Analects 16.2
The Analects (論語), BOOK XVI. KE SHE 季氏第十六
孔子曰、天下有道、則禮樂征伐、自天子出、天下無道、則禮樂征伐、自諸侯出、自諸侯出、蓋十世希不失矣、自大夫出、五世希不失矣、陪臣執國命、三世希不失矣。天下有道、則政不在大夫。天下有道、則庶人不議。
1. Confucius said, "When good government prevails in the empire, ceremonies, music, and punitive military expeditions proceed from the son of Heaven. When bad government prevails in the empire, ceremonies, music, and punitive military expeditions proceed from the princes. When these things proceed from the princes, as a rule, the cases will be few in which they do not lose their power in ten generations. When they proceed from the Great officers of the princes, as a rule, the cases will be few in which they do not lose their power in five generations. When the subsidiary ministers of the great officers hold in their grasp the orders of the state, as a rule, the cases will be few in which they do not lose their power in three generations.
2. "When right principles prevail in the kingdom, government will not be in the hands of the Great officers.
3. "When right principles prevail in the kingdom, there will be no discussions among the common people."
Character glossary
- 孔kǒngopening, hole, orifice; great
- 子zison, child; seed, egg; fruit; small thin
- 曰yuēto speak; to say
- 天tiānsky, heaven; god, celestial
- 下xiàbelow, underneath; inferior; to bring do
- 有yǒuto have, to own, to possess; to exist
- 道dàomethod, way; path, road
- 則zérule, law, regulation; grades
- 禮lǐcourtesy, manners, social customs
- 樂lècheerful, happy, laughing; music
- 征zhēngto summon, to recruit; levy, tax; journe
- 伐fácut down, subjugate, attack
- 自zìself; private, personal; from
- 出chūto go out, to send out; stand; produce
- 無wúno, not; lacking, -less
- 諸zhūall, many, various; surname
- 侯hóumarquis, lord; target in archery
- 蓋gàito cover, to hide, to protect
- 十shíten, tenth; complete; perfect
- 世shìgeneration, era, age; world
- 希xīrare; to hope for, to strive for; to exp
- 不bùno, not, un-; negative prefix
- 失shīto lose; to make a mistake, to neglect
- 矣yǐparticle of completed action
- 大dàbig, great, vast, high, deep
- 夫fūman, husband; worker; those
- 五wǔfive; surname
- 陪péito accompany, to be with, to keep compan
- 臣chénminister, statesman, official, vassal
- 執zhíto execute; to grasp, to hold; to keep;
- 國guócountry, nation, state; national
- 命mìnglife; destiny, fate, luck; an order, ins
- 三sānthree
- 政zhènggovernment, politics
- 在zàiat, in, on; to exist; used to indicate t
- 庶shùnumerous, various; multitude
- 人rénman, person; people
- 議yìto consult, to talk over; to criticize,
Passages with shared wording
- Zhuangzi Autumn Floods
- Zhuangzi On Declining Power
- Zhuangzi How to Govern
- Analects 13.3
- Analects 2.23
- Mencius 2B.12
Data: English Wikisource (Public domain texts; transcription CC BY-SA 4.0). Retrieved 2026-10-22.