Confucian Analects Book IV (孔夫子論語: 里仁第四)

Author: Confucius (孔夫子); translated by James Legge

1. 子曰：「里仁為美。擇不處仁，焉得知？」

The Master said, Love makes a spot beautiful: who chooses not to dwell in love, has he got wisdom?

2. 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。」

The Master said, Loveless men cannot bear need long, they cannot bear fortune long. Loving men find peace in love, the wise find profit in it.

3. 子曰：「惟仁者，能好人，能惡人。」

The Master said, Love alone can love others, or hate others.

4. 子曰：「苟志於仁矣，無惡也。」

The Master said, A will set on love is free from evil.

5. 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。」

The Master said, Wealth and honours are what men desire; but do not go from the Way, to keep them. Lowliness and want are hated by men; but do not go from the Way, to escape them.
Shorn of love, is a gentleman worthy of the name? Not for one moment may a gentleman sin against love; he must not do so in flurry and haste, nor do so in utter overthrow.

6. 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，我未之見也。」

The Master said, I have seen no one that loves love and hates uncharity. He that loves love will set nothing higher. The hater of uncharity is so given to love that no uncharity can enter into his life. If a man were to give his strength to love for one day, I have seen no one whose strength would fail him. There may be such men, but I have not seen one.

7. 子曰：「人之過也，各於其黨。觀過，斯知仁矣。」

The Master said, A man and his faults are of a piece. By watching his faults we learn whether love be his.

8. 子曰：「朝聞道，夕死可矣！」

The Master said, To learn the Way at daybreak and die at eve were enough.

9. 子曰：「士志於道，而恥惡衣惡食者，未足與議也！」

The Master said, A knight in quest of the Way, who is ashamed of bad clothes and bad food, it is idle talking to.

10. 子曰：「君子之於天下也，無適也，無莫也，義之於比。」

The Master said, A gentleman has no likes or dislikes below heaven. He follows right.

11. 子曰：「君子懷德，小人懷土；君子懷刑，小人懷惠。」

The Master said, The gentleman cherishes mind, the small man cherishes dirt. Gentlemen trust in the law, the small man trusts in favour.

12. 子曰：「放於利而行，多怨。」

The Master said, The chase of gain is rich in hate.

13. 子曰：「能以禮讓為國乎，何有！不能以禮讓為國，如禮何！」

The Master said, What is it to sway a kingdom by courteous yielding? If we cannot sway a kingdom by courteous yielding, what is our courtesy worth?

14. 子曰：「不患無位，患所以立；不患莫己知，求為可知也。」

The Master said, Care not for want of place; care for thy readiness to fill one. Care not for being unknown, but seek to be worthy of note.

15. 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。」

The Master said, One line, Shen, runs through my Way.
Yes, said Tseng-tzu.
After the Master had left, the disciples asked what was meant.
Tseng-tzu said, The Master's Way is no more than faithfulness and fellow-feeling.

16. 子曰：「君子喻於義，小人喻於利。」

The Master said, The gentleman is learned in right; the small man is learned in gain.

17. 子曰：「見賢思齊焉，見不賢而內自省也。」

The Master said, At sight of worth, think to grow like it; at sight of baseness, search thyself within.

18. 子曰：「事父母幾諫，見志不從，又敬不違，勞而不怨。」

The Master said, A father or a mother may be gently chidden. If thou seest they have no will to follow thee, be the more lowly, but do not give way; nor murmur at the trouble they give thee.

19. 子曰：「父母在，不遠遊，遊必有方。」

The Master said, Whilst thy father and mother are living, do not wander afar. If thou must travel, hold a set course.

20. 子曰：「三年無改於父之道，可謂孝矣。」

The Master said, He that changes nothing in his father's ways for three years may be called pious.

21. 子曰：「父母之年，不可不知也：一則以喜，一則以懼。」

The Master said, A father and mother's years must be borne in mind; with gladness on the one hand and fear on the other.

22. 子曰：「古者言之不出，恥躬之不逮也。」

The Master said, The men of old were loth to speak, for not to live up to their words would have shamed them.

23. 子曰：「以約失之者，鮮矣。」

The Master said, We shall seldom get lost if we hold to main lines.

24. 子曰：「君子欲訥於言，而敏於行。」

The Master said, A gentleman wishes to be slow to speak and quick to do.

25. 子曰：「德不孤，必有鄰。」

The Master said, A great soul is never friendless: he has always neighbours.

26. 子游曰：「事君數，斯辱矣；朋友數，斯疏矣。」

Tzu-yu said, Nagging at kings brings disgrace, nagging at friends estrangement.