Analects 14.18
The Analects (論語), BOOK XIV. HSIEN WAN 憲問第十四
子貢曰、管仲非仁者與、桓公殺公子糾、不能死、又相之。子曰、管仲相桓公、霸諸侯、一匡天下、民到于今、受其賜、微管仲、吾其被髮左衽矣。豈若匹夫匹婦之爲諒也、自經於溝瀆、而莫之知也。
1. Tsze-kung said, "Kwan Chung, I apprehend, was wanting in virtue. When the Duke Hwan caused his brother Chiu to be killed, Kwan Chung was not able to die with him. Moreover, he became prime minister to Hwan."
2. The Master said, "Kwan Chung acted as prime minister to the Duke Hwan, made him leader of all the princes, and united and rectified the whole kingdom. Down to the present day, the people enjoy the gifts which he conferred. But for Kwan Chung, we should now be wearing our hair unbound, and the lappets of our coats buttoning on the left side.
3. "Will you require from him the small fidelity of common
men and common women, who would commit suicide in a stream or ditch, no one knowing anything about them?"
Character glossary
- 子zison, child; seed, egg; fruit; small thin
- 貢gòngto offer, to contribute; tribute, gifts
- 曰yuēto speak; to say
- 管guǎntube, pipe, duct; to manage, to control
- 仲zhòngmiddle brother; go between, mediator; su
- 非fēinot, negative, non-; to oppose
- 仁rénbenevolent, humane, kind
- 者zhěthat which; they who; those who
- 與yǔand; with; to; for; to give, to grant
- 桓huánvariety of tree; surname
- 公gōngfair, equitable; public; duke
- 殺shāto kill, to murder, to slaughter; to hur
- 糾jiūtangled; to investigate, to unravel
- 不bùno, not, un-; negative prefix
- 能néngcan, may; capable, full of energy
- 死sǐdead; death; impassable, inflexible
- 又yòuand, also, again, in addition
- 相xiāngmutual, reciprocal; equal; each other
- 之zhīmarks preceding phrase as modifier of fo
- 霸bàtyrant; to usurp, to rule by might
- 諸zhūall, many, various; surname
- 侯hóumarquis, lord; target in archery
- 一yīone; a, an; alone
- 匡kuāngto correct, to revise; to restore
- 天tiānsky, heaven; god, celestial
- 下xiàbelow, underneath; inferior; to bring do
- 民míncitizens, subjects; a nation's people
- 到dàoto go to, to arrive
- 于yúat, in, on; to, from; alas!
- 今jīnmodern, current; today, now
- 受shòuto receive, to get, to accept; to bear
- 其qíhis, her, its, their; that
- 賜cìto give; to bestow a favor; to appoint
- 微wēismall, tiny, trifling; micro-
- 吾wúI, my, our; to resist, to impede
- 被bèibedding; a passive particle meaning "by"
- 髮fāto issue, to dispatch, to send out; hair
- 左zuǒleft; unorthodox, improper
- 衽rèncollar, lapel
- 矣yǐparticle of completed action
- 豈qǐwhat; how
- 若ruòif, supposing, assuming; similar
- 匹pǐbolt of cloth; mate, one of a pair; meas
- 夫fūman, husband; worker; those
- 婦fùmarried woman; wife
- 爲wèido, handle, govern, act; be
- 諒liàngto excuse, to forgive; to guess, to pres
- 也yěalso, too
- 自zìself; private, personal; from
- 經jīngthe classics; to experience, to undergo
- 於yúat, in, on; to, from; alas!
- 溝gōuditch, drain, gutter, narrow waterway
- 瀆dúditch, sluice, gutter, drain
- 而érand, and then, and yet; but
- 莫mòcannot; do not; is not; negative
- 知zhīto know, to perceive, to comprehend
Passages with shared wording
Data: English Wikisource (Public domain texts; transcription CC BY-SA 4.0). Retrieved 2026-10-22.