Book 9, Passage 9.5

The Master was put in fear in K'wang.

子畏于匡，曰：“文王既没，文不在兹乎？天之将丧斯文也，”…

All 31 passages in Book 95 of 31

3 sentences · 3 notes

子zǐ畏wèi于yú匡kuāng，曰yuē：“文wén王wáng既jì没méi，文wén不bù在zài兹zī乎hū？天tiān之zhī将jiāng丧sāng斯sī文wén也yě，后hòu死sǐ者zhě不bù得dé与yǔ于yú斯sī文wén也yě：天tiān之zhī未wèi丧sāng斯sī文wén也yě，匡kuāng人rén其qí如rú予yú何hé！”

1The Master was put in fear in K'wang.

2He said, 'After the death of King Wan, was not the cause of truth lodged here in me?

3'If Heaven had wished to let this cause of truth perish, then I, a future mortal, should not have got such a relation to that cause. While Heaven does not let the cause of truth perish, what can the people of K'wang do to me?'

Chinese commentary · 3 notes

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

子畏于匡：匡，地名，在今河南省长垣县西南。畏，受到威胁。公元前496年，孔子从卫国到陈国去经过匡地。匡人曾受到鲁国阳虎的掠夺和残杀。孔子的相貌与阳虎相像，匡人误以为孔子就是阳虎，所以将他围困。

与：参与。

如予何：奈我何，把我怎么样。

All 31 passages in Book 9

Read this book in Chinese · 子罕篇