Confucius The Analects

Chapter I
學而篇

學而時習之、不亦說乎。有朋自遠方來、不亦樂乎。人不知而不慍、不亦君子乎。
Isn't it a pleasure to study and practice what you have learned? Isn't it also great when friends visit from distant places? If one remains not annoyed when his greatness is not recognized in his time, isn't he a sage?
The opening of the Analects and thus the first phrase of Chapter I after which the Chinese title of this book is named 學而.

巧言令色、鮮矣仁。
Fine words and an insinuating appearance are seldom associated with true virtue.
Variant Someone who is a clever speaker and maintains a 'too-smiley' face is seldom considered a humane person.

不患人之不己知，患不知人也。
I am not bothered by the fact that I am unknown. I am bothered when I do not know others.

主忠信。毋友不如己者。過，則勿憚改。
Hold faithfulness and sincerity as first principles. Then no friends would not be like yourself (all friends would be as loyal as yourself). If you make a mistake, do not be afraid to correct it.

道千乘之國，敬事而信，節用而愛人，使民以時。
If you would govern a state of a thousand chariots (a small-to-middle-size state), you must pay strict attention to business, be true to your word, be economical in expenditure and love the people. You should use them according to the seasons(i.e. You should not enlist farmers during seeding or harvest time).

君子食無求飽，居無求安，敏於事而慎於言，就有道而正焉，可謂好學也已。
When the Superior Man eats he does not try to stuff himself; at rest he does not seek perfect comfort; he is diligent in his work and careful in speech. He avails himself to people of the Tao and thereby corrects himself. This is the kind of person of whom you can say, "he loves learning."

Chapter II
為政篇

吾十有五而志於學，三十而立，四十而不惑，五十而知天命，六十而耳順，七十而从心所欲，不逾矩。
At fifteen my heart was set on learning; at thirty I stood firm; at forty I had no more doubts; at fifty I knew the mandate of heaven; at sixty my ear was obedient; at seventy I could follow my heart's desire without transgressing the norm.
Retrospection of his own life. From this phrase, alternative names for each decades of human life are derived in Chinese.

溫故而知新，可以為師矣。
Reviewing what you have learned and learning anew, you are fit to be a teacher.

君子周而不比，小人比而不周。
The Superior Man is all-embracing and not partial. The inferior man is partial and not all-embracing.

學而不思則罔，思而不學則殆。
To study and not think is a waste. To think and not study is dangerous.

攻乎異端，斯害也己。
To throw oneself into strange teachings is quite dangerous.
Note: The word translated "strange teachings" means literally another end [of textile]. There are two different understandings about "strange teachings" or heretical. One possible understanding is "strange from the authentic teaching", another understanding is simply different subjects, just as two authors or two scholastic fields literature and politics.

由，誨女知之乎，知之為知之，不知為不知，是知也。
Yu [a disciple], shall I teach you about knowledge? What you know, you know, what you don't know, you don't know. This is true wisdom.

視其所以，觀其所由，察其所安。人焉叟哉？人焉叟哉？
See a person's means (of getting things). Observe his motives. Examine that in which he rests. How can a person conceal his character?
See a person's “being”, observe his motive, notice his result. How can a person conceal his character? [by 朱冀平]

多聞闕疑，慎言其餘，則寡尤。多見闕殆，慎行其餘，則寡悔。言寡無，行寡悔，祿在其中矣。
Listen widely to remove your doubts and be careful when speaking about the rest and your mistakes will be few. See much and get rid of what is dangerous and be careful in acting on the rest and your causes for regret will be few. Speaking without fault, acting without causing regret: 'upgrading' consists in this.

非其鬼而祭之，諂也。見義不為，無勇也。
To worship to other than one's own ancestral spirits is brown-nosing. If you see what is right and fail to act on it, you lack courage.
Variant To see what is right, and not to do it, is want of courage or of principle.

Chapter III
八佾篇

人而不仁、如禮何。人而不仁、如樂何。
If a man has no humaneness what can his propriety be like? If a man has no humaneness what can his happiness be like?

君子無所爭、必也射乎、揖譲而升下、而飲、其爭也君子。
The Superior Man has nothing to compete for. But if he must compete, he does it in an archery match, wherein he ascends to his position, bowing in deference. Descending, he drinks (or has [the winner] drink) the ritual cup.
Note: Bowing is a courtesy for the host who invites him as well drinking a cup.

殷因於夏禮，所損益，可知也；周因於殷禮，所損益，可知也。其或繼周者，雖百世，可知也。
The Shang based its propriety on that of the Yin, and what it added and subtracted is knowable. The Zhou has based its propriety on that of the Shang and what it added and subtracted is knowable. In this way, what continues from the Chou, even if 100 generations hence, is knowable.

Chapter IV

Being in humaneness is good. If we select other goodness and thus are far apart from humaneness, how can we be the wise?
When we see men of worth, we should think of equaling them; when we see men of a contrary character, we should turn inwards and examine ourselves.里仁篇

里仁為美、択不処仁、焉得知。
Being in humaneness is good. If we select other goodness and thus are far apart from humaneness, how can we be the wise?
The opening phrase of this chapter after which the chapter is named in Chinese.

朝聞道、夕死可矣。
If I hear the Way [of truth] in the morning, I am content even to die in that evening.

