Analects 15.4
The Analects (論語), BOOK XV. WEI LING KUNG 衞靈公第十五
子曰、無爲而治者、其舜也與、夫何爲哉、恭己正南面而已矣。
The Master said, "May not Shun be instanced as having governed efficiently without exertion? What did he do? He did nothing but gravely and reverently occupy his royal seat."
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
- 無wúno, not; lacking, -less
- 爲wèido, handle, govern, act; be
- 而érand, and then, and yet; but
- 治zhìto administer, to govern, to regulate
- 者zhěthat which; they who; those who
- 其qíhis, her, its, their; that
- 舜shùnlegendary ruler
- 也yěalso, too
- 與yǔand; with; to; for; to give, to grant
- 夫fūman, husband; worker; those
- 何héwhat, why, where, which, how
- 哉zāifinal exclamatory particle
- 恭gōngpolite, respectful, reverent
- 己jǐself, oneself; personal, private; 6th he
- 正zhèngstraight, right, proper, correct, just,
- 南nánsouth; southern; southward
- 面miànface; surface, side; plane, dimension
- 已yǐalready; finished; to stop; then, afterw
- 矣yǐparticle of completed action
Passages with shared wording
- Analects 6.11
- The Great Learning Passage 2
- Zhuangzi The Universe
- Zhuangzi Tien Tzŭ Fang
- Zhuangzi Hsü Wu Kuei
- Zhuangzi On Letting Alone
Data: English Wikisource (Public domain texts; transcription CC BY-SA 4.0). Retrieved 2026-10-22.