Analects 2.4
The Analects (論語), BOOK II. WEI CHANG 爲政第二
子曰、吾十有五而志于學。三十而立。四十而不惑。五十而知天命。六十而耳順。七十而從心所欲、不踰矩。
1. The Master said, "At fifteen, I had my mind bent on learning.
2. "At thirty, I stood firm.
3. "At forty, I had no doubts.
4. "At fifty, I knew the decrees of Heaven.
5. "At sixty, my ear was an obedient organ for the reception of truth.
6. "At seventy, I could follow what my heart desired, without transgressing what was right."
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
- 曰yuēto speak; to say
- 吾wúI, my, our; to resist, to impede
- 十shíten, tenth; complete; perfect
- 有yǒuto have, to own, to possess; to exist
- 五wǔfive; surname
- 而érand, and then, and yet; but
- 志zhìdetermination, will; mark, sign; to reco
- 于yúat, in, on; to, from; alas!
- 學xuélearning, knowledge, science; to study,
- 三sānthree
- 立lìto stand; to establish, to set up
- 四sìfour
- 不bùno, not, un-; negative prefix
- 惑huòto confuse, to mislead; to doubt
- 知zhīto know, to perceive, to comprehend
- 天tiānsky, heaven; god, celestial
- 命mìnglife; destiny, fate, luck; an order, ins
- 六liùsix
- 耳ěrear; to hear, to hear of; handle
- 順shùnto submit to, to obey, to go along with
- 七qīseven
- 從cóngfrom, by, since, whence, through
- 心xīnheart; mind; soul
- 所suǒplace, location; "that which", a particl
- 欲yùdesire, want, longing, intent
- 踰yúexceed, transgress; cross over
- 矩jǔcarpenter's square, ruler, rule
Passages with shared wording
- Zhuangzi The Secret of Life
- Zhuangzi Autumn Floods
- Mencius 6B.5
- Zhuangzi Hsü Wu Kuei
- Zhuangzi The Circling Sky
- Zhuangzi On Declining Power
Data: English Wikisource (Public domain texts; transcription CC BY-SA 4.0). Retrieved 2026-10-22.