Analects 14.6
The Analects (論語), BOOK XIV. HSIEN WAN 憲問第十四
南宮适問於孔子曰、羿善射、奡盪舟、俱不得其死然、禹稷躬稼、而有天下。夫子不答。南宮适出。子曰、君子哉若人、尙德哉若人。
Nan-kung Kwo, submitting an inquiry to Confucius, said, "I was skillful at archery, and Ao could move a boat along upon the land, but neither of them died a natural death. Yu and Chi personally wrought at the toils of husbandry, and they became possessors of the kingdom." The Master made no reply; but when Nan-kung Kwo went out, he said, "A superior man indeed is this! An esteemer of virtue indeed is this!"
James Legge (1861), Confucian Analects, The Chinese Classics vol. 1 (1861; 2nd ed. 1893) — public domain.
Character glossary
- 南nánsouth; southern; southward
- 宮gōngpalace; surname
- 适shìmatch, comfortable; just
- 問wènto ask about, to inquire after
- 於yúat, in, on; to, from; alas!
- 孔kǒngopening, hole, orifice; great
- 子zison, child; seed, egg; fruit; small thin
- 曰yuēto speak; to say
- 羿yìa legendary archer
- 善shàngood, virtuous, charitable, kind
- 射shèto shoot, to eject, to emit
- 奡àoarrogant
- 盪dàngpond, pool; ripple, shake; to wash away,
- 舟zhōuboat, ship
- 俱jùall, together; accompany
- 不bùno, not, un-; negative prefix
- 得déto obtain, to get, to acquire; suitable,
- 其qíhis, her, its, their; that
- 死sǐdead; death; impassable, inflexible
- 然ráncertainly; naturally; suddenly
- 禹yǔlegendary Hsia dynasty founder
- 稷jìgod of cereals; minister of agriculture
- 躬gōngto bow; personally, in person; oneself
- 稼jiàcrops; to sow grain
- 而érand, and then, and yet; but
- 有yǒuto have, to own, to possess; to exist
- 天tiānsky, heaven; god, celestial
- 下xiàbelow, underneath; inferior; to bring do
- 夫fūman, husband; worker; those
- 答dáanswer, reply; to return; to assent to
- 出chūto go out, to send out; stand; produce
- 君jūnsovereign, ruler, prince, monarch, chief
- 哉zāifinal exclamatory particle
- 若ruòif, supposing, assuming; similar
- 人rénman, person; people
- 尙shàngstill, yet; even; fairly, rather
- 德déethics, morality; compassion, kindness
Passages with shared wording
- Analects 5.2
- Zhuangzi The Identity of Contraries
- Analects 11.12
- Zhuangzi On Declining Power
- Mencius 4B.29
- Mencius 6A.20
Data: English Wikisource (Public domain texts; transcription CC BY-SA 4.0). Retrieved 2026-10-22.