Analects 14.39
The Analects (論語), BOOK XIV. HSIEN WAN 憲問第十四
子曰、賢者辟世。其次辟地。其次辟色。其次辟言。
1. The Master said, "Some men of worth retire from the world.
2. Some retire from particular states.
3. Some retire because of disrespectful looks.
4. Some retire because of contradictory language."
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
- 賢xiánvirtuous, worthy; good, able
- 者zhěthat which; they who; those who
- 辟pìlaw, rule; to open up, to develop
- 世shìgeneration, era, age; world
- 其qíhis, her, its, their; that
- 次cìorder, sequence; second, next; one after
- 地deearth, ground, soil; land, region; struc
- 色sècolor, tint, hue, shade; beauty, form; s
- 言yánwords, speech; to speak, to say
Passages with shared wording
- Analects 18.6
- Mencius 7A.29
- Zhuangzi The Circling Sky
- Zhuangzi The Empire
- Zhuangzi Hsü Wu Kuei
- Zhuangzi Horses' Hoofs
Data: English Wikisource (Public domain texts; transcription CC BY-SA 4.0). Retrieved 2026-10-22.
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