T'ai-po

The Master said, 'T'ai-po may be said to have reached the highest point of virtuous action. Thrice he declined the kingdom, and the people in ignorance of his motives could not express their approbation of his conduct.'

The Master said, 'T'ai-po may be said to have reached the highest level of virtue in his actions. Three times he turned down the kingdom. The people did not know his reasons, so they could not express their approval of his conduct.'

The Master said, 'Respectfulness, without the rules of propriety, becomes laborious bustle; carefulness, without the rules of propriety, becomes timidity; boldness, without the rules of propriety, becomes insubordination; straightforwardness, without the rules of propriety, becomes rudeness.

The Master said, 'Without rules of proper conduct, respectfulness becomes exhausting fuss. Without these rules, caution becomes timidity. Without these rules, boldness becomes defiance of authority. Without these rules, directness becomes rudeness.

'When those who are in high stations perform well all their duties to their relations, the people are aroused to virtue. When old friends are not neglected by them, the people are preserved from meanness.'

'When people in high positions fulfill all their duties to their relatives, the people are inspired to be virtuous. When those in high positions do not neglect old friends, the people are kept from pettiness.'

The philosopher Tsang being ill, he called to him the disciples of his school, and said, 'Uncover my feet, uncover my hands. It is said in the Book of Poetry, "We should be apprehensive and cautious, as if on the brink of a deep gulf, as if treading on thin ice," and so have I been. Now and hereafter, I know my escape from all injury to my person, O ye, my little children.'

When the philosopher Tsang was ill, he called his students to him and said, 'Uncover my feet. Uncover my hands. The Book of Poetry says, "We should be fearful and cautious, as if standing at the edge of a deep gulf, as if walking on thin ice." That is how I have lived. Now and from here on, I know I have escaped all harm to my body, my little children.'

The philosopher Tsang being ill, Meng Chang went to ask how he was.

The philosopher Tsang was ill, and Meng Chang visited him to ask how he was feeling.

Tsang said to him, 'When a bird is about to die, its notes are mournful; when a man is about to die, his words are good.

Tsang said to him, 'When a bird is about to die, its song is mournful. When a man is about to die, his words are good.

'There are three principles of conduct which the man of high rank should consider specially important:— that in his deportment and manner he keep from violence and heedlessness; that in regulating his countenance he keep near to sincerity; and that in his words and tones he keep far from lowness and impropriety. As to such matters as attending to the sacrificial vessels, there are the proper officers for them.'

'A man of high rank should consider three principles of conduct especially important. In his behavior and manner, he should avoid violence and carelessness. In controlling his facial expression, he should stay close to sincerity. In his words and tone, he should stay far from vulgarity and improper speech. As for tasks like caring for the sacrificial vessels, there are officials responsible for those duties.'

The philosopher Tsang said, 'Gifted with ability, and yet putting questions to those who were not so; possessed of much, and yet putting questions to those possessed of little; having, as though he had not; full, and yet counting himself as empty; offended against, and yet entering into no altercation; formerly I had a friend who pursued this style of conduct.'

The philosopher Tsang said, 'He had ability, yet asked questions of those who did not. He knew much, yet asked questions of those who knew little. He had much, yet acted as though he had nothing. He was full, yet considered himself empty. He was wronged, yet did not argue. I once had a friend who lived this way.'

The philosopher Tsang said, 'Suppose that there is an individual who can be entrusted with the charge of a young orphan prince, and can be commissioned with authority over a state of a hundred li, and whom no emergency however great can drive from his principles:— is such a man a superior man? He is a superior man indeed.'

The philosopher Tsang said, 'Suppose a man can be trusted to care for a young orphan prince. Suppose he can also be given authority over a state of a hundred li. And suppose no emergency, however great, can make him abandon his principles. Is such a man a superior man? He is indeed.'

The philosopher Tsang said, 'The officer may not be without breadth of mind and vigorous endurance. His burden is heavy and his course is long.

The philosopher Tsang said, 'An officer must have a broad mind and great endurance. His burden is heavy, and his journey is long.

'Perfect virtue is the burden which he considers it is his to sustain;— is it not heavy? Only with death does his course stop;— is it not long?'

'He sees perfect virtue as his burden to bear. Is that burden not heavy? His journey ends only with death. Is that journey not long?'

The Master said, 'It is by the Odes that the mind is aroused.

The Master said, 'The Odes awaken the mind.

'It is by the Rules of Propriety that the character is established.

'Following the Rules of Propriety builds character.

'It is from Music that the finish is received.'

'Music provides the finishing touch.'

The Master said, 'The people may be made to follow a path of action, but they may not be made to understand it.'

The Master said, 'People may be made to follow a course of action. But they may not be made to understand it.'

