Confucian Analects Book XI Part 1 (孔夫子論語: 先進第十一 第一部份)

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

Chi-lu asked what is due to the ghosts of the dead? The Master said, When we cannot do our duty to the living, how can we do it to the dead? He dared to ask about death. We know not life, said the Master, how can we know death?

先進第十一

BOOK XI

1. 子曰：「先進於禮樂，野人也；後進於禮樂，君子也。如用之，則吾從先進。」

The Master said, Savages! the men that first went into courtesy and music! Gentlemen! those that went into them later! My use is to follow the first lead in both.

2. 子曰：「從我於陳蔡者，皆不及門也。」德行：顏淵、閔子騫、冉伯牛、仲弓；言語： 宰我、子貢；政事：冉有、季路；文學：子游、子夏。

The Master said, Not one of my followers in Ch'en or Ts'ai comes any more to my door! Yen Yüan, Min Tzu-ch'ien, Jan Po-niu and Chung-kung were men of noble life; Tsai Wo and Tzu-kung were the talkers; Jan Yu and Chi-lu were statesmen; Tzu-yu and Tzu-hsia, men of arts and learning.

3. 子曰：「回也，非助我者也！於吾言，無所不說。」

The Master said, I get no help from Hui. No word I say but delights him!

4. 子曰：「孝哉閔子騫，人不間於其父母昆弟之言。」

The Master said, How good a son is Min Tzu-ch'ien! No one finds fault with anything that his father, or his mother, or his brethren say of him.

5. 南容三復白圭，孔子以其兄之子妻之。

Nan Jung would thrice repeat The Sceptre White. Confucius gave him his brother's daughter for wife.

6. 季康子問：「弟子孰為好學？」孔子對曰：「有顏回者好學，不幸短命死矣！今也則 亡。」

Chi K'ang asked which disciples loved learning. Confucius answered, There was Yen Hui loved learning. Alas! his mission was short, he died. Now there is no one.

7. 顏淵死，顏路請子之車以為之 。子曰：「才不才，亦各言其子也。鯉也死，有棺而無 ；吾不徒行，以為之 ，以吾從大夫之後，不可徒行也。」

When Yen Yüan died, Yen Lu asked for the Master's carriage to furnish an outer coffin.
The Master said, Brains or no brains, each of us speaks of his son. When Li died he had an inner but not an outer coffin: I would not go on foot to furnish an outer coffin. As I follow in the wake of the ministers I cannot go on foot.

8. 顏淵死，子曰：「噫！天喪予！天喪予！」

When Yen Yüan died the Master said, Woe is me! Heaven has undone me! Heaven has undone me!

9. 顏淵死，子哭之慟。從者曰：「子慟矣！」曰：「有慟乎！非夫人之為慟而誰為！」

When Yen Yüan died the Master gave way to grief.
His followers said, Sir, ye are giving way.
The Master said, Am I giving way? If I did not give way for this man, for whom should I give way to grief?

10. 顏淵死，門人欲厚葬之，子曰：「不可。」門人厚葬之。子曰：「回也，視予猶父也 ，予不得視猶子也。非我也，夫二三子也。」

When Yen Yüan died the disciples wished to bury him in pomp.
The Master said, This must not be.
The disciples buried him in pomp.
The Master said, Hui treated me as his father. I have failed to treat him as a son. No, not I; but ye, my two-three boys.

11. 季路問事鬼神。子曰：「未能事人，焉能事鬼？」「敢問死？」曰：「未知生，焉知 死？」

Chi-lu asked what is due to the ghosts of the dead?
The Master said, When we cannot do our duty to the living, how can we do it to the dead?
He dared to ask about death.
We know not life, said the Master, how can we know death?

12. 閔子侍側，誾誾如也；子路，行行如也；冉有、子貢，侃侃如也。子樂。若由也，不 得其死然。

Seeing the disciple Min standing at his side with winning looks, Tzu-lu with warlike front, Jan Yu and Tzu-kung frank and free, the Master's heart was glad.
A man like Yu, he said, dies before his day.

13. 魯人為長府。閔子騫曰：「仍舊貫，如之何？何必改作！」子曰：「夫人不言，言必 有中。」

The men of Lu were building the Long Treasury.
Min Tzu-ch'ien said, Would not the old one do? Why must it be rebuilt?
The Master said, That man does not talk, but when he speaks he hits the mark.

14. 子曰：「由之瑟，奚為於丘之門？」門人不敬子路。子曰：「由也升堂矣！未入於室 也！」

The Master said, What has the lute of Yu to do, twanging at my door?
But when the disciples looked down on Tzu-lu, the Master said, Yu has come up into hall, but he has not yet entered the inner rooms.

15. 子貢問：「師與商也孰賢？」子曰：「師也過，商也不及。」曰：「然則師愈與？」 子曰：「過猶不及。」

Tzu-kung asked, Which is the better, Shih or Shang?
The Master said, Shih goes too far, Shang not far enough.
Then is Shih the better? said Tzu-kung.
Too far, said the Master, is no nearer than not far enough.