Analects 3.8
The Analects (論語), BOOK III. PA YIH 八佾第三
子夏問曰、巧笑倩兮、美目盼兮、素以爲絢兮。何謂也。子曰、繪事後素。曰、禮後乎。子曰、起予者商也、始可與言詩已矣。
1. Tsze-hsia asked, saying, "What is the meaning of the passage—'The pretty dimples of her artful smile! The well-defined black and white of her eye! The plain ground for the colours?'"
2. The Master said, "The business of laying on the colours follows (the preparation of) the plain ground."
3. "Ceremonies then are a subsequent thing?" The Master said, "It is Shang who can bring out my meaning. Now I can begin to talk about the odes with 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
- 問wènto ask about, to inquire after
- 曰yuēto speak; to say
- 巧qiǎoskillful, ingenious, clever
- 笑xiàoto smile, to laugh; to giggle; to snicke
- 倩qiànbeautiful, lovely; son-in-law
- 兮xīexclamatory particle
- 美měibeautiful, pretty; pleasing
- 目mùeye; to look, to see; division, topic
- 盼pànto look, to gaze; to expect, to hope for
- 素sùplain; white; vegetarian; formerly; norm
- 以yǐaccording to; so as to; because of; then
- 爲wèido, handle, govern, act; be
- 絢xuànvariegated, adorned; brilliant
- 何héwhat, why, where, which, how
- 謂wèito call, to say, to tell; name, title; m
- 也yěalso, too
- 繪huìto sketch, to paint, to draw
- 事shìaffair, matter, business; to serve; acci
- 後hòuafter; behind, rear; descendants
- 禮lǐcourtesy, manners, social customs
- 乎hūinterrogative or exclamatory final parti
- 起qǐto begin, to initiate; to rise, to stand
- 予yǔto give; to award
- 者zhěthat which; they who; those who
- 商shāngcommerce, business, trade
- 始shǐto begin, to start; beginning
- 可kěmay, can, -able; possibly
- 與yǔand; with; to; for; to give, to grant
- 言yánwords, speech; to speak, to say
- 詩shīpoetry; poem, verse, ode
- 已yǐalready; finished; to stop; then, afterw
- 矣yǐparticle of completed action
Passages with shared wording
Data: English Wikisource (Public domain texts; transcription CC BY-SA 4.0). Retrieved 2026-10-22.