Translation - Analects of Confucius 1.13

1.13: 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。」

1.13: Yǒu Zǐ yuē: Xìn jìn yú yì, yán kě fù yě; gōng jìn yú lǐ, yuǎn chǐ rǔ yě, yīn bù shī qí qīn, yì kě zōng yě.

1.13: You Zi says: Trust/trustworthiness (is) nearby in rightness, speech/doctrine capable (of) repetition/repeating (affirm!); respectful near/approach in ritual, distant shame (and) humiliation; because (of) not lose his family/intimate, also can (have) honor ancestors (affirm!)

1.13: Trust draws near in rightness (duty), so speech can pass back and forth; respect draws near in ritual, so shame remains far away. By not neglecting intimate (relations) one honors the ancestors!

義, 信, and 言 (yì, xìn, and yán)
One of the things I find most interesting in this passage is the relationship between 義 (righteousness/rightness), 信 (trust), and 言 (speech/doctrine). For most of the 20th century philosophy took for granted that propositional statements could clearly and accurately convey meaning without concern for time or distance. In direct contrast to this we see classical Chinese philosophy recognize the degradation of meaning that occurs over time and distance and the importance of maintaining clear and trustworthy speech. As we spend more time in ritual activities we build trust with a circle of relations - this sense of trust, gained from experience, allows for communication to be passed back and forth reliably (or at least more reliably than not). This is especially important when considered in the context of a pre-modern society where effectively governing large territories involves effectively communicating over long distances with little ability to confirm whether one's messages are being accurately conveyed.

義 (yì)
The etymology of 義 is particularly insightful (Ames and Rosemont Analects of Confucius 1998): the character is composed of 我 and 羊 and (in their interpretation) represents a person with axe in hand approaching the sacrificial sheep. Proper performance of ritual requires not shrinking from one's duty or responsibility. With Confucius duty and responsibility are not viewed as oppressive intrusions on individual freedom, but rather as the means by which we grow and participate in relationships. These relationships begin with the family and then grow outwards into society. In the context of the politics of the Zhou Dynasty, this kind of 義 involves the Sage dutifully serving a Ruler with skill, wisdom, and virtue. Such dependability both requires and generates trust, and allows language to pass back and forth faithfully and with a sense of reliability.

於/于 (yú)

It may seem as if yú handles an uncomfortably large set of prepositional responsibilities: in, at, to, from, by, than, or out of – these are all possible translations. Despite this wide variety of terms the core concept is consistent: 於 signifies something contained inside something else or something happening by virtue of being contained within something else. Given this, we could reword 1.13 to reflect a more active quality from the terms following 於:

1.13: “Trust emerges from rightness, so speech can pass back and forth; respect emerges from ritual, so shame remains far away. By not neglecting intimate relations there can be a true respect for the ancestors!”

宗 (zōng)

According to Fuller 宗 means “honor the ancestors.” According to Zhongwen 宗 means “ancestors” or “religion.” According to CTP 宗 means “lineage” or “ancestry.” The key between all these translations is honoring the ancestors at the ancestral shrines. Out of all the various choices “honoring ancestors” best captures the fusion of family relations with religious practices.

The political subtext here is interesting because honoring the ancestors involves making the proper forms of ritual respect at the shrines of the ancestors. This includes placing the ritual tablets in the correct order and paying homage to the ritual tablets of the Zhou dynasty. Thus we can interpret the passage in a “superficial” or general sense, where nurturing one’s close relations (family) is a form of behavior supported by the ancestors in general. Nurturing one’s immediate family helps the family survive, and by perpetuating the family line the family brings honor to the ancestors.

On another level – the subtext – we can see (again) how this translates into supporting the legitimacy of the Zhou dynasty specifically: “by not neglecting one’s intimate relations one can bring honor to the ancestors (of the proper rulers, the Zhou dynasty).” One possibility here is Confucius may be advocating the proper ritual education in ritual education as the ranks of the minor nobility prove insufficient to fill the growing demands of governance in the Spring and Autumn Period. This might, presumably, help ensure proper understanding of the ritual hierarchy of the nobility.