1. 子曰:「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?」
The Master said, To learn and then do, is not that a pleasure? When friends come from afar do we not rejoice? To live unknown and not fret, is not that to be a gentleman?
2. 有子曰:「其為人也孝弟,而好犯上者,鮮矣;不好犯上,而好作亂者,未之有也。 君子務本,本立而道生。孝弟也者,其為仁之本與!」
Yu-tzu said. Few men that are good sons and good brothers are fond of withstanding those over them. A man that is not fond of withstanding those over him and is yet fond of broils is nowhere found. A gentleman heeds the roots. When the root has taken, the Way is born. And to be a good son and a good brother, is not that the root of love?
3. 子曰:「巧言、令色,鮮矣仁!」
The Master said, Smooth words and fawning looks are seldom found with love.
4. 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?」
Tseng-tzu said, Thrice daily I ask myself: In dealing for others, have I been unfaithful? Have I been untrue to friends? Do I practise what I preach?
5. 子曰:「道千乘之國,敬事而信,節用而愛人,使民以時。」
The Master said, To guide a land of a thousand chariots, honour business and be true; spend little and love men; time thy calls on the people.
6. 子曰:「弟子入則孝,出則弟,謹而信,汎愛眾,而親仁。行有餘力,則以學文。」
The Master said, The young should be dutiful at home, modest abroad, careful and true, overflowing in kindness for all, but in brotherhood with love. And if they have strength to spare they should spend it on the arts.
7. 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,雖曰未 學,吾必謂之學矣。」
Tzu-hsia said, If a man eschews beauty and honours worth, if he serves his father and mother with all his strength, if he is ready to give his life for his lord, and keeps faith with his friends, though others may say he has no learning, I must call him learned.
8. 子曰:「君子不重,則不威,學則不固。主忠信,無友不如己者,過則勿憚改。」
The Master said, A gentleman will not be looked up to unless he is staid, nor will his learning be sound. Put faithfulness and truth first; have no friends unlike thyself; be not ashamed to mend thy faults.
9. 曾子曰:「慎終追遠,民德歸厚矣。」
Tseng-tzu said, Heed the dead, follow up the past, and the soul of the people will again grow great.
10. 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?子貢曰:「夫 子溫良恭儉讓以得之,夫子之求之也,其諸異乎人之求之與?」
Tzu-ch'in said to Tzu-kung, When he comes to a country the Master always hears how it is governed; does he ask, or is it told him? Tzu-kung said, The Master gets it by his warmth and honesty, by politeness, modesty and yielding. The way the Master asks is unlike other men's asking.
11. 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 said, Whilst thy father lives look for his purpose; when he is gone, look how he walked. To change nothing in thy father's ways for three years may be called pious.
12. 有子曰:「禮之用,和為貴。先王之道,斯為美,小大由之,有所不行,知和而和, 不以禮節之,亦不可行也。」
Yu-tzu said, To behave with ease is the best part of courtesy. This was the beauty of the old kings' ways; this they followed in small and great. But knowing this, it will not do to give way to ease, unchecked by courtesy. This too is wrong.
13. 有子曰:「信近於義,言可復也。恭近於禮,遠恥辱也。因不失其親,亦可宗也。」
Yu-tzu said, If pledges are close to right, word can be kept. If attentions are close to courtesy, shame will be kept far. If we do not choose our leaders wrong, we may worship them too.
14. 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 said, A gentleman that does not seek to eat his fill, nor look for ease in his home, who is earnest at work and careful of speech, who walks with those that keep the Way, and is guided by them, may be said to love learning.
15. 子貢曰:「貧而無諂,富而無驕,何如?」子曰:「可也,未若貧而樂,富而好禮者 也。」子貢曰:「詩云:『如切如磋,如琢如磨』,其斯之謂與?」子曰:「賜也,始可與言詩已矣,告諸往而知來者。」
Tzu-kung said, Poor, but no flatterer; rich, but not proud: how would that be? It would do, said the Master; but better still were poor but merry; rich, but loving courtesy. Tzu-kung said, When the poem says: If ye cut, if ye file, If ye polish and grind, is that what is meant? The Master said, Now I can begin to talk of poetry to Tz'u. Tell him what is gone, and he knows what shall come.
16. 子曰:「不患人之不己之,患不知人也。」
The Master said, Not to be known is no sorrow. My sorrow is not knowing men.