Book 4 · Li Ren 里仁
4.1
子曰：「里仁為美。
擇不處仁，焉得知？」
The Master said, “Humaneness makes a neighborhood beautiful.
If one chooses not to dwell among the humane, how can one be called wise?”
4.2
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, “One who is not humane cannot stay long in hardship and cannot stay long in comfort.
The humane are at ease in humaneness; the wise profit from humaneness.”
4.3
子曰：「惟仁者，能好人，能惡人。」
The Master said, “Only the humane can like others and can dislike others.”
4.4
子曰：「苟志於仁矣，無惡也。」
The Master said, “Once one has truly set one’s heart on humaneness, there is no evil in one.”
4.5
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 rank are what people desire, but if they cannot be had by the proper way, one does not abide in them.
Poverty and low station are what people hate, but if they cannot be left by the proper way, one does not leave them.
If the gentleman abandons humaneness, how can he make a name?
The gentleman does not depart from humaneness even for the space of a meal. In haste and hurry he holds to it; in stumbling and falling he holds to it.”
4.6
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 never seen one who loves humaneness or one who hates what is not humane.
One who loves humaneness puts nothing above it;
one who hates what is not humane practices humaneness so that nothing inhumane can touch his person.
Is there anyone able to spend his strength on humaneness for a single day?
I have never seen one whose strength was not enough.
There may be such a one, but I have never seen him.”
4.7
子曰：「人之過也，各於其黨。
觀過，斯知仁矣。」
The Master said, “People’s faults each go with their kind.
Observe a man’s faults, and you will know his humaneness.”
4.8
子曰：「朝聞道，夕死可矣！」
The Master said, “Hear the Way in the morning, and one may die content in the evening!”
4.9
子曰：「士志於道，而恥惡衣惡食者，未足與議也！」
The Master said, “A man of service who sets his heart on the Way but is ashamed of poor clothes and poor food is not worth talking to!”
4.10
子曰：「君子之於天下也，無適也，無莫也，義之與比。」
The Master said, “In his dealings with the world the gentleman is not set for anything and not set against anything. He goes with what is right.”
4.11
子曰：「君子懷德，小人懷土；
君子懷刑，小人懷惠。」
The Master said, “The gentleman cherishes virtue, the petty man cherishes land;
the gentleman cherishes the law, the petty man cherishes favors.”
4.12
子曰：「放於利而行，多怨。」
The Master said, “Act with an eye to profit, and you will meet much resentment.”
4.13
子曰：「能以禮讓為國乎，何有！
不能以禮讓為國，如禮何！」
The Master said, “If one can govern a state by ritual and deference, what difficulty would there be?
If one cannot govern a state by ritual and deference, what good is ritual?”
4.14
子曰：「不患無位，患所以立；
不患莫己知，求為可知也。」
The Master said, “Do not worry that you have no position; worry about what will qualify you for one.
Do not worry that no one knows you; seek to be worth knowing.”
4.15
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, “Shen!
My Way has one thread running through it.”
Master Zeng said, “Yes.”
The Master went out.
The disciples asked, “What did he mean?”
Master Zeng said, “The Master’s Way is conscientiousness and reciprocity, and nothing more.”1
4.16
子曰：「君子喻於義，小人喻於利。」
The Master said, “The gentleman understands what is right; the petty man understands what is profitable.”
4.17
子曰：「見賢思齊焉，見不賢而內自省也。」
The Master said, “When you see a worthy man, think of becoming his equal; when you see one who is not worthy, look within and examine yourself.”
4.18
子曰：「事父母幾諫，見志不從，又敬不違，勞而不怨。」
The Master said, “In serving your father and mother, remonstrate gently. If you see that they will not follow your wishes, remain reverent and do not go against them; though it wearies you, do not resent it.”
4.19
子曰：「父母在，不遠遊，遊必有方。」
The Master said, “While your father and mother are alive, do not travel far; if you must travel, let them know where you are going.”
4.20
子曰：「三年無改於父之道，可謂孝矣。」
The Master said, “If for three years he does not change his father’s ways, he can be called filial.”
4.21
子曰：「父母之年，不可不知也：一則以喜，一則以懼。」
The Master said, “The age of one’s father and mother must be known: on the one hand a cause for joy, on the other a cause for fear.”
4.22
子曰：「古者言之不出，恥躬之不逮也。」
The Master said, “The men of old were slow to let their words out, ashamed lest their conduct fall short of them.”
4.23
子曰：「以約失之者，鮮矣。」
The Master said, “Few have gone wrong through restraint.”
4.24
子曰：「君子欲訥於言，而敏於行。」
The Master said, “The gentleman wishes to be slow in speech and quick in action.”
4.25
子曰：「德不孤，必有鄰。」
The Master said, “Virtue is never alone; it always has neighbors.”
4.26
子游曰：「事君數，斯辱矣；
朋友數，斯疏矣。」
Ziyou said, “Be importunate in serving a ruler, and you will be disgraced;
be importunate with friends, and they will keep their distance.”
Notes
1. 忠 is doing one’s utmost for others; 恕, reciprocity, is not doing to others what one would not want oneself (15.23).