Translation - Analects of Confucius 1.16

子曰：「不患人之不己知，患不知人也。」

Zǐ yuē: “Bù huàn rén zhī bù jǐ zhī, huàn bù zhī rén yě.”

Translation Process:
The Master said: "Do not worry (if) people do not know one's self; worry (about) not knowing people."

Polished Version:

The Master said: “I do not worry I do not worry that people do not know myself. I worry that I do not know the people."

Philosophical Notes:
This is a great example of the Confucian concern with fame versus respect. Confucius' point throughout the Analects is that effective governance is different from simply gaining fame or status. One's status as nobility is no guarantee of skillful governing. Confucius argues throughout that knowledge, study, and respect are foundations of successful social mediation. The reason these values are important are twofold: not only are knowledge and skill useful in running a government, but they also establish a positive reputation for the Sage. The Sage will ultimately be tested in his ability to uphold this reputation, and so the Sage must be ready.

Confucius recognizes the danger of seeking fame for its own sake, and warns against that here in this passage. The latter half is slightly more ambiguous - does he mean literally not knowing people? Does he mean lacking a knowledge of humanity or human nature in general? Or does he mean not recognizing people who have established themselves through merit? In all honesty it may be some combination of all three. A good Confucian sage functions by knowing the needs and desires of others so he can coordinate social structures to meet the needs of the many. In this manner the Sage works to avoid disrespecting or neglecting any member of the community. This kind of work requires attention to personal development and disposition, to the skills and personalities of the people under the Sage's care.

Translation Notes:

This is a fun passage because we can demonstrate several steps between the original Chinese and a finished translation. First I provide a pinyin Romanization. While not necessary I find it useful when dealing with unfamiliar characters. Making a pinyin translation from sight is also good practice for reviewing characters and tones. The next step is making a rough or blocked out translation. I do this so I can experiment with syntax and emphasis. Reading Confucius is like reading poetry, where the structure provides clues about how to understand the passage.

As we can see here, this entire passage is a great example of antimetabole (juxtaposing two phrases with similar wording but opposite meaning). In this case the literal shifting of the word order reflects the shifting perspective in moral order between the first passage and the second. We see antimetabole frequently in Chinese thought (ex: “He who speaks does not know, he who knows does not speak.” I suspect this happens because much of the cannon is concerned with drawing contrasts between different types of behavior. The compact nature of Classical Chinese also makes it easier to place words in close contrast.

I put a “polishd version” in here to demonstrate how much shifting around is actually possible in translation.

On a final note - this is the final passage from Chapter 1! I plan to keep working on this, but we may also do selections from the Dao De Jing along the way. The two are wonderful in juxtaposition to each other, and the contrast brings out some great similarities between the two works and systems of thought (if systems they ever were, yet systems we make them be).

Translation - Analects of Confucius 1.15

1.15  學而: 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。」

1.15: Zǐ Gòng yuē: ‘Pín ér wú chǎn, fù ér wú jiāo,’ hé rú?” Zǐ yuē: “Kě yě. Wèi ruò ‘Pín ér lè, fù ér hào lǐ zhě yě.’” Zǐ Gòng yuè: Shī yún: ‘Rú qiē rú cuō, rú zhuó rú mó.’ Qí sī zhī  wèi yú?” Zǐ yuē: Cì yě shǐ kě yǔ yán shī yǐ yǐ! Gào zhū wǎng ér, zhī lái zhě.”

1.15: Zi Gong said: “’Poor but not obsequious, wealthy but not arrogant.’ How is this?” The Master said: "Passable, but not the same as: 'Poor but enjoying Dao, wealthy but loving Propriety.'" Zi Gong said: “The Odes state: ‘Like a sharpened knife, like polished jade.’ Is this the meaning of that?” The Master said: “Like so! I can begin and then discuss the Odes! I tell what has passed and (you) know what comes next!”

