Analects 5.1
The Analects (論語), BOOK V. KUNG-YE CH'ANG 公冶長第五
子謂公冶長、可妻也、雖在縲絏之中、非其罪也。以其子妻之。子謂南容、邦有道不廢、邦無道免於刑戮。以其兄之子妻之
1. The Master said of Kung-ye Ch'ang that he might be wived; although he was put in bonds, he had not been guilty of any crime. Accordingly, he gave him his own daughter to wife.
2. Of Nan Yung he said that if the country were well governed he would not be out of office, and if it were ill-governed, he would escape punishment and disgrace. He gave him the daughter of his own elder brother to wife.
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
- 謂wèito call, to say, to tell; name, title; m
- 公gōngfair, equitable; public; duke
- 冶yěto smelt, to fuse metals, to cast
- 長zhǎnglong, lasting; to excel in
- 可kěmay, can, -able; possibly
- 妻qīwife
- 也yěalso, too
- 雖suīalthough, even though
- 在zàiat, in, on; to exist; used to indicate t
- 縲léia chain or rope used bind criminals
- 絏xièrope, cable; reins; to tie up, bind
- 之zhīmarks preceding phrase as modifier of fo
- 中zhōngcentral; center, middle; amidst; to hit
- 非fēinot, negative, non-; to oppose
- 其qíhis, her, its, their; that
- 罪zuìsin, vice; fault, guilt; crime
- 以yǐaccording to; so as to; because of; then
- 南nánsouth; southern; southward
- 容róngappearance, looks; form, figure; to cont
- 邦bāngcountry, nation, state
- 有yǒuto have, to own, to possess; to exist
- 道dàomethod, way; path, road
- 不bùno, not, un-; negative prefix
- 廢fèito terminate; to discard; to abgrogate
- 無wúno, not; lacking, -less
- 免miǎnto spare, to excuse from; to evade
- 於yúat, in, on; to, from; alas!
- 刑xíngpunishment, penalty; law
- 戮lùto kill, to massacre; to oppress
- 兄xiōngelder brother
Passages with shared wording
- Analects 11.5
- Mencius 5A.2
- Mencius 5B.1
- Zhuangzi Horses' Hoofs
- Zhuangzi Man Among Men
- Zhuangzi On Declining Power
Data: English Wikisource (Public domain texts; transcription CC BY-SA 4.0). Retrieved 2026-10-22.