Analects 13.17
The Analects (論語), BOOK XIII. TSZE-LU 子路第十三
子夏爲莒父宰、問政。子曰、無欲速、無見小利。欲速則不達、見小利則大事不成。
Tsze-hsia, being governor of Chu-fu, asked about government. The Master said, "Do not be desirous to have things done quickly; do not look at small advantages. Desire to have things done quickly prevents their being done thoroughly. Looking at small advantages prevents great affairs from being accomplished."
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
- 夏xiàsummer; the Xia or Hsia dynasty
- 爲wèido, handle, govern, act; be
- 莒jǔtaro, hemp; herb;
- 父fùfather, dad
- 宰zǎito slaughter, to butcher; to govern, to
- 問wènto ask about, to inquire after
- 政zhènggovernment, politics
- 曰yuēto speak; to say
- 無wúno, not; lacking, -less
- 欲yùdesire, want, longing, intent
- 速sùprompt, quick, speedy
- 見jiànto see, to observe, to meet, to appear
- 小xiǎosmall, tiny, insignificant
- 利lìgains, advantage, profit, merit
- 則zérule, law, regulation; grades
- 不bùno, not, un-; negative prefix
- 達dáto reach, to arrive at; intelligent
- 大dàbig, great, vast, high, deep
- 事shìaffair, matter, business; to serve; acci
- 成chéngto accomplish; to become; to complete, t
Passages with shared wording
Data: English Wikisource (Public domain texts; transcription CC BY-SA 4.0). Retrieved 2026-10-22.