《論語》 "[The] Analects"
Chapter 1. 〈學而〉 '[To] Learn And'

Translation

The Chinese source text is from Chinese Text Project (Xue Er), but with olden-style punctuation.
Useful commentaries: 論語注疏, 論語集注, Legge

Source text	Target text	Notes
〈學而第一〉	'[To] Learn And, [the] First'	學而： [to] learn and Each chapter of the Analects is named after its incipit (like the books of the Pentateuch in Hebrew). The section headings below, on the other hand, are not part of the original text.

1.1. On learning, peers, and unknownness

Source text	Target text	Notes
子曰、學而時習之、不亦說乎。	[The] Master saith, [To] learn and constantly practise it: [is] not [this] pleasing?	子： [the] Master Confucius. 說： pleasing Used for 悅.
有朋自遠方來、不亦樂乎。	There being [a] peer from [a] far place come: [is] not [this a] joy?
人不知而不慍、不亦君子乎。	Others knowing [him] not, yet [being he] not angry: [is] not [this a] superior man?

1.2. On the base of virtuous humanity

Source text	Target text	Notes
有子曰、其為人也孝弟、而好犯上者、鮮矣。	Master Yiu saith, He being [a] man filial [and] younger-brotherly, yet one fond of offending against [his] superiors, [is] rare.	有子： Master Yiu Yiu Rok, styled Tzŭ Rok, a disciple of Confucius. 鮮： rare 鮮、上聲、 Cantonese: seen2, Mandarin: xiǎn
不好犯上、而好作亂者、未之有也。	Not fond of offending against [his] superiors, yet one fond of making disorder, there [is] yet to be such.
君子務本、本立而道生、孝弟也者、其為仁之本與。	The superior man endeavoureth of [the] base, [the] base established, then [the] way [of virtue is] begotten; filiality [and] younger-brotherliness, [are not they the] base of doing [virtuous] humanity?	與、平聲、 Cantonese: yü4, Mandarin: yú

1.3. Things not of virtuous humanity

Source text	Target text	Notes
子曰、巧言令色、鮮矣仁。	[The] Master saith, Clever words [and a] goodly countenance, [are] rarely of [virtuous] humanity.	言： words; lit. speech

1.4. Three daily introspections

Source text	Target text	Notes
曾子曰、吾日三省吾身、為人謀而不忠乎、與朋友交而不信乎、傳不習乎。	Master Tsêng saith, I [each] day triply inspect my person: [in] seeking for others [have I been] unloyal? [in] intercourse with friends [have I been] untrustworthy? [have I learning] transmitted [unto me] not practised?	曾子： Master Tsêng Tsêng Shêm, a disciple of Confucius. 為： for 為、去聲、 Cantonese: wai6, Mandarin: wèi 朋友： friends; lit. peer-friends 傳： transmitted 傳、平聲、 Cantonese: chʻün4, Mandarin: chuán

1.5. On leading many people

Source text	Target text	Notes
子曰、道千乘之國、敬事而信、節用而愛人、使民以時。	[The] Master saith, Steering [a] nation of [a] thousand chariots: respect matters and [be] trustworthy; restrain expense and love [the] people; [and] employ the people according unto [the] seasons.	乘： chariot 乘、去聲、 Cantonese: shing6 (post-merger: sing6), Mandarin: shèng

1.6. On the younger-brother child

Source text	Target text	Notes
子曰、弟子入則孝、出則弟、謹而信、汎愛眾、而親仁。	[The] Master saith, The younger-brother child [when] in [shall be] filial, [and when] out [shall be] younger-brotherly, [and shall be] earnest and trustworthy, floodingly loving [the] multitudes, and close [unto them of virtuous] humanity.	謹： earnest; or careful
行有餘力、則以學文。	Performing [these] have [he] remaining strength, then with [it shall he] learn of texts.	文： texts; or the literary

1.7. On behaviours that nigh learnedness

Source text	Target text	Notes
子夏曰、賢賢易色、事父母、能竭其力、事君、能致其身、與朋友交、言而有信、	Tzŭ‑hia saith, Worthying worthiness [in a] change [from] feminine-beauty; [in] serving father [and] mother, able to exert fully his strength; [in] serving [his] ruler, able to set forth his person; [and in] intercourse with friends, speaking with trustworthiness:	子夏： Tzŭ‑hia Puk Shang, styled Tzŭ‑hia, a disciple of Confucius. 易： change 易、入聲、 Cantonese: yik9, Mandarin: yì 朋友： friends; lit. peer-friends 而有： with; lit. with having
雖曰未學、吾必謂之學矣。	although [he is] called not yet learned, I must speak of him [as] learned.

1.8. On behaviours of the superior man

Source text	Target text	Notes
子曰、君子不重則不威、學則不固。	[The] Master saith, The superior man not grave [shall] not [be] mighty, [his] learning not solid.
主忠信。	[He] keepeth unto loyalty [and] trustworthiness.
無友不如己者。	[He] hath not friends not as himself.
過則勿憚改。	Erring, [he] doth not fear reform.

