Analects 14.43
The Analects (論語), BOOK XIV. HSIEN WAN 憲問第十四
子張曰、書云、高宗諒陰三年不言、何謂也。子曰、何必高宗、古之人皆然、君薨、百官總己、以聽於冢宰、三年。
1. Tsze-chang said, "What is meant when the Shu says that Kao-tsung, while observing the usual imperial mourning, was for three years without speaking?"
2. The Master said, "Why must Kao-tsung be referred to as an example of this? The ancients all did so. When the sovereign died, the officers all attended to their several duties, taking instructions from the prime minister for three years."
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
- 張zhāngto display; to expand, to open; to stret
- 曰yuēto speak; to say
- 書shūbook, letter, document; writing
- 云yúncloud; to say, to speak
- 高gāotall, lofty; high, elevated
- 宗zōngancestry, clan, family, lineage; religio
- 諒liàngto excuse, to forgive; to guess, to pres
- 陰yīnthe female principle; dark, shaded; hidd
- 三sānthree
- 年niányear; anniversary; a person's age
- 不bùno, not, un-; negative prefix
- 言yánwords, speech; to speak, to say
- 何héwhat, why, where, which, how
- 謂wèito call, to say, to tell; name, title; m
- 也yěalso, too
- 必bìsurely, certainly; must; will
- 古gǔold, classic, ancient
- 之zhīmarks preceding phrase as modifier of fo
- 人rénman, person; people
- 皆jiēall, every, everybody
- 然ráncertainly; naturally; suddenly
- 君jūnsovereign, ruler, prince, monarch, chief
- 薨hōngthe death of a prince; to swarm
- 百bǎione hundred; numerous, many
- 官guānofficial, public servant
- 總zǒngto gather, to collect; overall, altogeth
- 己jǐself, oneself; personal, private; 6th he
- 以yǐaccording to; so as to; because of; then
- 聽tīngto hear, to listen; to understand; to ob
- 於yúat, in, on; to, from; alas!
- 冢zhǒngburial mound, mausoleum; grand
- 宰zǎito slaughter, to butcher; to govern, to
Passages with shared wording
Data: English Wikisource (Public domain texts; transcription CC BY-SA 4.0). Retrieved 2026-10-22.