Analects 17.19
The Analects (論語), BOOK XVII. YANG HO 陽貨第十七
子曰、予欲無言。子貢曰、子如不言、則小子何述焉。子曰、天何言哉、四時行焉、百物生焉、天何言哉。
1. The Master said, "I would prefer not speaking."
2. Tsze-kung said, "If you, Master, do not speak, what shall we, your disciples, have to record?"
3. The Master said, "Does Heaven speak? The four seasons pursue their courses, and all things are continually being produced, but does Heaven say anything?"
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
- 予yǔto give; to award
- 欲yùdesire, want, longing, intent
- 無wúno, not; lacking, -less
- 言yánwords, speech; to speak, to say
- 貢gòngto offer, to contribute; tribute, gifts
- 如rúas, as if, like, such as, supposing
- 不bùno, not, un-; negative prefix
- 則zérule, law, regulation; grades
- 小xiǎosmall, tiny, insignificant
- 何héwhat, why, where, which, how
- 述shùto express, to state; to narrate, to tel
- 焉yānwhy? where? how?; strange; thereupon, th
- 天tiānsky, heaven; god, celestial
- 哉zāifinal exclamatory particle
- 四sìfour
- 時shítime, season; period, era, age
- 行xíngto go, to walk, to move; professional
- 百bǎione hundred; numerous, many
- 物wùthing, substance, matter; creature
- 生shēnglife, lifetime; birth; growth
Passages with shared wording
- Zhuangzi Tien Tzŭ Fang
- Zhuangzi The Tao of God
- Mencius 1A.7
- Zhuangzi Knowledge travels North
- Zhuangzi The Circling Sky
- Mencius 5B.6
Data: English Wikisource (Public domain texts; transcription CC BY-SA 4.0). Retrieved 2026-10-22.