Analects 14.38
The Analects (論語), BOOK XIV. HSIEN WAN 憲問第十四
公伯寮愬子路於季孫、子服景伯以吿、曰、夫子固有惑志於公伯寮、吾力猶能肆諸市朝。子曰、道之將行也與、命也、道之將廢也與、命也、公伯寮其如命何。
1. The Kung-po Liao, having slandered Tsze-lu to Chi-sun, Tsze-fu Ching-po informed Confucius of it, saying, "Our master is certainly being led astray by the Kung-po Liao, but I have still power enough left to cut Liao off, and expose his corpse in the market and in the court."
2. The Master said, "If my principles are to advance, it is so ordered. If they are to fall to the ground, it is so ordered. What can the Kung-po Liao do where such ordering is concerned?"
James Legge (1861), Confucian Analects, The Chinese Classics vol. 1 (1861; 2nd ed. 1893) — public domain.
Character glossary
- 公gōngfair, equitable; public; duke
- 伯bóolder brother; father's elder brother; s
- 寮liáoshanty, hut, shack
- 愬sùaccuse; sue; inform; narrate
- 子zison, child; seed, egg; fruit; small thin
- 路lùroad, path, street; journey
- 於yúat, in, on; to, from; alas!
- 季jìa quarter-year, a season; surname
- 孫sūngrandchild, descendent; surname
- 服fúclothes; to dress, to wear; to take medi
- 景jǐngscenery, view; conditions, circumstances
- 以yǐaccording to; so as to; because of; then
- 吿gàotell, announce, inform; accuse
- 曰yuēto speak; to say
- 夫fūman, husband; worker; those
- 固gùto solidify; strength
- 有yǒuto have, to own, to possess; to exist
- 惑huòto confuse, to mislead; to doubt
- 志zhìdetermination, will; mark, sign; to reco
- 吾wúI, my, our; to resist, to impede
- 力lìstrength, power; capability, influence
- 猶yóusimilar to, just like, as
- 能néngcan, may; capable, full of energy
- 肆sìto indulge; excess; four (bankers' anti-
- 諸zhūall, many, various; surname
- 市shìcity, town; market, fair; to trade
- 朝cháoto face; direct, facing; dynasty; mornin
- 道dàomethod, way; path, road
- 之zhīmarks preceding phrase as modifier of fo
- 將jiāngthe future, what will be; ready, prepare
- 行xíngto go, to walk, to move; professional
- 也yěalso, too
- 與yǔand; with; to; for; to give, to grant
- 命mìnglife; destiny, fate, luck; an order, ins
- 廢fèito terminate; to discard; to abgrogate
- 其qíhis, her, its, their; that
- 如rúas, as if, like, such as, supposing
- 何héwhat, why, where, which, how
Passages with shared wording
Data: English Wikisource (Public domain texts; transcription CC BY-SA 4.0). Retrieved 2026-10-22.