Analects 19.10
The Analects (論語), BOOK XIX. TSZE-CHANG 子張第十九
子夏曰、君子信而後勞其民、未信、則以爲厲己也、信而後諫、未信、則以爲謗己也。
Tsze-hsia said, "The superior man, having obtained their confidence, may then impose labours on his people. If he have not gained their confidence, they will think that he is oppressing them. Having obtained the confidence of his prince, one may then remonstrate with him. If he have not gained his confidence, the prince will think that he is vilifying him."
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
- 夏xiàsummer; the Xia or Hsia dynasty
- 曰yuēto speak; to say
- 君jūnsovereign, ruler, prince, monarch, chief
- 信xìnto trust, to believe; letter, sign
- 而érand, and then, and yet; but
- 後hòuafter; behind, rear; descendants
- 勞láoto labor, to toil; to do manual work
- 其qíhis, her, its, their; that
- 民míncitizens, subjects; a nation's people
- 未wèinot yet; 8th terrestrial branch
- 則zérule, law, regulation; grades
- 以yǐaccording to; so as to; because of; then
- 爲wèido, handle, govern, act; be
- 厲lìwhetstone; to grind, to sharpen, to whet
- 己jǐself, oneself; personal, private; 6th he
- 也yěalso, too
- 諫jiànto admonish, to remonstrate
- 謗bàngto slander, to defame
Passages with shared wording
- Mencius 3A.5
- Mencius 5A.6
- Zhuangzi The Identity of Contraries
- Mencius 6B.15
- Zhuangzi Knowledge travels North
- Mencius 7B.25
Data: English Wikisource (Public domain texts; transcription CC BY-SA 4.0). Retrieved 2026-10-22.