”

I.10. Ziqin asked Zigong: — When our master arrives in a state, he always learns about its government. Is it he who asks for it, or is it the prince who offers it to him?Zigong replied: — Our master gets it not by asking, but by his warmth, his calm, his respect, his modesty, and his deference. His way of asking is different from others.

子zǐ曰yuē：“父fù在zài，观guān其qí志zhì。父fù没mò，观guān其qí行xíng。三sān年nián无wú改gǎi于yú父fù之zhī道dào，可kě谓wèi孝xiào矣yǐ。”

I.11. The Master said: — A son should consult his father’s will when his father is alive, and his deeds when his father is dead. If for three years after his father’s death he does not change his father’s ways, he may be called filial.

有yǒu子zǐ曰yuē：“礼lǐ之zhī用yòng，和hé为wéi贵guì。先xiān王wáng之zhī道dào斯sī为wéi美měi。小xiǎo大dà由yóu之zhī，有yǒu所suǒ不bù行xíng。知zhī和hé而ér和hé，不bù以yǐ礼lǐ节jié之zhī，亦yì不bù可kě行xíng也yě。”

I.12. Youzi said: — In the observance of reciprocal duties, harmony is prized. This is why the rules of the ancient kings were excellent. All their ordinances, great and small, were inspired by the desire for harmony. However, one thing must be avoided: knowing the value of harmony and seeking harmony at all costs, without regard for duty, is not allowed.

有yǒu子zǐ曰yuē：“信xìn近jìn于yú义yì，言yán可kě复fù也yě。恭gōng近jìn于yú礼lǐ，远yuǎn耻chǐ辱rǔ也yě。因yīn不bù失shī其qí亲qīn，亦yì可kě宗zōng也yě。”

I.13. Youzi said: — When you can fulfill your word without failing in righteousness, you should keep it. Respect and deference that conform to the rules of propriety are not shameful or dishonorable. If you choose as your protector a man worthy of your friendship and trust, you can remain loyal to him forever.

子zǐ曰yuē：“君jūn子zǐ食shí无wú求qiú饱bǎo，居jū无wú求qiú安ān。敏mǐn于yú事shì而ér慎shèn于yú言yán，就jiù有yǒu道dào而ér正zhèng焉yān。可kě谓wèi好hào学xué也yě已yǐ。”

I.14. The Master said: — The student of wisdom who does not seek to satisfy his appetite in food, nor his comfort in living, who is diligent in his affairs and cautious in his words, who is guided by virtuous men, that man has a true desire to learn.

子zǐ贡gòng曰yuē：“贫pín而ér无wú谄chǎn，富fù而ér无wú骄jiāo。何hé如rú？”子zǐ曰yuē：“可kě也yě。未wèi若ruò贫pín而ér乐lè，富fù而ér好hào礼lǐ者zhě也yě。”子zǐ贡gòng曰yuē：“诗shī云yún：如rú切qiē如rú磋cuō，如rú琢zhuó如rú磨mó。其qí斯sī之zhī谓wèi与yú？”子zǐ曰yuē：“赐cì也yě，始shǐ可kě与yǔ言yán诗shī已yǐ矣yǐ。告gào诸zhū往wǎng而ér知zhī来lái者zhě。”

I.15. Zigong said: — What do you think of the man who, being poor, is not obsequious, and being rich, is not arrogant?The master replied: — It is commendable, but even better is the man who is content in poverty and moderate in wealth.Zigong said: — It is said in the Book of Odes: “As to cut, as to polish, as to carve, as to grind.” Does this refer to this?The Master said: — Yes, you can now begin to understand the Book of Odes. On my answer to his question, he immediately understood the meaning of the lines he cited.

子zǐ曰yuē：“不bù患huàn人rén之zhī不bù己jǐ知zhī，患huàn不bù知zhī人rén也yě。”

I.16. The Master said: — The sage is not troubled that men do not know him; he is troubled that he does not know men.