Book 15 · Wei Ling Gong 衛靈公
15.1
衛靈公問陳於孔子，孔子對曰：「俎豆之事，則嘗聞之矣；
軍旅之事，未之學也。」
明日遂行。
在陳絕糧。
從者病，莫能興。
子路慍見曰：「君子亦有窮乎？」
子曰：「君子固窮，小人窮斯濫矣。」
Duke Ling of Wei asked Confucius about the arraying of troops. Confucius replied, “About the matter of sacrificial vessels I have heard something;
about the matter of armies I have never learned.”
The next day he left.
In Chen their provisions ran out.
His followers were so weak that none could rise.
Zilu came to him, resentful, and said, “Does the gentleman too come to such straits?”
The Master said, “The gentleman holds firm in straits; the petty man in straits runs wild.”
15.2
子曰：「賜也，女以予為多學而識之者與？」
對曰：「然，非與？」
曰：「非也！
予一以貫之。」
The Master said, “Ci, do you take me for one who learns many things and remembers them?”
He replied, “Yes. Is it not so?”
He said, “It is not!
I have one thread running through it all.”
15.3
子曰：「由，知德者鮮矣！」
The Master said, “You, those who know virtue are few!”
15.4
子曰：「無為而治者，其舜也與！
夫何為哉？
恭己正南面而已矣。」
The Master said, “One who governed by doing nothing, was it not Shun?
What did he do?
He made himself respectful and sat correctly facing south, and that was all.”
15.5
子張問「行」。
子曰：「言忠信，行篤敬，雖蠻貊之邦行矣；
言不忠信，行不篤敬，雖州里行乎哉？
立則見其參於前也，在輿則見其倚於衡也，夫然後行！」
子張書諸紳。
Zizhang asked how to get on in the world.
The Master said, “Let your words be conscientious and of good faith and your conduct earnest and reverent, and you will get on even in the states of the barbarians;
if your words are not conscientious and of good faith and your conduct not earnest and reverent, will you get on even in your own district and village?
Standing, see these words before you; in your carriage, see them leaning on the yoke. Then you will get on!”
Zizhang wrote them on his sash.
15.6
子曰：「直哉史魚！
邦有道如矢，邦無道如矢。
君子哉蘧伯玉！
邦有道則仕，邦無道則可卷而懷之。」
The Master said, “How straight Shi Yu was!
When the state had the Way, he was like an arrow; when the state was without the Way, he was like an arrow.
What a gentleman Qu Boyu is!
When the state has the Way, he takes office; when the state is without the Way, he can roll himself up and put himself away.”1
15.7
子曰：「可與言而不與之言，失人；
不可與言而與之言，失言。
知者不失人，亦不失言。」
The Master said, “Not to talk with a man who can be talked with is to lose the man;
to talk with a man who cannot be talked with is to lose one’s words.
The wise lose neither men nor words.”
15.8
子曰：「志士仁人，無求生以害仁，有殺身以成仁。」
The Master said, “The man of resolve and the humane man do not seek life at the cost of humaneness; there are times when they give their lives to fulfill humaneness.”
15.9
子貢問為仁。
子曰：「工欲善其事，必先利其器。
居是邦也，事其大夫之賢者，友其士之仁者。」
Zigong asked about practicing humaneness.
The Master said, “A craftsman who wants to do his work well must first sharpen his tools.
Living in a state, serve the worthiest of its high officers and befriend the most humane of its men of service.”
15.10
顏淵問為邦。
子曰：「行夏之時，乘殷之輅，服周之冕。
樂則韶舞，放鄭聲，遠佞人。
鄭聲淫，佞人殆。」
Yan Yuan asked about governing a state.
The Master said, “Use the calendar of the Xia, ride the carriage of the Yin, wear the cap of the Zhou.
For music, the Shao and its dances. Banish the tunes of Zheng and keep glib men at a distance.
The tunes of Zheng are licentious, and glib men are dangerous.”2
15.11
子曰：「人無遠慮，必有近憂。」
The Master said, “A man who does not think of what is far off will have troubles near at hand.”
15.12
子曰：「已矣乎！
吾未見好德如好色者也！」
The Master said, “It is hopeless!
I have yet to see a man who loves virtue as he loves beauty!”
15.13
子曰：「臧文仲，其竊位者與？
知柳下惠之賢而不與立也。」
The Master said, “Zang Wenzhong, was he not one who stole his office?
He knew that Liuxia Hui3 was worthy and did not have him stand beside him at court.”
15.14
子曰：「躬自厚，而薄責於人，則遠怨矣！」
The Master said, “Ask much of yourself and little of others, and you will keep resentment far away!”
15.15
子曰：「不曰：『如之何，如之何』者，吾末如之何也已矣？」
The Master said, “With one who does not say, ‘What am I to do? What am I to do?’ there is nothing at all I can do.”
15.16
子曰：「群居終日，言不及義，好行小慧，難矣哉！」
The Master said, “Those who spend the whole day together in company, whose talk never touches on what is right, and who love to show off their little cleverness: it is hard with them!”
15.17
子曰：「君子義以為質，禮以行之，孫以出之，信以成之，君子哉！」
The Master said, “The gentleman takes rightness as his substance, carries it out by ritual, brings it forth with humility, and completes it with good faith. Such is a gentleman!”
15.18
子曰：「君子病無能焉，不病人之不己知也。」
The Master said, “The gentleman is troubled by his own lack of ability; he is not troubled that others do not know him.”