Aphorism versus Example
The line between aphorism and example is blurry and we may see both in this passage. Aphorisms invoke an image as the proper moral stance in reponse to a situation. Examples may actual or hypothetical, and may serve the same purpose as invoking an aphorism – to provide an example of proper behavior. In this passage I like to imagine Confucius and Zi Gong discussing sayings regarding proper conduct. In this reading Zi Gong’s initial formulation is less effective than Confucius’ reply. Legge translates this passage as if Confucius and Zi Gong were discussiong groups of people. Ames and Rosemont translate this passage as if Confucius and Zi Gong are discussions aphorisms about proper conduct. I follow Ames and Rosemont in this issue. As an aspiring Shi (Scholar/Official), Zi Gong would be practicing the right way to formulate ritual sayings. He would also be practicing his ability to cite the Odes in support of his position. I follow LaFargue’s suggestion that much of the debate in early Chinese discourse was performed by formulating and contrasting aphorisms in an attempt to stake out the most defensible position in reference to common understanding and historic precedent.

如切如磋，如琢如磨 (Rú qiē rú cuō, rú zhuó rú mó)

This line is a direct reference to the Odes. The specific reference is to a passage spoken by Qi Yun in the Odes of Wei, which is itself a chapter in a section of the Odes known as the Lessons of the State. James Legge’s translation of this passage reads:

Look at those recesses in the banks of the Qi,
With their green bamboos, so fresh and luxuriant!
There is our elegant and accomplished prince, -
As from the knife and the file,
As from the chisel and the polisher!
How grave is he and dignified!
How commanding and distinguished!
Our elegant and accomplished prince, -
Never can he be forgotten!

This translation and the original passage can both be found at http://ctext.org/book-of-poetry/odes-of-wei#n14458. The passage referenced by Zi Gong is translated here as: “As from the knife and the file, as from the chisel and the polisher!” This itself is an approximation, as a more direct translation reads:

Like the knife like the polish,

Like the cut jade like the grindstone.

The Odes use the images of honing the knife and polishing the jade to represent the prince’s level of accomplishment and breeding. Confucius and Zi Gong consciously appropriate the ideas of cultivation and refinement, which previously were reserved for the nobility. Confucius and Zi Gong generalize the images of the knife and the jade so they can apply to anyone in any social standing. This strikes at the heart of Confucius’ cultural and historic significance, where he and his disciples appropriate concepts held by the nobility and successfully apply them to all members of society. Notice this passage includes virtuous stances for both the poor and the wealthy. So when Zi Gong is attempting to formulate a passage, it is more than simply trying to articulate a position, he is attempting to recast the concepts previously applied only to the nobility in such a way that are normative for any member of society.

The metaphors of the knife and the jade also reveal insights about Confucius' attitudes towards self-cultivation and education. Polishing the knife requires careful attention to detail and results in a fine finished product. Likewise, producing fine jade requires careful attention to cutting the jade and then time spent polishing the work. These tasks share important elements with education: self-motivation, respect for the task at hand, and a certain degree of skill. These requirements correspond to values prized by Confucius and serve as the basis for the Sage's moral cultivation. Education, filial respect, and rightness cultivate the Sage’s virtue or excellence, which in turn allows the sage cultivate harmony in society. Like a polished knife or polished piece of cut jade, the Sage must daily hone skills and knowledge for the sake of being a moral exemplar.

Confucius is ambiguous regarding the nature/nuture debate that we see between Xunzi and Mencius. Confucius says little about human nature except to comment that even he cannot teach someone who’s caracter is that of rotten wood – meaning prospective students must at least be capable of learning. As other writers have noticed the Analects contain metaphors for adornment/coloration as well as shaping, and both of these represent the Confucian project of cultivation and education.

Translation - Analects of Confucius 1.14 - Revision

1.14: 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。」

1.14: Zǐ yuē: Jūnzǐ shí wú qiú bǎo, jū wú qiú ān, mǐn yú shì ér shèn yú yán, jiú yǒu dào, ér zhèng yān, kě wèi hào xué yě yǐ.

1.14: The Master says: "The Sage meal(dining) does not seek full(ness)/fill, dwelling/still does not seek peace, clever in office/duty and/but cautious in speech, follow (those) with Dao and right/straighten yourself, can call good studying this!"

