Analects 17.5
The Analects (論語), BOOK XVII. YANG HO 陽貨第十七
公山弗擾以費畔、召、子欲往。子路不說、曰、末之也已、何必公山氏之之也。子曰、夫召我者、而豈徒哉、如有用我者、吾其爲東周乎。
1. Kung-shan Fu-zao, when he was holding Pi, and in an attitude of rebellion, invited the Master to visit him, who was rather inclined to go.
2. Tsze-lu was displeased, and said, "Indeed, you cannot go! Why must you think of going to see Kung-shan?"
3. The Master said, "Can it be without some reason that he has invited me? If any one employ me, may I not make an eastern Chau?"
James Legge (1861), Confucian Analects, The Chinese Classics vol. 1 (1861; 2nd ed. 1893) — public domain.
Character glossary
- 公gōngfair, equitable; public; duke
- 山shānmountain, hill, peak
- 弗fúnot, negative
- 擾rǎoto poke, to disturb, to annoy, to agitat
- 以yǐaccording to; so as to; because of; then
- 費fèiexpenses, fees; to cost, to spend; waste
- 畔pànriver bank; a boundary path that divides
- 召zhàoimperial decree; to summon, to call, to
- 子zison, child; seed, egg; fruit; small thin
- 欲yùdesire, want, longing, intent
- 往wǎngto go, to depart; past, former
- 路lùroad, path, street; journey
- 不bùno, not, un-; negative prefix
- 說shuōto speak, to say; to scold, to upbraid
- 曰yuēto speak; to say
- 末mòend, final, last; insignificant
- 之zhīmarks preceding phrase as modifier of fo
- 也yěalso, too
- 已yǐalready; finished; to stop; then, afterw
- 何héwhat, why, where, which, how
- 必bìsurely, certainly; must; will
- 氏shìclan, family; maiden name
- 夫fūman, husband; worker; those
- 我wǒI, me, my; our, us
- 者zhěthat which; they who; those who
- 而érand, and then, and yet; but
- 豈qǐwhat; how
- 徒túdisciple, follower; only, merely; in vai
- 哉zāifinal exclamatory particle
- 如rúas, as if, like, such as, supposing
- 有yǒuto have, to own, to possess; to exist
- 用yòngto use, to employ, to apply; use
- 吾wúI, my, our; to resist, to impede
- 其qíhis, her, its, their; that
- 爲wèido, handle, govern, act; be
- 東dōngeast, eastern, eastward
- 周zhōuZhou dynasty; circumference
- 乎hūinterrogative or exclamatory final parti
Passages with shared wording
Data: English Wikisource (Public domain texts; transcription CC BY-SA 4.0). Retrieved 2026-10-22.