The Analects论语

Book 14, Passage 14.39

The Master was playing, one day, on a musical stone in Wei, when a man, carrying a straw basket, passed the door of the house where Confucius was, and said,…

子击磬于卫,有荷蒉而过孔氏之门者,曰:“有心哉,击磬乎!”既而曰:…
All 44 passages in Book 1439 of 44
3 sentences · 5 notes
子zǐ击jī磬qìng于yú卫wèi,有yǒu荷hé蒉kuì而ér过guò孔kǒng氏shì之zhī门mén者zhě,曰yuē:“有yǒu心xīn哉zāi,击jī磬qìng乎hū!”既jì而ér曰yuē:“鄙bǐ哉zāi,硁kēng硁kēng乎hū!莫mò己jǐ知zhī也yě,斯sī己jǐ而ér已yǐ矣yǐ。深shēn则zé厉lì,浅qiǎn则zé揭jiē。”子zǐ曰yuē:“果guǒ哉zāi!末mò之zhī难nán矣yǐ。”

1The Master was playing, one day, on a musical stone in Wei, when a man, carrying a straw basket, passed the door of the house where Confucius was, and said, 'His heart is full who so beats the musical stone.'

2A little while after, he added, 'How contemptible is the one-ideaed obstinacy those sounds display! When one is taken no notice of, he has simply at once to give over his wish for public employment. "Deep water must be crossed with the clothes on; shallow water may be crossed with the clothes held up."'

3The Master said, 'How determined is he in his purpose! But this is not difficult!'

Chinese commentary · 5 notes

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

蒉:土筐。

硁硁:抑而不扬的击磬声。

斯己而已矣:就相信自己罢了。

深则厉,浅则揭:穿着衣服涉水叫厉,提起衣襟涉水叫揭。这两句是《诗经·邶风·匏有苦叶》中的诗句。这里用来比喻处世也要审时度势,知道深浅。

末:无。难:责问。

All 44 passages in Book 14