Analects 18.9
The Analects (論語), BOOK XVIII. WEI TSZE 微子第十八
大師摯適齊。亞飯干適楚。三飯繚適蔡。四飯缺適秦。鼓方叔、入於河。播鼗武、入於漢。少師陽、擊磬襄、入於海。
1. The grand music master, Chih, went to Ch'i.
2. Kan, the master of the band at the second meal, went to Ch'u. Liao, the band master at the third meal, went to Ts'ai. Chueh, the band master at the fourth meal, went to Ch'in.
3. Fang-shu, the drum master, withdrew to the north of the river.
4. Wu, the master of the hand drum, withdrew to the Han.
5. Yang, the assistant music master, and Hsiang, master of the musical stone, withdrew to an island in the sea.
James Legge (1861), Confucian Analects, The Chinese Classics vol. 1 (1861; 2nd ed. 1893) — public domain.
Character glossary
- 大dàbig, great, vast, high, deep
- 師shīteacher, professional, master
- 摯zhìsincere, warm, cordial; surname
- 適shìmatch, comfortable; just
- 齊qíeven, uniform, of equal length
- 亞yàAsia; second
- 飯fànmeal, food; cooked rice
- 干gànarid, dry; to oppose; to offend; to inva
- 楚chǔclear, distinct; pain, suffering; surnam
- 三sānthree
- 繚liáoconfused; to bind; to wind around
- 蔡càia species of tortoise; surname
- 四sìfour
- 缺quēto lack, to be short; vacancy, gap, defi
- 秦qínthe Qin dynasty (eponymous for China)
- 鼓gǔdrum; to beat, to strike; to rouse
- 方fāngsquare, rectangle; side; region; flag
- 叔shūuncle; father's younger brother
- 入rùto enter, to come in; to join
- 於yúat, in, on; to, from; alas!
- 河hériver, stream; the Yellow river
- 播bōto sow seeds, to scatter; to broadcast,
- 鼗táosmall revolving drum with knobs
- 武wǔmilitary; martial, warlike
- 漢hànChinese people; Chinese language
- 少shǎofew, little; less; inadequate
- 陽yángthe male principle; bright, sunny; clear
- 擊jīto strike, to hit, to beat; to attack, t
- 磬qìngmusical instrument; a kind of xylophone
- 襄xiāngto aid, to help, to assist; to undress
- 海hǎisea, ocean; maritime
Passages with shared wording
- Zhuangzi Tien Tzŭ Fang
- Analects 8.15
- Analects 14.42
- Zhuangzi Mountain Trees
- Analects 6.3
- Zhuangzi Man Among Men
Data: English Wikisource (Public domain texts; transcription CC BY-SA 4.0). Retrieved 2026-10-22.