The Analects论语

Book 11, Passage 11.8

When Yen Yuan died, Yen Lu begged the carriage of the Master to sell and get an outer shell for his son's coffin.

颜渊死,颜路请子之车以为之椁。子曰:“才不才,亦各言其子也。鲤也死,”…
All 26 passages in Book 118 of 26
2 sentences · 4 notes
颜yán渊yuān死sǐ,颜yán路lù请qǐng子zǐ之zhī车chē以yǐ为wéi之zhī椁guǒ。子zǐ曰yuē:“才cái不bù才cái,亦yì各gè言yán其qí子zǐ也yě。鲤lǐ也yě死sǐ,有yǒu棺guān而ér无wú椁guǒ。吾wú不bù徒tú行xíng以yǐ为wéi之zhī椁guǒ。以yǐ吾wú从cóng大dà夫fú之zhī后hòu,不bù可kě徒tú行xíng也yě。”

1When Yen Yuan died, Yen Lu begged the carriage of the Master to sell and get an outer shell for his son's coffin.

2The Master said, 'Every one calls his son his son, whether he has talents or has not talents. There was Li; when he died, he had a coffin but no outer shell. I would not walk on foot to get a shell for him, because, having followed in the rear of the great officers, it was not proper that I should walk on foot.'

Chinese commentary · 4 notes

The notes printed with this passage in Chinese editions, kept in Chinese, for readers who come to the text that way.

颜路:颜渊的父亲,也是孔子的学生,名无繇,字路。椁:古代棺材有的有两层,内层叫棺,外层叫椁。

鲤:孔鲤,字伯鱼,孔子的儿子。

徒行:步行。

从大夫之后:跟随在大夫行列之后。孔子曾经做过鲁国的司寇,属于大夫的地位,不过此时已去位多年。

All 26 passages in Book 11