Confucian Analects Book XIII Part 1 (孔夫子論語:子路第十三 第一部份)

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

The Master said, the man of upright life is obeyed before he speaks; commands even go unheeded when the life is crooked.

子路第十三

BOOK XIII

1. 子路問「政」。子曰：「先之，勞之。」請益。曰：「無倦。」

Tzu-lu asked how to rule.
The Master said, Go before; work hard.
When asked to say more, he said, Never flag.

2. 仲弓為季氏宰，問「政」。子曰：「先有司，赦小過，舉賢才。」曰：「焉知賢才而 舉之？」曰：「舉爾所知，爾所不知，人其舍諸！」

When he was steward of the Chi, Chung-kung asked how to rule.
The Master said, Let officers act first; overlook small faults, lift up brains and worth.
Chung-kung said, How shall I get to know brains and worth to lift them up?
Lift up those thou dost know, said the Master; and those thou dost not know, will other men pass by?

3. 子路曰：「衛君待子而為政，子將奚先？」子曰：「必也正名乎！」子路曰：「有是 哉？子之迂也！奚其正？」子曰：「野哉，由也！君子於其所不知，蓋闕如也。名不正，則言不順；言不順，則事不成；事不成，則禮樂不興；禮樂不興，則刑罰不中；刑罰不中，則民無所措手足。故君子名之必可言也，言之必可行也。君子於其言，無所茍而已矣！」

Tzu-lu said, The lord of Wei waits for you, Sir, to govern. How shall ye begin?
Surely, said the Master, by putting names right.
Indeed, said Tzu-lu, that is far-fetched, Sir. Why put them right?
What a savage Yu is! said the Master. A gentleman is tongue-tied when he does not understand. If names are not right, words do not fit. If words do not fit, affairs go wrong. If affairs go wrong, neither courtesy nor music thrive. If courtesy and music do not thrive, law and justice fail. And if law and justice fail them, the people can move neither hand nor foot. So a gentleman must be ready to put names into speech and words into deed. A gentleman is nowise careless of his words.

4. 樊遲請學稼，子曰：「吾不如老農。」請學為圃，曰：「吾不如老圃。」樊遲出， 子曰：「小人哉，樊須也！上好禮，則民莫敢不敬；上好義，則民莫敢不服；上好信，則民莫敢不用情。夫如是，則四方之民，襁負其子而至矣；焉用稼！」

Fan Ch'ih asked to be taught husbandry.
The Master said. An old husbandman knows more than I do.
He asked to be taught gardening.
The Master said. An old gardener knows more than I do.
After Fan Ch'ih had gone, the Master said, How small a man! If those above love courtesy, no one will dare to slight them; if they love right, no one will dare to disobey; if they love truth, no one will dare to hide the heart. Then, from the four corners of the earth, folk will gather with their children on their backs; and what need will there be for husbandry?

5. 子曰：「誦詩三百，授之以政，不達；使於四方，不能專對。雖多，亦奚以為？」

The Master said, Though a man have conned three hundred poems, if he stands helpless when put to govern, if he cannot answer for himself when he is sent to the four corners of the earth, many as they are, what have they done for him?

6. 子曰：「其身正，不令而行；其身不正，雖令不從。」

The Master said, The man of upright life is obeyed before he speaks; commands even go unheeded when the life is crooked.

7. 子曰：「魯衛之政，兄弟也。」

The Master said, The governments of Lu and Wei are brothers.

8. 子謂衛公子荊善居室：「始有，曰『苟合矣』；少有，曰『苟完矣』；富有，曰『苟 美矣。』」

Speaking of Ching, of the ducal house of Wei, the Master said, He was wise in his private life. When he had begun to save, he said, This seems enough. When he grew better off, he said, This seems plenty. When he had grown rich, he said. This seems splendour.

9. 子適衛，冉有僕。子曰：「庶矣哉！」冉有曰：「既庶矣，又何加焉？」曰：「富之 。」曰：「既富矣，又何加焉？」曰：「教之。」

When Jan Yu was driving him to Wei, the Master said. What numbers!
Jan Yu said, Since numbers are here, what next is needed?
Wealth, said the Master.
And what comes next after wealth?
Teaching, said the Master.

10. 子曰：「苟有用我者，期月而已可也，三年有成。」

The Master said, If I were employed for a twelve-month, much could be done. In three years all would be ended.

11. 子曰：「『善人為邦百年，亦可以勝殘去殺矣。』誠哉是言也！」

The Master said, If good men were to govern a land for an hundred years, cruelty would be conquered and putting to death done away with. How true are these words!

12. 子曰：「如有王者，必世而後仁。」

The Master said, Even if a king were to govern, a lifetime would pass before love dawned!

13. 子曰：「苟正其身矣，於從政乎何有？不能正其身，如正人何？」

The Master said, What is governing to a man that can rule himself? If he cannot rule himself, how shall he rule others?

14. 冉子退朝，子曰：「何晏也？」對曰：「有政。」子曰：「其事也！如有政，雖不 吾以，吾其與聞之！」

As the disciple Jan came back from court, the Master said to him. Why so late?
I had business of state, he answered.
Household business, said the Master. If it had been business of state, though I am out of office, I should have heard of it.

15. 定公問：「一言而可以興邦，有諸？」孔子對曰：「言不可以若是其幾也！人之言曰 ：『為君難，為臣不易。』如知為君之難也，不幾乎一言而興邦乎？」曰：「一言而喪邦，有諸？」孔子對曰：「言不可以若是其幾也！人之言曰：『予無樂乎為君，唯其言而莫予違也。』如其善而莫之違也，不亦善乎？如不善而莫之違也，不幾乎一言而喪邦乎？」

Duke Ting asked, Is there any one saying that can bless a kingdom?
Confucius answered, That is more than words can do. But men have a saying, To be lord is hard and to be minister is not easy. And if one knew how hard it is to be lord, might not this one saying almost bless a kingdom?
And is there any one saying that can wreck a kingdom?
That is more than words can do, Confucius answered. But men have a saying, My only delight in being lord is that no one withstands what I say. Now if what he says is good, and no one withstands him, is not that good too? But if it is not good, and no one withstands him, might not this one saying almost wreck a kingdom?