15.19
子曰：「君子疾沒世而名不稱焉。」
The Master said, “The gentleman hates to leave the world with his name unspoken.”
15.20
子曰：「君子求諸己，小人求諸人。」
The Master said, “The gentleman seeks it in himself; the petty man seeks it in others.”
15.21
子曰：「君子矜而不爭，群而不黨。」
The Master said, “The gentleman is proud but does not quarrel, sociable but not partisan.”
15.22
子曰：「君子不以言舉人，不以人廢言。」
The Master said, “The gentleman does not raise a man up because of his words, nor cast aside words because of the man.”
15.23
子貢問曰：「有一言而可以終身行之者乎？」
子曰：「其恕乎！
己所不欲，勿施於人。」
Zigong asked, “Is there a single word that one can practice all one’s life?”
The Master said, “Would it not be reciprocity?
What you do not want for yourself, do not impose on others.”
15.24
子曰：「吾之於人也，誰毀誰譽？
如有所譽者，其有所試矣。
斯民也，三代之所以直道而行也。」
The Master said, “In my dealings with others, whom have I disparaged, whom have I praised?
If there is one I have praised, it was because he had been tested.
These people are the ones by whom the Three Dynasties kept to the straight Way.”
15.25
子曰：「吾猶及史之闕文也。
有馬者，借人乘之，今亡已夫！」
The Master said, “I can still remember when a scribe would leave a gap in his text.
And a man with a horse would lend it to others to ride. Now that is gone!”
15.26
子曰：「巧言亂德，小不忍則亂大謀。」
The Master said, “Clever words confuse virtue. Lack of patience in small things will confuse great plans.”
15.27
子曰：「眾惡之，必察焉；
眾好之，必察焉。」
The Master said, “When the multitude hate a man, look into it;
when the multitude love a man, look into it.”
15.28
子曰：「人能弘道，非道弘人。」
The Master said, “It is man who can make the Way great, not the Way that makes man great.”
15.29
子曰：「過而不改，是謂過矣！」
The Master said, “To be at fault and not change: that is what is called being at fault!”
15.30
子曰：「吾嘗終日不食，終夜不寢，以思。
無益，不如學也。」
The Master said, “I once went all day without eating and all night without sleeping, in order to think.
It was no use. It is better to learn.”
15.31
子曰：「君子謀道不謀食。
耕也，餒在其中矣；
學也，祿在其中矣。
君子憂道不憂貧。」
The Master said, “The gentleman plans for the Way, not for food.
Plough, and hunger may be in it;
learn, and a salary may be in it.
The gentleman worries about the Way, not about poverty.”
15.32
子曰：「知及之，仁不能守之，雖得之，必失之。
知及之，仁能守之，不莊以涖之，則民不敬。
知及之，仁能守之，莊以涖之，動之不以禮，未善也。」
The Master said, “If wisdom attains it but humaneness cannot hold it, then though he has gained it, he is sure to lose it.
If wisdom attains it and humaneness can hold it, but he does not approach the people with gravity, the people will not be reverent.
If wisdom attains it, humaneness can hold it, and he approaches them with gravity, but he does not move them according to ritual, it is not yet good.”
15.33
子曰：「君子不可小知，而可大受也。
小人不可大受，而可小知也。」
The Master said, “The gentleman cannot be known by small things but can be given great responsibilities.
The petty man cannot be given great responsibilities but can be known by small things.”
15.34
子曰：「民之於仁也，甚於水火。
水火，吾見蹈而死者矣，未見蹈仁而死者也。」
The Master said, “The people need humaneness more than water and fire.
I have seen men tread on water and fire and die, but I have never seen a man tread on humaneness and die.”
15.35
子曰：「當仁不讓於師。」
The Master said, “When it comes to humaneness, do not yield even to your teacher.”
15.36
子曰：「君子貞而不諒。」
The Master said, “The gentleman is steadfast but not rigidly bound to his word.”
15.37
子曰：「事君敬其事而後其食。」
The Master said, “In serving a ruler, be reverent in your work and put your pay after it.”
15.38
子曰：「有教無類。」
The Master said, “In teaching there are no classes.”
15.39
子曰：「道不同，不相為謀。」
The Master said, “Those whose Ways differ do not make plans together.”
15.40
子曰：「辭，達而已矣！」
The Master said, “In words, it is enough that they get the meaning across!”
15.41
師冕見。
及階，子曰：「階也！」
及席，子曰：「席也！」
皆坐，子告之曰：「某在斯！
某在斯！」
師冕出，子張問曰：「與師言之道與？」
子曰：「然，固相師之道也。」
Mian, the music master,4 came to see him.
When they reached the steps, the Master said, “Here are the steps!”
When they reached the mat, the Master said, “Here is the mat!”
When all were seated, the Master told him, “So-and-so is here!
So-and-so is here!”
When Music Master Mian had gone out, Zizhang asked, “Is that the way to speak with a music master?”
The Master said, “Yes. It is certainly the way to help a music master.”
Notes
1. Shi Yu, the archivist Yu of Wei, is said to have kept remonstrating with his ruler even after death, ordering that his corpse not be laid out properly until the duke changed course.
2. The Xia calendar began the year in spring; the carriage of the Yin was plain; the cap of the Zhou was finely made. The music of Zheng was known for its sensuous tunes.
3. Zhan Huo, a high officer of Lu, called Hui of Liuxia, known for his integrity in a humble post.
4. Musicians were commonly blind. Mian was a blind music master.