The Master said, 'The man who is fond of daring and is dissatisfied with poverty, will proceed to insubordination. So will the man who is not virtuous, when you carry your dislike of him to an extreme.'

The Master said, 'A man who loves daring acts and resents being poor will rebel against authority. So will a man who lacks virtue if you take your dislike of him too far.'

The Master said, 'Though a man have abilities as admirable as those of the Duke of Chau, yet if he be proud and niggardly, those other things are really not worth being looked at.'

The Master said, 'Even if a man has abilities as admirable as the Duke of Chau's, pride and stinginess make those abilities unworthy of consideration.'

The Master said, 'It is not easy to find a man who has learned for three years without coming to be good.'

The Master said, 'It is hard to find a man who has studied for three years without becoming good.'

The Master said, 'With sincere faith he unites the love of learning; holding firm to death, he is perfecting the excellence of his course.

The Master said, 'He combines sincere faith with a love of learning. By standing firm until death, he perfects his way of life.

'Such an one will not enter a tottering State, nor dwell in a disorganized one. When right principles of government prevail in the kingdom, he will show himself; when they are prostrated, he will keep concealed.

'Such a person will not enter an unstable State or live in one that is in disorder. When sound principles of government prevail in the kingdom, he will appear in public. When those principles are overthrown, he will remain hidden.

'When a country is well-governed, poverty and a mean condition are things to be ashamed of. When a country is ill-governed, riches and honour are things to be ashamed of.'

'When a country is well governed, poverty and low social status are things to be ashamed of. When a country is badly governed, wealth and honor are things to be ashamed of.'

The Master said, 'He who is not in any particular office, has nothing to do with plans for the administration of its duties.'

The Master said, 'If you do not hold an office, you have no business planning how that office’s duties should be carried out.'

The Master said, 'When the music master Chih first entered on his office, the finish of the Kwan Tsu was magnificent;— how it filled the ears!'

The Master said, 'When the music master Chih first took office, the finale of the Kwan Tsu was magnificent. How the music filled the ears!'

The Master said, 'Ardent and yet not upright; stupid and yet not attentive; simple and yet not sincere:— such persons I do not understand.'

The Master said, 'Passionate yet not principled, unintelligent yet not attentive, simple yet not sincere. I do not understand such people.'

The Master said, 'Learn as if you could not reach your object, and were always fearing also lest you should lose it.'

The Master said, 'Learn as if you could not reach your goal and were always afraid of losing it.'

The Master said, 'How majestic was the manner in which Shun and Yu held possession of the empire, as if it were nothing to them!'

The Master said, 'How majestic Shun and Yu were as rulers of the empire, as if the empire meant nothing to them!'

The Master said, 'Great indeed was Yao as a sovereign! How majestic was he! It is only Heaven that is grand, and only Yao corresponded to it. How vast was his virtue! The people could find no name for it.

The Master said, 'What a great ruler Yao was! How majestic he was! Only Heaven is truly grand, and only Yao matched Heaven. How vast his goodness was! The people could find no words to describe his goodness.

'How majestic was he in the works which he accomplished! How glorious in the elegant regulations which he instituted!'

'How magnificent he was in all he accomplished! How glorious he was in the elegant rules he established!'

Shun had five ministers, and the empire was well-governed.

Shun had five ministers, and the empire was well governed.

King Wu said, 'I have ten able ministers.'

King Wu said, 'I have ten capable ministers.'

Confucius said, 'Is not the saying that talents are difficult to find, true? Only when the dynasties of T'ang and Yu met, were they more abundant than in this of Chau, yet there was a woman among them. The able ministers were no more than nine men.

Confucius said, 'Isn't it true that talented people are hard to find? Only when the dynasties of T'ang and Yu met were talented people more plentiful than in this dynasty of Chau. Yet there was a woman among them. There were no more than nine men among the able ministers.

'King Wan possessed two of the three parts of the empire, and with those he served the dynasty of Yin. The virtue of the house of Chau may be said to have reached the highest point indeed.'

'King Wan controlled two-thirds of the empire, and he used those lands to serve the dynasty of Yin. The virtue of the house of Chau may indeed be said to have reached its highest point.'

The Master said, 'I can find no flaw in the character of Yu. He used himself coarse food and drink, but displayed the utmost filial piety towards the spirits. His ordinary garments were poor, but he displayed the utmost elegance in his sacrificial cap and apron. He lived in a low mean house, but expended all his strength on the ditches and water-channels. I can find nothing like a flaw in Yu.'

The Master said, 'I can find no flaw in Yu’s character. He ate simple food and drank simple drinks, but showed the greatest devotion to the spirits of his ancestors. His everyday clothes were plain, but his ceremonial cap and apron were as elegant as possible. He lived in a small, humble house, but devoted all his strength to the ditches and water channels. I can find no flaw in Yu.'