1.9. On doing funerary rites properly

Source text	Target text	Notes
曾子曰、慎終追遠、民德歸厚矣。	Master Tsêng saith, Taking care [in the rites of] the ended [and] chasing the far-[departed], [shall] the people's virtue return unto greatness.	厚： greatness; lit. thickness; or favour

1.10. On how Confucius heareth of governances

Source text	Target text	Notes
子禽問於子貢曰、夫子至於是邦也、必聞其政、求之與、抑與之與。	Tzŭ‑kʻim asked of Tzŭ‑kung, saying, [Our] master arriveth in these countries, [and doth] surely hear of their governances: seeketh [he] them? or [be he] given them?	子禽： Tzŭ‑kʻim Chʻên Kʻang, styled Tzŭ‑kʻim, a disciple of Confucius. 子貢： Tzŭ‑kung Tuan‑muk Tzʻŭ, styled Tzŭ‑kung, a disciple of Confucius. 與、平聲、 Cantonese: yü4, Mandarin: yú The occurrences of 與 directly after 之 are speech-assist. 與之： given them 與、上聲、 Cantonese: yü5, Mandarin: yǔ
子貢曰、夫子溫良恭儉讓以得之。	Tzŭ‑kung saith, [Our] master [is] warm, decent, deferential, frugal, [and] yielding, by [which he] getteth them.
夫子之求之也、其諸異乎人之求之與。	[Our] master's seeking them, [is not this] different unto others' seeking them?

1.11. On filiality unto the father

Source text	Target text	Notes
子曰、父在、觀其志、父沒、觀其行、三年無改於父之道、可謂孝矣。	[The] Master saith, [His] father present, observe his will; [his] father ended, observe his conduct: three years without altering from [the] way of [his] father, can [he be] called filial.	在： present; or [yet] being 行： conduct 行、去聲、 Cantonese: hang6, Mandarin: xìng (Government-regulated 統讀: xíng)

1.12. On propriety and harmony

Source text	Target text	Notes
有子曰、禮之用、和為貴。	Master Yiu saith, [In the] application of propriety, harmony be valued.
先王之道、斯為美、小大由之。	[In the] way of [the] former kings, this be beauty, [and both] small [and] great [do] follow it.
有所不行、知和而和、不以禮節之、亦不可行也。	There be that [for which it] worketh not; knowing harmony and [doing] harmony, [but] not restraining it with propriety, also cannot work.

1.13. Some good attributes

Source text	Target text	Notes
有子曰、信近於義、言可復也。	Master Yiu saith, Trustworthiness kept near unto righteousness, words can [be] fulfilled.	言： words; lit. speech 復： fulfilled; lit. restored
恭近於禮、遠恥辱也。	Deference kept near unto propriety, [one] keepeth far from shame [and] disgrace.	遠： keepeth far from 遠、去聲、 Cantonese: yün6, Mandarin: yuàn
因不失其親、亦可宗也。	[Those] depended upon, losing not their closeness, can also [be regarded] mentors.

1.14. On that the superior man seeketh

Source text	Target text	Notes
子曰、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。	[The] Master saith, The superior man eateth without seeking satedness, [and] dwelleth without seeking ease, astute in matters and taking care in speech, nighing [them that] have [the] way [of virtue] and [being] righted; [even he] can [be] called fond of learning.

1.15. On levels of good character

Source text	Target text	Notes
子貢曰、貧而無諂、富而無驕、何如。	Tzŭ‑kung said, [He that be] poor yet without flattery, [and he that be] wealthy yet without pride: what of [them]?
子曰、可也。未若貧而樂、富而好禮者也。	[And the] Master saith, [They are] acceptable. [But] not yet as [he that be] poor yet joyful, [and] he that [be] wealthy yet fond of propriety.
子貢曰、詩云、如切如磋、如琢如磨、其斯之謂與。	Tzŭ‑kung said, [The Classic of] Poetry saith, As the cut [and] as the polished, as the carved [and] as the honed; [is not that the] meaning of this?	與、平聲、 Cantonese: yü4, Mandarin: yú
子曰、賜也、始可與言詩已矣、告諸往而知來者。	[And the] Master saith, Tz'ŭ, can [I] begin to speak with of [the] Poetry; [I] inform him of [that] gone, and [he] knoweth that which cometh [after].	賜： Tz'ŭ The given name of Tzŭ‑kung. The other disciple that Confucius could "begin to speak with of [the] Poetry" is Tzŭ‑hia; see 3.8.

1.16. On unknownness

Source text	Target text	Notes
子曰、不患人之不己知、患不知人也。	[The] Master saith, [I am] not troubled at others' not myself knowing, [but] troubled [that I] know not others.

Cite this page

Conway (2023). "[The] Analects: Chapter 1". <https://yawnoc.github.io/analects/1> Accessed yyyy-mm-dd.