Analects 5.18
The Analects (論語), BOOK V. KUNG-YE CH'ANG 公冶長第五
子張問曰、令尹子文三仕爲令尹、無喜色、三已之、無慍色。舊令尹之政、必以吿新令尹、何如。子曰、忠矣。曰、仁矣乎。曰、未知、焉得仁。崔子弒齊君、陳文子有馬十乘、棄而違之。至於他邦、則曰、猶吾大夫崔子也、違之、之一邦、則又曰、猶吾大夫崔子也、違之、何如。子曰、淸矣。曰、仁矣乎。曰、未知、焉得仁。
1. Tsze-chang asked, saying, "The minister Tsze-wan thrice took office, and manifested no joy in his countenance. Thrice he retired from office, and manifested no displeasure. He made it a point to inform the new minister of the way in which he had conducted the government;—what do you say of him?" The Master replied. "He was loyal." "Was he perfectly virtuous?" "I do not know. How can he be pronounced perfectly virtuous?"
2. Tsze-chang proceeded, "When the officer Ch'ui killed the prince of Ch'i, Ch'an Wan, though he was the owner of forty horses, abandoned them and left the country. Coming to another State, he said, 'They are here like our great officer, Ch'ui,' and left it. He came to a second State, and with the same observation left it also;—what do you say of him?" The Master replied, "He was pure." "Was he perfectly virtuous?" "I do not know. How can he be pronounced perfectly virtuous?"
Character glossary
- 子zison, child; seed, egg; fruit; small thin
- 張zhāngto display; to expand, to open; to stret
- 問wènto ask about, to inquire after
- 曰yuēto speak; to say
- 令lìngcommand, decree, order; magistrate; to a
- 尹yǐnto govern, to oversee; director
- 文wénculture, literature, writing
- 三sānthree
- 仕shìofficial; to serve in the government
- 爲wèido, handle, govern, act; be
- 無wúno, not; lacking, -less
- 喜xǐto love; to enjoy, to be happy; joyful,
- 色sècolor, tint, hue, shade; beauty, form; s
- 已yǐalready; finished; to stop; then, afterw
- 之zhīmarks preceding phrase as modifier of fo
- 慍yùnangry, indignant; resentful, sulking
- 舊jiùold, ancient; former, past
- 政zhènggovernment, politics
- 必bìsurely, certainly; must; will
- 以yǐaccording to; so as to; because of; then
- 吿gàotell, announce, inform; accuse
- 新xīnnew, recent, fresh, modern
- 何héwhat, why, where, which, how
- 如rúas, as if, like, such as, supposing
- 忠zhōngloyalty, devotion, fidelity
- 矣yǐparticle of completed action
- 仁rénbenevolent, humane, kind
- 乎hūinterrogative or exclamatory final parti
- 未wèinot yet; 8th terrestrial branch
- 知zhīto know, to perceive, to comprehend
- 焉yānwhy? where? how?; strange; thereupon, th
- 得déto obtain, to get, to acquire; suitable,
- 崔cuīhigh, lofty, towering; surname
- 弒shìpatricide, matricide
- 齊qíeven, uniform, of equal length
- 君jūnsovereign, ruler, prince, monarch, chief
- 陳chénto display, to exhibit; to plead; surnam
- 有yǒuto have, to own, to possess; to exist
- 馬mǎhorse; surname
- 十shíten, tenth; complete; perfect
- 乘chéngride, mount; to make use of; to ascend;
- 棄qìto abandon, to discard, to reject; to de
- 而érand, and then, and yet; but
- 違wéito violate, to disobey, to defy; to sepa
- 至zhìreach, arrive; very, extremely
- 於yúat, in, on; to, from; alas!
- 他tāother, another; he, she, it
- 邦bāngcountry, nation, state
- 則zérule, law, regulation; grades
- 猶yóusimilar to, just like, as
- 吾wúI, my, our; to resist, to impede
- 大dàbig, great, vast, high, deep
- 夫fūman, husband; worker; those
- 也yěalso, too
- 一yīone; a, an; alone
- 又yòuand, also, again, in addition
- 淸qīngclear
Passages with shared wording
- Zhuangzi Tien Tzŭ Fang
- Mencius 2A.2
- The Great Learning Passage 14
- Analects 10.11
- Mencius 4B.28
- Mencius 3A.3
Data: English Wikisource (Public domain texts; transcription CC BY-SA 4.0). Retrieved 2026-10-22.