见贤思齐焉；见不贤而内自省也。
When we see men of worth, we should think of equaling them; when we see men of a contrary character, we should turn inwards and examine ourselves.
James Legge, translation (1893)
When you meet someone better than yourself, turn your thoughts to becoming his equal. When you meet someone not as good as you are, look within and examine your own self.
Dim Cheuk Lau translation (1979)
When you see a good person, think of becoming like her/him. When you see someone not so good, reflect on your own weak points.
As quoted in Liberating Faith : Religious Voices for Justice, Peace, and Ecological Wisdom (2003) by Roger S. Gottlieb, p. 24

父在，觀其志；父殁，觀其行；三年无改於父之道，可謂孝矣。
When your father is alive, observe his will. When your father is dead observe his former actions. If, for three years [after the death of your father] you do not change from the ways of your father, you can be called a 'real son (xiào/hsiao)'.

以約失之者，鮮矣。
The cautious seldom err.

君子欲訥於言而敏於行。
The superior man is modest in his speech, but exceeds in his actions.
James Legge translation.
Variant translations: The superior man acts before he speaks, and afterwards speaks according to his actions.
The greater man does not boast of himself, But does what he must do.
A good man does not give orders, but leads by example.

德不孤，必有鄰。
Virtue (or the man of virtue) is not left to stand alone. He who practices it will have neighbors.

君子喻於义，小人喻於利。
The Superior Man is aware of Righteousness, the inferior man is aware of advantage.
The virtuous man is driven by responsibility, the non-virtuous man is driven by profit. [by 朱冀平]

Chapter VI
雍也篇


The man of virtue makes the difficulty to be overcome his first business, and success only a subsequent consideration: this may be called perfect virtue.

知之者不如好之者，好之者不如楽之者。
They who know the truth are not equal to those who love it, and they who love it are not equal to those who delight in it.

中人以上、可以語上也、中人以下、不可以語上也。
To those whose talents are above mediocrity, the highest subjects may be announced. To those who are below mediocrity, the highest subjects may not be announced.

知者楽水，仁者楽山。知者動，仁者静。知者楽，仁者寿。
The wise find pleasure in water; the virtuous find pleasure in hills. The wise are active; the virtuous are tranquil. The wise are joyful; the virtuous are long-lived.

務民之義、敬鬼神而遠之。可謂知矣。
To give one's self earnestly to the duties due to men, and, while respecting spiritual beings, to keep aloof from them, may be called wisdom.

君子博学於文、約之以礼、亦可以弗畔矣夫。
The superior man, extensively studying all learning, and keeping himself under the restraint of the rules of propriety, may thus likewise not overstep what is right.

仁者先难而後获，可谓仁矣。
The man of virtue makes the difficulty to be overcome his first business, and success only a subsequent consideration: this may be called perfect virtue.

Chapter VII

三人行，必有我师焉：择其善者而从之，其不善者而改之。
When I walk along with two others, they may serve me as my teachers. I will select their good qualities and follow them, their bad qualities and avoid them.
As translated by James Legge

Other chapters

He who exercises government by means of his virtue may be compared to the north polar star, which keeps its place when all the stars are rotating about it.
What you do not want done to yourself, do not do to others.

為政以德，譬如北辰居其所而眾星共之。
He who exercises government by means of his virtue may be compared to the north polar star, which keeps its place when all the stars are rotating about it.

君子坦荡荡，小人长戚戚。
The superior man is satisfied and composed; the mean man is always full of distress.
The virtuous is frank and open; the non-virtuous is secretive and worrying. [by 朱冀平]

事父母几谏，见志不从，又敬不违，劳而不怨。
When you serve your mother and father it is okay to try to correct them once in a while. But if you see that they are not going to listen to you, keep your respect for them and don't distance yourself from them. Work without complaining.

弟子，入則孝，出則弟，謹而信，凡愛眾，而親仁。行有餘力，則以學文。
A young man should serve his parents at home and be respectful to elders outside his home. He should be earnest and truthful, loving all, but become intimate with humaneness. After doing this, if he has energy to spare, he can study literature and the arts.

君子不重，則不威。學則不固。主忠信。无友不如己者。國，則勿憚改。
If the Superior Man is not serious, then he will not inspire awe in others. If he is not learned, then he will not be on firm ground. He takes loyalty and good faith to be of primary importance, and has no friends who are not of equal (moral) caliber. When he makes a mistake, he doesn't hesitate to correct it.

默而识之，学而不厌，诲人不倦，何有於我哉？
The silent treasuring up of knowledge; learning without satiety; and instructing others without being wearied: which one of these things belongs to me?

德之不修，学之不讲，闻义不能徒，不善不能改，是吾忧也。
Leaving virtue without proper cultivation; not thoroughly discussing what is learned; not being able to move towards righteousness of which a knowledge is gained; and not being able to change what is not good: — these are the things which occasion me solicitude.

君子安而不忘危，存而不忘亡，治而不忘乱。是以身安而国家可保也。
The superior man, when resting in safety, does not forget that danger may come. When in a state of security he does not forget the possibility of ruin. When all is orderly, he does not forget that disorder may come. Thus his person is not endangered, and his States and all their clans are preserved.

己所不欲，勿施于人
What you do not want done to yourself, do not do to others.