Analects 16.13
The Analects (論語), BOOK XVI. KE SHE 季氏第十六
陳亢問於伯魚曰、子亦有異聞乎。對曰、未也、嘗獨立、鯉趨而過庭、曰、學詩乎。對曰、未也。不學詩、無以言。鯉退而學詩。他日、又獨立、鯉趨而過庭、曰、學禮乎。對曰、未也。不學禮、無以立。鯉退而學禮。聞斯二者。陳亢退而喜曰、問一得三、聞詩、聞禮、又聞君子遠其子也。
1. Ch'an K'ang asked Po-yu, saying, "Have you heard any lessons from your father different from what we have all heard?"
2. Po-yu replied, "No. He was standing alone once, when I passed below the hall with hasty steps, and said to me, 'Have you learned the Odes?' On my replying 'Not yet,' he added, 'If you do not learn the Odes, you will not be fit to converse with.' I retired and studied the Odes.
3. "Another day, he was in the same way standing alone, when I passed by below the hall with hasty steps, and said to me, "Have you learned the rules of Propriety?" On my replying "Not yet," he added, "If you do not learn the rules of Propriety, your character cannot be established." I then retired, and learned the rules of Propriety.
4. "I have heard only these two things from him."
5. Ch'ang K'ang retired, and, quite delighted, said, "I asked one thing, and I have got three things. I have heard about the Odes. I have heard about the rules of Propriety. I have also heard that the superior man maintains a distant reserve towards his son."
Character glossary
- 陳chénto display, to exhibit; to plead; surnam
- 亢kànghigh, proud; violent, excessive; skilled
- 問wènto ask about, to inquire after
- 於yúat, in, on; to, from; alas!
- 伯bóolder brother; father's elder brother; s
- 魚yúfish
- 曰yuēto speak; to say
- 子zison, child; seed, egg; fruit; small thin
- 亦yìalso, too; likewise
- 有yǒuto have, to own, to possess; to exist
- 異yìdifferent, strange, unusual; foreign; su
- 聞wénnews; to hear, to smell; to make known
- 乎hūinterrogative or exclamatory final parti
- 對duìcorrect, right; facing, opposed
- 未wèinot yet; 8th terrestrial branch
- 也yěalso, too
- 嘗chángto taste; to experience, to experiment w
- 獨dúalone, independent, only, single, solita
- 立lìto stand; to establish, to set up
- 鯉lǐcarp
- 趨qūto hurry, to hasten; to approach, to be
- 而érand, and then, and yet; but
- 過guòpass; to go across, to pass through
- 庭tíngcourt; courtyard; spacious hall or yard
- 學xuélearning, knowledge, science; to study,
- 詩shīpoetry; poem, verse, ode
- 不bùno, not, un-; negative prefix
- 無wúno, not; lacking, -less
- 以yǐaccording to; so as to; because of; then
- 言yánwords, speech; to speak, to say
- 退tuìto retreat, to step back, to withdraw
- 他tāother, another; he, she, it
- 日rìsun; day; daytime
- 又yòuand, also, again, in addition
- 禮lǐcourtesy, manners, social customs
- 斯sīthis, thus, such; emphatic particle; use
- 二èrtwo; twice
- 者zhěthat which; they who; those who
- 喜xǐto love; to enjoy, to be happy; joyful,
- 一yīone; a, an; alone
- 得déto obtain, to get, to acquire; suitable,
- 三sānthree
- 君jūnsovereign, ruler, prince, monarch, chief
- 遠yuǎndistant, remote, far; profound
- 其qíhis, her, its, their; that
Passages with shared wording
- Analects 17.10
- Zhuangzi The Evidence of Virtue Complete
- Mencius 1A.7
- Zhuangzi The Great Supreme
- Mencius 3B.2
- Zhuangzi Man Among Men
Data: English Wikisource (Public domain texts; transcription CC BY-SA 4.0). Retrieved 2026-10-22.