Analects 3.9
The Analects (論語), BOOK III. PA YIH 八佾第三
子曰、夏禮吾能言之、杞不足徵也、殷禮吾能言之、宋不足徵也、文獻不足故也、足、則吾能徵之矣。
The Master said, "I could describe the ceremonies of the Hsia dynasty, but Chi cannot sufficiently attest my words. I could describe the ceremonies of the Yin dynasty, but Sung cannot sufficiently attest my words. (They cannot do so) because of the insufficiency of their records and wise men. If those were sufficient, I could adduce them in support of my words."
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
- 夏xiàsummer; the Xia or Hsia dynasty
- 禮lǐcourtesy, manners, social customs
- 吾wúI, my, our; to resist, to impede
- 能néngcan, may; capable, full of energy
- 言yánwords, speech; to speak, to say
- 之zhīmarks preceding phrase as modifier of fo
- 杞qǐwillow, medlar tree; a small feudal stat
- 不bùno, not, un-; negative prefix
- 足zúfoot; to attain, to satisfy; enough
- 徵zhēngto summon, to recruit; levy, tax; journe
- 也yěalso, too
- 殷yīnmany, great; abundant, flourishing
- 宋sòngthe Song dynasty; surname
- 文wénculture, literature, writing
- 獻xiànto offer, to present; to show, to displa
- 故gùreason, cause; happening, instance
- 則zérule, law, regulation; grades
- 矣yǐparticle of completed action
Passages with shared wording
- The Doctrine of the Mean Passage 30
- Zhuangzi Lieh Tzŭ
- Analects 2.23
- Zhuangzi Mountain Trees
- Zhuangzi Autumn Floods
- Analects 3.21
Data: English Wikisource (Public domain texts; transcription CC BY-SA 4.0). Retrieved 2026-10-22.