Analects 10.13
The Analects (論語), BOOK X. HEANG TANG 鄉黨第十
君賜食、必正席、先嘗之、君賜腥、必熟而薦之、君賜生、必畜之。侍食於君、君祭、先飯。疾、君視之、東首、加朝服拖紳。君命召、不俟駕行矣。
1. When the prince sent him a gift of cooked meat, he would adjust his mat, first taste it, and then give it away to others. When the prince sent him a gift of undressed meat, he would have it cooked, and offer it to the spirits of his ancestors. When the prince sent him a gift of a living animal, he would keep it alive.
2. When he was in attendance on the prince and joining in the entertainment, the prince only sacrificed. He first tasted everything.
3. When he was ill and the prince came to visit him, he had his head to the east, made his court robes be spread over him, and drew his girdle across them.
4. When the prince's order called him, without waiting for his carriage to be yoked, he went at once.
Character glossary
- 君jūnsovereign, ruler, prince, monarch, chief
- 賜cìto give; to bestow a favor; to appoint
- 食shífood; to eat
- 必bìsurely, certainly; must; will
- 正zhèngstraight, right, proper, correct, just,
- 席xíseat, place; mat; banquet; to take a sea
- 先xiānfirst, former, previous
- 嘗chángto taste; to experience, to experiment w
- 之zhīmarks preceding phrase as modifier of fo
- 腥xīngfishy, rank; raw meat
- 熟shúwell-cooked; ripe, mature; familiar with
- 而érand, and then, and yet; but
- 薦jiànto recommend; to recur, to repeat
- 生shēnglife, lifetime; birth; growth
- 畜chùlivestock, domestic animals
- 侍shìto serve, to attend upon; servant, atten
- 於yúat, in, on; to, from; alas!
- 祭jìto sacrifice to, to worship
- 飯fànmeal, food; cooked rice
- 疾jísickness, illness, disease; to envy, to
- 視shìto look at, to inspect, to observe, to r
- 東dōngeast, eastern, eastward
- 首shǒuchief, head, leader
- 加jiāto add to, to increase, to augment
- 朝cháoto face; direct, facing; dynasty; mornin
- 服fúclothes; to dress, to wear; to take medi
- 拖tuōto drag, to haul, to tow; to delay
- 紳shēngirdle, tie; gentry; to bend
- 命mìnglife; destiny, fate, luck; an order, ins
- 召zhàoimperial decree; to summon, to call, to
- 不bùno, not, un-; negative prefix
- 俟qíwait for, wait until, as soon as
- 駕jiàto drive, to ride, to sail; carriage, ca
- 行xíngto go, to walk, to move; professional
- 矣yǐparticle of completed action
Passages with shared wording
Data: English Wikisource (Public domain texts; transcription CC BY-SA 4.0). Retrieved 2026-10-22.