Analects 4.2
The Analects (論語), BOOK IV. LE JIN 里仁第四
子曰、不仁者、不可以久處約、不可以長處樂、仁者安仁、知者利仁。
The Master said, "Those who are without virtue cannot abide long either in a condition of poverty and hardship, or in a condition of enjoyment. The virtuous rest in virtue; the wise desire virtue."
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
- 不bùno, not, un-; negative prefix
- 仁rénbenevolent, humane, kind
- 者zhěthat which; they who; those who
- 可kěmay, can, -able; possibly
- 以yǐaccording to; so as to; because of; then
- 久jiǔlong ago; a long time
- 處chùto reside at, to live in; place, locale;
- 約yuētreaty, covenant, agreement
- 長zhǎnglong, lasting; to excel in
- 樂lècheerful, happy, laughing; music
- 安ānpeaceful, tranquil, quiet
- 知zhīto know, to perceive, to comprehend
- 利lìgains, advantage, profit, merit
Passages with shared wording
- Analects 6.21
- Zhuangzi Hsü Wu Kuei
- Zhuangzi The Circling Sky
- Art of War 6.3
- The Doctrine of the Mean Passage 21
- Zhuangzi The Tao of God
Data: English Wikisource (Public domain texts; transcription CC BY-SA 4.0). Retrieved 2026-10-22.