Analects 13.5
The Analects (論語), BOOK XIII. TSZE-LU 子路第十三
子曰、誦詩三百、授之以政、不達、使於四方、不能專對、雖多、亦奚以爲。
The Master said, "Though a man may be able to recite the three hundred odes, yet if, when intrusted with a governmental charge, he knows not how to act, or if, when sent to any quarter on a mission, he cannot give his replies unassisted, notwithstanding the extent of his learning, of what practical use is it?"
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
- 誦sòngto chant, to recite, to repeat, to read
- 詩shīpoetry; poem, verse, ode
- 三sānthree
- 百bǎione hundred; numerous, many
- 授shòuto award, to confer, to instruct, to tea
- 之zhīmarks preceding phrase as modifier of fo
- 以yǐaccording to; so as to; because of; then
- 政zhènggovernment, politics
- 不bùno, not, un-; negative prefix
- 達dáto reach, to arrive at; intelligent
- 使shǐcause, mission, orders; envoy, messenger
- 於yúat, in, on; to, from; alas!
- 四sìfour
- 方fāngsquare, rectangle; side; region; flag
- 能néngcan, may; capable, full of energy
- 專zhuānconcentrated, specialized; to monopolize
- 對duìcorrect, right; facing, opposed
- 雖suīalthough, even though
- 多duōmuch, many, multi-; more than, over
- 亦yìalso, too; likewise
- 奚xīwhere, what, why, how
- 爲wèido, handle, govern, act; be
Passages with shared wording
- Art of War 6.21
- Analects 13.20
- Analects 2.2
- Zhuangzi The Universe
- Zhuangzi Hsü Wu Kuei
- Zhuangzi The Evidence of Virtue Complete
Data: English Wikisource (Public domain texts; transcription CC BY-SA 4.0). Retrieved 2026-10-22.