1.14: The Master says: "The Sage in dining does not seek fullness, in dwelling does not seek peace (complacency); is clever (skillful) in office but cautious in speech; follow (those) with Dao and right yourself, and you can call this good learning!"

Thanks to Doug Berger for helping correct my translation here! I tripped over 就 (jiú), which should be translated as a verb. That gives us "Follow (those who) have Dao, and (do) right things." We could smooth that over by saying: "Follow those with Dao and right yourself." Confucius emphasizes the importance of learning from others, and this is no exception. Following the example of those with Dao helps the Sage learn moderation and self-control in his own actions.

The passage is, as Doug explains, largely about seeking (求) the right things (正焉). When dining the sage does not seek fullness, and in resting at home does not seek complacency or laziness. In speech the Sage exercises caution but in serving his duties the sage is intelligent and dutiful. The sage follows those who provide good examples and rights himself.

I do think there is an element of self-control required in this process, which may provide a form of moral psychology. The Sage must be able to distinguish between desire and duty; the Sage must be able to withhold from excesses of desire and focus desire on valuing the correct measure of things. For Confucius the idea of Rightness is the performing one's duties expertly, so one leads others, provides guidance for others, and serves as inspiration for others.

Translation - Analects of Confucius 1.14

1.14: 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。」

1.14: Zǐ yuē: Jūnzǐ shí wú qiú bǎo, jū wú qiú ān, mǐn yú shì ér shèn yú yán, jiú yǒu dào, ér zhèng yān, kě wèi hào xué yě yǐ.

1.14: The Master says: "The Sage meal(dining) does not seek full(ness)/fill, dwelling/still does not seek peace, clever in office/duty and/but cautious in speech, in this manner possess/obtain Dao and right/straighten this/these, can call good studying this!"

1.14: The Master says: "The Sage in dining does not seek fullness, in dwelling does not seek peace (complacency); is clever (skillful) in office but cautious in speech; in this manner obtain Dao and straighten these (things), and you can call this good learning!"

居無求安 (jū wú qiú ān)
The phrase can be translated as “in dwelling does not seek peace,” which is something of a curious piece of advice: why wouldn’t the sage seek peace? 安 (ān) can mean "peace" or "tranquility," both seemingly desirable states of affairs. As a verb it can pacify, console, place, or arrange – again, it seems strange a sage might actively avoid these, especially given the emphasis on ritual in Confucian theory.

Let’s look for clues in the passage, beginning with the first phrase in the passage. 君子食無求飽 (Jūnzǐ shí wú qiú bǎo ) establishes a straightforward dichotomy between the action of the sage and the act of seeking something. This suggests we can apply the same dichotomy to居無求安: the Sage is not actively seeking peace or tranquility. This still leaves us with an unanswered question, however – why would a sage not actively seek this state of affairs?

One reading that resolves this tension actually views the problem not with the object, but with the action – in other words, the greater problem is not with peace and fullness per se, but with the problem of actively seeking these things. The concept of actively seeking something is highily problematic for Laozi and Zhuangzi, both of whom emphasize emptiness or effortless action (depending on your point of view). It may seem surprising to see it here in Confucius, but as we will see Confucius rejects forcefully implementing social change and will advocate for stillness as a kind of virtue. The use of  無 (emptiness/not) further suggests a strong contrast between the action of the sage and the action of actively seeking.

This reading is supported by a another segment of this passage, 就有道而正焉, which I turn to next.

就有道而正焉 (jiú yǒu dào ér zhèng yān)
This segment is a perfect example on why Classical Chinese is complicated: do you hold/possess the Dao? Do you exist in the Dao? Is there one Dao, many Dao, or just Dao? And once you have Dao (or possibly dwell in Dao), what do you govern? You govern well, but what is the object of 焉? All these questions are present in trying to translate this passage.

Let’s pass on philosophical speculation regarding Dao for the moment and simply accept that whatever is going on, Dao (or doing Dao) should be present.

