Analects 11.1
The Analects (論語), BOOK XI. HSIEN TSIN 先進第十一
子曰、先進於禮樂、野人也、後進於禮樂、君子也、如用之、則吾從先進。
1. The Master said, "The men of former times, in the matters of ceremonies and music were rustics, it is said, while the men of these latter times, in ceremonies and music, are accomplished gentlemen.
2. "If I have occasion to use those things, I follow the men of former times."
James Legge (1861), Confucian Analects, The Chinese Classics vol. 1 (1861; 2nd ed. 1893) — public domain.
Character glossary
- 子zison, child; seed, egg; fruit; small thin
- 曰yuēto speak; to say
- 先xiānfirst, former, previous
- 進jìnto advance, to make progress; to come in
- 於yúat, in, on; to, from; alas!
- 禮lǐcourtesy, manners, social customs
- 樂lècheerful, happy, laughing; music
- 野yěfield, open country; wilderness
- 人rénman, person; people
- 也yěalso, too
- 後hòuafter; behind, rear; descendants
- 君jūnsovereign, ruler, prince, monarch, chief
- 如rúas, as if, like, such as, supposing
- 用yòngto use, to employ, to apply; use
- 之zhīmarks preceding phrase as modifier of fo
- 則zérule, law, regulation; grades
- 吾wúI, my, our; to resist, to impede
- 從cóngfrom, by, since, whence, through
Passages with shared wording
- The Doctrine of the Mean Passage 17
- Zhuangzi The Great Supreme
- Mencius 6B.6
- Mencius 2A.2
- Zhuangzi The Circling Sky
- Mencius 5A.4
Data: English Wikisource (Public domain texts; transcription CC BY-SA 4.0). Retrieved 2026-10-22.