Analects 1.12
The Analects (論語), BOOK I. HSIO R 學而第一
有子曰、禮之用、和爲貴、先王之道、斯爲美、小大由之。有所不行、知和而和、不以禮節之、亦不可行也。
1. The philosopher Yu said, "In practising the rules of propriety, a natural ease is to be prized. In the ways prescribed by the ancient kings, this is the excellent quality, and in things small and great we follow them.
2. "Yet it is not to be observed in all cases. If one, knowing how such ease should be prized, manifests it, without regulating it by the rules of propriety, this likewise is not to be done."
James Legge (1861), Confucian Analects, The Chinese Classics vol. 1 (1861; 2nd ed. 1893) — public domain.
Character glossary
- 有yǒuto have, to own, to possess; to exist
- 子zison, child; seed, egg; fruit; small thin
- 曰yuēto speak; to say
- 禮lǐcourtesy, manners, social customs
- 之zhīmarks preceding phrase as modifier of fo
- 用yòngto use, to employ, to apply; use
- 和héharmony, peace; calm, peaceful
- 爲wèido, handle, govern, act; be
- 貴guìexpensive, costly; valuable, precious
- 先xiānfirst, former, previous
- 王wángking, ruler; royal; surname
- 道dàomethod, way; path, road
- 斯sīthis, thus, such; emphatic particle; use
- 美měibeautiful, pretty; pleasing
- 小xiǎosmall, tiny, insignificant
- 大dàbig, great, vast, high, deep
- 由yóucause, reason; from
- 所suǒplace, location; "that which", a particl
- 不bùno, not, un-; negative prefix
- 行xíngto go, to walk, to move; professional
- 知zhīto know, to perceive, to comprehend
- 而érand, and then, and yet; but
- 以yǐaccording to; so as to; because of; then
- 節jiéfestival; knot, joint; segment; to econo
- 亦yìalso, too; likewise
- 可kěmay, can, -able; possibly
- 也yěalso, too
Passages with shared wording
- Zhuangzi Mountain Trees
- Zhuangzi Tsê Yang
- Zhuangzi Man Among Men
- Analects 4.1
- Analects 9.23
- Zhuangzi The Old Fisherman
Data: English Wikisource (Public domain texts; transcription CC BY-SA 4.0). Retrieved 2026-10-22.