Instead let's focus on the second half of the verb-clause, 而正焉 (ér zhèng yān). The presence of 而 (ér) requires 正 (zhèng) act as some kind of verb, either “striaghten out” or “govern.” 焉 (yān) can be an adverb (“here”), a demonstrative pronoun, or even a rhetorical pronoun (yes, these things exist). As an adverb we might get: “In this manner possess Dao and make upright here.” Not very satisfactory. As a rhetorical pronoun we get: “Just possess Dao and make upright.” Still not great. As a demonstrative pronoun we get: “Just possess Dao and make these upright.” This seems much better, but what do we make of "these?" Where are the pronoun antecedents?

One good option are the actions directed by 求 (qiú), seeking. So the advice is to make ourselves upright or govern ourselves regarding 求 (qiú). This seems to make sense with the rest of the passage. We can “straighten out” or “govern” various habits, such as dining, dwelling, serving, and speaking. As for seeking peace, too much tranquility may interfere with fulfilling the duties of office. Or seeking peace may be unnecessary if we already possess Dao (and things occur naturally). If we can obtain Dao and straighten/govern our tendency to seek things beyond our need, then this may be called good learning!

If this reading is feasible then it helps build the case for a moral psychology in the text: curtailing the desire to seek unnecessary ends leads to better filial piety and ritual propriety. This fits well with the model of moral and psychological development Confucius presents in Analects 2.4. In this passage Confucius ultimately grows to the point where he can follow his desires without fear of transgressing rightness.

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.

Translation - Analects of Confucius 1.12

1.12: 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。」

1.12: Yǒu Zǐ yuē: “Lǐ zhī yòng hé wé guì, xiān wáng zhī dào sī wéi měi, xiào dǎ yóu zhī. Yǒu suǒ bù xíng, zhī hé ér hé, bǔ yǐ lǐ jié zhī, yì bù kě xíng yě.”

1.12: You Zi (the philosopher) said: "Using/usefulness of ritual, harmony becomes valuable. Way of Frist Kings this/thus became beauty, small and large follow it. Having (this) and not acting, knowing harmony but not (having) harmony, this cannot be walking/doing/capable!”

禮之用, 和為貴

The first half of the phrase, 禮之用 (Lǐ zhī yòng), has a straightforward grammatical structure. The initial interpretation gives us “use of ritual” or “usefulness of ritual.” It probably means something like: “when using ritual…” but we have to infer this from context. The second half is more complicated. 為 is very versatile in classical Chinese and can result in several interpretations. 為 is often parsed as “A for B” and can mean exchanging A for B or A is doing something for the sake of B. Because 為 signifies a relationship between two terms the resultant interpretation can use a wide variety of words to represent that relationship. Tricky stuff.  

先王之道斯為美 (xiān wáng zhī dào sī wéi měi)

The translation of this phrase is also requires understanding how to use 為. The initial part is easy: “The way of the first (ancient) kings…” In this context we might translate 斯為美 as “thus became beautiful.” This relies on prioritizing our function words and correctly parsing the phrasing.

Translation - Analects of Confucius 1.11

1.11學而: 子曰：「父在，觀其志；父沒，觀其行；三年無改於父之道，可謂孝矣。」

1.11: Zǐ yuē: Fù zài, guān qí zhì; fù méi, guān qí xíng; sàn nián wú gǎi yú fù zhī dào, kě wèi xiào yǐ.

1.11: Master says: Father here, observe his will; father not (here), observe his going; three years not/without change in way of (the) father; (this) able to call filial!

1.11: The Master says: "When your father is here, observe his will; when he is not, (continue to) observe his business; going three years without changing the ways of your father, this we can call filial!"

Regarding the use of 父 I see no reason why contemporary translations could not generalize “father” to “parents.” That would leave us with this interpretation:

1.11: The Master says: When your parents are here, observe their will; when they are not, (continue to) observe their actions; going three years without changing the ways of your parents, this we can call filial!”

Some depth can be added to this passage by looking at the different meanings of 行. In modern Chinese 行 means “go, walk, move travel, or circulate.” In classical Chinese we see a different (but related) meaning: as a verb 行 means “walk,” but as a nount it means “business, row, or line of business.” So the admontion to observe the ways of the parent is more than simply continuing a series of habits or customs (as if they were a matter of simple choice); rather the advice is to continue the parent’s work or line of work.

