Analects 18.5
The Analects (論語), BOOK XVIII. WEI TSZE 微子第十八
楚狂接輿歌而過孔子、曰、鳳兮鳳兮、何德之衰、往者不可諫、來者猶可追。已而已而、今之從政者殆而。孔子下、欲與之言。趨而辟之、不得與之言。
1. The madman of Ch'u, Chieh-yu, passed by Confucius, singing and saying, "o fang! o fang! How is your
virtue degenerated! As to the past, reproof is useless; but the future may still be provided against. Give up your vain pursuit. Give up your vain pursuit. Peril awaits those who now engage in affairs of government."
2. Confucius alighted and wished to converse with him, but Chieh-yu hastened away, so that he could not talk with him.
James Legge (1861), Confucian Analects, The Chinese Classics vol. 1 (1861; 2nd ed. 1893) — public domain.
Character glossary
- 楚chǔclear, distinct; pain, suffering; surnam
- 狂kuánginsane, mad; violent; wild
- 接jiēto connect, to join; to receive, to meet
- 輿yúcart, palanquin, sedan chair
- 歌gēsong, lyrics; to sing, to chant
- 而érand, and then, and yet; but
- 過guòpass; to go across, to pass through
- 孔kǒngopening, hole, orifice; great
- 子zison, child; seed, egg; fruit; small thin
- 曰yuēto speak; to say
- 鳳fèngmale phoenix; symbol of joy
- 兮xīexclamatory particle
- 何héwhat, why, where, which, how
- 德déethics, morality; compassion, kindness
- 之zhīmarks preceding phrase as modifier of fo
- 衰shuāiweak, feeble; to decline, to falter
- 往wǎngto go, to depart; past, former
- 者zhěthat which; they who; those who
- 不bùno, not, un-; negative prefix
- 可kěmay, can, -able; possibly
- 諫jiànto admonish, to remonstrate
- 來láito arrive, to come, to return; in the fu
- 猶yóusimilar to, just like, as
- 追zhuīto pursue, to chase after; to expel
- 已yǐalready; finished; to stop; then, afterw
- 今jīnmodern, current; today, now
- 從cóngfrom, by, since, whence, through
- 政zhènggovernment, politics
- 殆dàialmost, probably; danger, peril; to enda
- 下xiàbelow, underneath; inferior; to bring do
- 欲yùdesire, want, longing, intent
- 與yǔand; with; to; for; to give, to grant
- 言yánwords, speech; to speak, to say
- 趨qūto hurry, to hasten; to approach, to be
- 辟pìlaw, rule; to open up, to develop
- 得déto obtain, to get, to acquire; suitable,
Passages with shared wording
- Zhuangzi Man Among Men
- Zhuangzi Robber Chê
- Zhuangzi Nourishment of the Soul
- Zhuangzi Mountain Trees
- Analects 14.42
- Mencius 3B.7
Data: English Wikisource (Public domain texts; transcription CC BY-SA 4.0). Retrieved 2026-10-22.