Analects 17.7
The Analects (論語), BOOK XVII. YANG HO 陽貨第十七
佛肸召。子欲往。子路曰、昔者由也、聞諸夫子曰、親於其身、爲不善者、君子不入也、佛肸以中牟畔、子之往也、如之何。子曰、然、有是言也、不曰堅乎、磨而不磷、不曰白乎、涅而不緇。吾豈匏瓜也哉、焉能繫而不食。
1. Pi Hsi inviting him to visit him, the Master was inclined to go.
2. Tsze-lu said, "Master, formerly I have heard you say, 'When a man in his own person is guilty of doing evil, a superior man will not associate with him.' Pi Hsi is in rebellion, holding possession of Chung-mau; if you go to him, what shall be said?"
3. The Master said, "Yes, I did use these words. But is it not said, that, if a thing be really hard, it may be ground without being made thin? Is it not said, that, if a thing be really white, it may be steeped in a dark fluid without being made black?
4. "Am I a bitter gourd! How can I be hung up out of the way of being eaten?"
Character glossary
- 佛fúBuddha; Buddhist
- 肸xīspread out; smiling or laughing
- 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
- 曰yuēto speak; to say
- 昔xīpast, former; ancient
- 者zhěthat which; they who; those who
- 由yóucause, reason; from
- 也yěalso, too
- 聞wénnews; to hear, to smell; to make known
- 諸zhūall, many, various; surname
- 夫fūman, husband; worker; those
- 親qīnrelatives, parents; intimate; the hazeln
- 於yúat, in, on; to, from; alas!
- 其qíhis, her, its, their; that
- 身shēnbody, torso; person; pregnancy
- 爲wèido, handle, govern, act; be
- 不bùno, not, un-; negative prefix
- 善shàngood, virtuous, charitable, kind
- 君jūnsovereign, ruler, prince, monarch, chief
- 入rùto enter, to come in; to join
- 以yǐaccording to; so as to; because of; then
- 中zhōngcentral; center, middle; amidst; to hit
- 牟móuto profit, to usurp; moo
- 畔pànriver bank; a boundary path that divides
- 之zhīmarks preceding phrase as modifier of fo
- 如rúas, as if, like, such as, supposing
- 何héwhat, why, where, which, how
- 然ráncertainly; naturally; suddenly
- 有yǒuto have, to own, to possess; to exist
- 是shìto be; indeed, right, yes; okay
- 言yánwords, speech; to speak, to say
- 堅jiānhard, strong; firm, resolute
- 乎hūinterrogative or exclamatory final parti
- 磨mómillstone; to grind, to polish, to rub,
- 而érand, and then, and yet; but
- 磷línphosphorus
- 白báiwhite; clear, pure, unblemished; bright
- 涅nièto blacken; slime, black mud
- 緇zīblack silk
- 吾wúI, my, our; to resist, to impede
- 豈qǐwhat; how
- 匏páogourd; musical instrument
- 瓜guāmelon, gourd, squash, cucumber
- 哉zāifinal exclamatory particle
- 焉yānwhy? where? how?; strange; thereupon, th
- 能néngcan, may; capable, full of energy
- 繫xìsystem; line, link, connection
- 食shífood; to eat
Passages with shared wording
- Analects 17.5
- Zhuangzi Man Among Men
- Zhuangzi Tien Tzŭ Fang
- Zhuangzi The Empire
- Zhuangzi The Great Supreme
- Zhuangzi Knowledge travels North
Data: English Wikisource (Public domain texts; transcription CC BY-SA 4.0). Retrieved 2026-10-22.