Analects 17.16
The Analects (論語), BOOK XVII. YANG HO 陽貨第十七
子曰、古者、民有三疾、今也或是之亡也。古之狂也肆、今之狂也蕩、古之矜也廉、今之矜也忿戾、古之愚也直、今之愚也詐而已矣。
1. The Master said, "Anciently, men had three failings, which now perhaps are not to be found.
2. "The high-mindedness of antiquity showed itself in a disregard of small things; the high-mindedness of the present day shows itself in wild license. The stern dignity of antiquity showed itself in grave reserve; the stern dignity of the present day shows itself in quarrelsome perverseness. The stupidity of antiquity showed itself in straightforwardness; the stupidity of the present day shows itself in sheer deceit."
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
- 古gǔold, classic, ancient
- 者zhěthat which; they who; those who
- 民míncitizens, subjects; a nation's people
- 有yǒuto have, to own, to possess; to exist
- 三sānthree
- 疾jísickness, illness, disease; to envy, to
- 今jīnmodern, current; today, now
- 也yěalso, too
- 或huòor, either, else; maybe, perhaps, possib
- 是shìto be; indeed, right, yes; okay
- 之zhīmarks preceding phrase as modifier of fo
- 亡wángdeath, destruction; to lose; to perish
- 狂kuánginsane, mad; violent; wild
- 肆sìto indulge; excess; four (bankers' anti-
- 蕩dàngpond, pool; ripple, shake; to wash away,
- 矜jīnto pity, to sympathize, to feel sorry fo
- 廉liánupright, honorable, honest
- 忿fènanger, fury; exasperation
- 戾lìperverse, rebellious, recalcitrant
- 愚yústupid, foolish
- 直zhístraight, vertical; candid, direct, fran
- 詐zhàto cheat, to defraud; sly, treacherous
- 而érand, and then, and yet; but
- 已yǐalready; finished; to stop; then, afterw
- 矣yǐparticle of completed action
Passages with shared wording
- Art of War 8.12
- Mencius 7B.37
- Zhuangzi The Identity of Contraries
- Zhuangzi Robber Chê
- Zhuangzi The Universe
- Mencius 7B.19
Data: English Wikisource (Public domain texts; transcription CC BY-SA 4.0). Retrieved 2026-10-22.
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