Analects 12.19
The Analects (論語), BOOK XII. YEN YUAN 顏淵第十二
季康子問政於孔子、曰、如殺無道、以就有道、何如。孔子對曰、子爲政、焉用殺、子欲善、而民善矣、君子之德風、小人之德草、草上之風必偃。
Chi K'ang asked Confucius about government, saying, "What do you say to killing the unprincipled for the good of the principled?" Confucius replied, "Sir, in carrying on your government, why should you use killing at all? Let your evinced desires be for what is good, and the people will be good. The relation between superiors and inferiors, is like that between the wind and the grass. The grass must bend, when the wind blows across it."
James Legge (1861), Confucian Analects, The Chinese Classics vol. 1 (1861; 2nd ed. 1893) — public domain.
Character glossary
- 季jìa quarter-year, a season; surname
- 康kānghealth; peace, quiet
- 子zison, child; seed, egg; fruit; small thin
- 問wènto ask about, to inquire after
- 政zhènggovernment, politics
- 於yúat, in, on; to, from; alas!
- 孔kǒngopening, hole, orifice; great
- 曰yuēto speak; to say
- 如rúas, as if, like, such as, supposing
- 殺shāto kill, to murder, to slaughter; to hur
- 無wúno, not; lacking, -less
- 道dàomethod, way; path, road
- 以yǐaccording to; so as to; because of; then
- 就jiùjust, simply; to go to; to approach, nea
- 有yǒuto have, to own, to possess; to exist
- 何héwhat, why, where, which, how
- 對duìcorrect, right; facing, opposed
- 爲wèido, handle, govern, act; be
- 焉yānwhy? where? how?; strange; thereupon, th
- 用yòngto use, to employ, to apply; use
- 欲yùdesire, want, longing, intent
- 善shàngood, virtuous, charitable, kind
- 而érand, and then, and yet; but
- 民míncitizens, subjects; a nation's people
- 矣yǐparticle of completed action
- 君jūnsovereign, ruler, prince, monarch, chief
- 之zhīmarks preceding phrase as modifier of fo
- 德déethics, morality; compassion, kindness
- 風fēngwind; air; customs, manners; news
- 小xiǎosmall, tiny, insignificant
- 人rénman, person; people
- 草cǎograss, herbs; straw, thatch
- 上shàngabove, on top, superior; to go up; to at
- 必bìsurely, certainly; must; will
- 偃yǎnto cease, to lay down, to lay off
Passages with shared wording
Data: English Wikisource (Public domain texts; transcription CC BY-SA 4.0). Retrieved 2026-10-22.