 

We could interpret this as a call to maintain social stability by maintaining the structure of ritual observances and (thereby) political order in a region. Or we could interpret this as pragmatic advice for maintaining stability and continuity in a time of uncertainty. Or (yet again!) we could interpret this as part of the Confucian project of making different values accessible to non-nobility: 孝 would certainly be term that could very easily be elevated into a culturally universal value.

Translation - Analects of Confucius 1.10

1.10: 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？」

1.10 Zǐ Qín wèn yú Zǐ Gòng yuē: “Fū zǐ zhì yú shì bāng yě, bì wén qí zhèng, qiú zhī yú?” Zǐ Gòng yuē: “Fū zǐ wēn, liáng, gōng, jiǎn yǐ dé zhī. Fū zǐ zhī qiú zhī yě, qí zhū yì hū rén zhī qiú zhī yú?”

1.10: Zi Qin asked Zi Gong: If a gentleman arrives in a correct/right nataion, certainly must listen/come to know its laws/government, (does) he seek/request it? Or give it (to him)?” Zi Gong said: “The gentleman is warm, virtuous, respectful, temperate, (and) this allows him to obtain it (knowledge of the laws). The gentleman who seeks/demands it, perhaps different from/to people who seek/demand it?”

1.10: Zi Qin asked Zi Gong: If a gentleman arrives in a state, certainly he must come to know its laws; does he seek it out? Or is it given to him?” Zi Gong said: “The gentleman is warm, virtuous, respectful, and temperate; this allows him to obtain it. The gentleman’s seeking of it, is it different from other people’s seeking of it?”

夫子溫、良、恭、儉
The final sentence is very ambiguous and I suspect something of a red herring. As you may notice it is not clear if the gentleman's method is or isn't any different from that of other people. The point, I suspect, is to draw attention to the virtues expressed in the previous phrase: 溫、良、恭、儉. These describe the master’s way of gathering information: being warm, respectful, virtuous, and temperate. In principle this allows the gentleman to more safely navigate the new customs or laws. This helps the gentleman gain information that may help him avoid trouble, and it may help him negotiate his situation should he accidentally transgress a custom or law. There will always be areas where the gentleman lacks knowledge, so the point is not that he gets all the information beforehand (though this helps) – the point is his disposition helps him enter a new society in a manner that is non-threatening and that allows for negotiation and dialogue.

求之與？抑與之與?

抑 can be tricky. 抑 can mean restricting something, or it can serve as a disjunctive. In this case, it occurs in the middle of two alternatives and so probably serves as the disjunctive. If we think of the second option as limiting or excluding the first then we can see how the idea of an alternative is coherent with the idea of an alternate option. In other words, one of the two possibilities may occur, but whichever does restricts or cuts off the possibility of the other.

其諸異乎人之求之與?

The final proposition is also difficult because 之 can function as a pronoun and possessive. We can parse 夫子之求之也  as “the gentleman of seeking of (it). It seems the possessive meaning (of) is the basis of the character. The pronoun status comes from merely shortening the usage to omit redundant information, reducing “of it” to “(of) it. The presence of 也 may also be a clue that 之 is functioning more like a pronoun in this case.

Translation - Analects of Confucius 1.9

1.9: 曾子曰：「慎終追遠，民德歸厚矣。」

1.9: Zēng zǐ yuē: Shèn zhōng zhuī yuǎn, mín dé guǐ hòu yǐ.

1.9: Zengzi says: Carefully end/finish the distant memorial, the people's virtue returns thick/generously/completely.

1.9: Zengzi says: Carefully attend the funeral rites, (and) the virtue of the people generously returns.

Note: the entire first clause can be translated as an idiom: 慎終追遠 can be found in the dictionary as "to pay careful attention to one's parents' funerary rights." The literal translation may be something like: "carefully finish the distant memorial."

Translation - Analects of Confucius 1.8

1.8: 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.

1.8: Zǐ yuē: Zhūnzǐ bù zhòng zé bù wēi , xué zé bù gù. Zhǔ zhōng xìn, wú yoǔ bù rú jǐ zhě, guò zé wù dàn gǎi.

1.8: Master says: "(If) the Sage (is) not dignified then (there is) no power/authority, study and then not solid. Ruler/(advocate for) faithful/devoted word/speech, (do) not have companions not comprable to one’s self, mistake and then do not fear/shrink from change/improvement."

1.8: The Master says: "If the Sage is not dignified then there is no power, and learning will not be solid. Be faithful to word and speech, have no friends not comprable to yourself, and if you make mistakes do not shrink from improvement."

Translation - Analects of Confucius 1.7

1.7: 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.

1.7: Zǐ Xià yuē: Xián xián yì sì, shì fù mǔ néng jié qí lì, shì jūn néng zhì qí shēn, yǔ péng yǒu jiāo yán ér yǒu xìn. Suī yuē wèi xué, wú bì wèi zhī xué yǐ.

1.7: Zi Xia says: "Exchanging beautiful appearance for virtue; serving the parents and able to exert/exhaust all one's strength; serving the ruler (and) able to present (give/surrender) one's life; going with friends, mingling and speaking true: even though called without education, I must call it learning!"

Translation - Analects of Confucius 1.5, 1.6

1.5:   學而: 子曰:道千乘之國:敬事而信,節用而愛人,使民以時.

1.5: Zǐ yuē: Dǎo qiān shèng zhī guó: jìng shì ér xìn, jié yòng ér ài rén, shǐ mín yǐ shí.

1.5: The Master says: The way of a 1,000 chariot state: honor your duty/office and be trustworthy, restrain use (be efficient?) but love humanity, (and) use the people according to time (at the right time or season).

1.6: 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.

1.6: Zǐ yuē: dí zǐ rù zé xiào, qū zé tì, jǐn ér xìn, fàn ài zhòng, ér qīn rén. Xíng yǒu yú lì, Zě yí xué wén.

1.6: The Master Says: Younger brothers inside (the home) are filial, outside (the home) respect elders, are cautious but trustworthy, extensively (flushed/overflowing) love the crowd, and (with) intimate (relations) are benevolent. [After that any remaining energy] spend in studying culture.
 

Translation - Analects of Confucius 1.3, 1.4

1.3:  學而:子曰:巧言令色,鮮矣仁!

1.3: Zi Yue: "Qiǎo yán lìng sè. Xiǎn yǐ rén.”

1.3: The Master Says: “Clever words, attractive appearance, but little benevolence!”  

1.4: 學而: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?

1.4: Zēng zǐ yuē: “Wú rì sān shěng wú shēn.Wèi rén móu ér bù zhōng hū? Yǔ péng yóu jiāo ér bù xìn hū? Chuán bù xí hū?”

1.4: Zeng Zi said: "I daily examine three areas of my conduct. Do I make plans towards others but lack loyalty? Do I collaborate and give friendship but not speak the truth? Do I transmit (teach others?) without practice?"

Translation - Analects of Confucius 1.1, 1.2

Analects of Confucius

Chapter 1 – Xue Er

1.1: 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？」

1.1: Zi yue: “Xue er shi xi zhi, bu yi yue hu? You peng zi yuan fang lai, bu yi le hu? Ren bu zhi er bu yun, bu yi zhun zi yue?”

1.1: The Master says: “To study and then constantly put into practice, is this not also pleasing/fulfilling? To have friends arrive from far away places, is this not also joyous? People do not know, yet (he) is not indignant, is this not a sage?”

1.2: 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！」

1.2: You zi ri: “Qi wei ren ye xiao ti, er hao fan shang zhe, xian yi; bu hao fan shang, er hao zuo luan zhe, wei zhe you ye. Zhun zi wu ben, ben wei er dao sheng. Xiao ti ye zhe, qi wei en zhe ben yu!”

1.2: You Rou said: “Those who are filial and who also harm those above (their superiors) are few indeed. Disliking to harm those above and yet also liking to cause disorder, there is not yet one (such as this). The sage attends to the root/basis, the root/basis is established/standing, and dao/way is born. One who is filial, this is the root of humaneness!”